"We must take care of the poor. Said the Lord, 'The poor ye have with you always.' (See Mark 14:7; John 12:8.) There have always been poor and I guess there always will be poor until the Millennium. We must take care of them and we must have the facilities to do so. But we must be very careful not to over-institutionalize that care. We must not shift the burden that we ought to carry in our own hearts of spreading kindness and love and help to others, to the institution, which at best, is impersonal" (Gordon B. Hinckley, Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley [1997], 459).

"I have wept as I have seen the poverty and the suffering of the people in this part of the earth [Philippines]. My heart reaches out to them. I do not know what the solution is, except the gospel of Jesus Christ. I think it is the only thing that will help them and bless their lives. If they, even living in poverty and misery, can look to God with hope and faith it will sustain them in their hours of sorrow. Furthermore, I believe with all my heart that if they will accept the gospel and live it, pay their tithes and offerings, even though those be meager, the Lord will keep His ancient promise in their behalf, and they will have rice in their bowls, and clothing on their backs, and shelter over their heads. I do not see any solution. They need a power greater than any earthly power to lift them and help them" (Gordon B. Hinckley, "Messages of Inspiration from President Hinckley," Church News, Nov. 2, 1996, 2).

"To care fully for the poor, we must help the poor to change. As they are taught and abide doctrines of Deity, spiritual strength will come that enlightens the mind and liberates the soul from the yoke of bondage. When people of the earth accept the gospel of Christ, their attitudes change. Their understanding and capabilities increase" (Russell M. Nelson, "In the Lord's Own Way," Ensign, May 1986, 27).

"Although reasons vary according to time and place, the poor and the needy have nearly always been present. Regardless of cause, our Heavenly Father is concerned for them. They are all his children. He loves and cares for them" (Russell M. Nelson, "In the Lord's Own Way," Ensign, May 1986, 25).

"Hundreds of millions of our Father's children face poverty and illiteracy and other problems—both temporal and spiritual—that are almost beyond our comprehension. Of such people President Kimball stated: 'Give these people to us and we'll open their eyes to a vision of eternity and show them how to reach up to the stars' " (James E. Faust, "Establishing the Church: Welfare Services Missionaries Are an Important Resource," Ensign, Nov. 1979, 91).

"Every person who is baptized and receives the gift of the Holy Ghost, which seals the ordinance, is under solemn covenant with the Lord to obey his commandments. With like certainty the scriptures make it clear that caring for the poor is one of those commandments. . . .  

"Caring for the poor is a covenantal obligation" (Marion G. Romney, "Caring for the Poor—a Covenantal Obligation," Ensign, Nov. 1978, 88).

"In the present worldly state of things, there will always be poor people, those who do not have sufficient of this world's goods to satisfy their just needs and wants. Provision is always made by true saints for the care of their less economically fortunate brethren. In modern times this is done primarily through the great Church Welfare Plan.

"Whether people are rich or poor ordinarily does not establish whether they are righteous or wicked. The wealthy and the poverty stricken are found both in and out of the Church; and the Lord in his infinite wisdom tests various of his saints with the perils of poorness and others with the snares of worldly riches. It is true, however, as the entire Nephite history testifies, that when the saints become rich in worldly wealth, they frequently become proud and haughty and fall into apostate practices and evils. It seems to be harder for a rich man to keep the commandments and gain salvation than it is for a poor man. (Matt. 19:16-26.)" (Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, 2nd ed. [1966], 579-80).

"In the Church of Christ there should be no person hungry, no person poorly clad, inadequately clothed, and no person who doesn't have the hope some day of living under his or her own roof. This is an ideal not beyond accomplishment, not beyond realization" (David O. McKay, Special Welfare Meeting, April 5, 1941).

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