Christlike Service: Church Leaders Emphasize Community-Level Outreach in 2024 Caring Summary

Several leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gathered at the Bishops’ Central Storehouse in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, to discuss the 2024 “Caring for Those in Need” summary, which was made public earlier in the day.

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The 500,000-square-foot storehouse is one of five distribution centers that enable the Church to connect those in need with food and many other critical resources.

Noting some of the highlights in the caring summary — US$1.45 billion in expenditures in caring for those in need in 192 countries and territories and 6.6 million hours of service — Presiding Bishop Gérald Caussé spoke of the purpose beyond the numbers.

“It inspires me always to think how the members are responding to the call and really trying their best to emulate the example of Jesus Christ in serving those in need around the world,” Bishop Caussé said. “I believe that the most important part of the work is really what is done within our own communities, with our own neighbors.”

Relief Society General President Camille N. Johnson said the portion of the caring summary that resonates with her is the work the Church is doing — led by the Relief Society — to help women and children.

“We know that global progress starts when we bless women and children,” President Johnson said. “When women are educated and empowered, they strengthen their own families, their communities and nations. And when we bless children, we bless our futures. This has been an important part of the Church’s efforts this last year. We have focused specifically as part of that global initiative on child nutrition for children who are under 5 — maternal and newborn care, immunizations, and also education. It’s marvelous.”

Sister Kristin M. Yee, one of President Johnson’s counselors, said the caring summary encourages Latter-day Saints everywhere to put “our good intentions into action and our compassion into a place where we can help another person.”

“Some of the most important needs are lying right around us,” said Sister Yee. “What can we do to look out in our neighborhoods and in our homes and assist in that way? Because that may be the most important humanitarian work that we do. I think of our Relief Society sisters around the world. Every day they see the needs in homes, neighborhoods, and communities, and they step in.”

Blaine Maxfield, managing director of the Church’s Welfare and Self-Reliance Services, pointed to the caring summary’s encouragement to get involved wherever we are.

“I love that the summary mentions, ‘What can I do?’” Brother Maxfield said. “I’m motivated even more to help and to look outside myself and follow the example of the Savior to care for those that are in need. One of the central themes that I love is to gather groups together to become a central force for good all over the world: members of the Church, friends of our faith, organizations coming together to have impactful ways to bless God’s children.”

The caring summary reflects how The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints seeks to carry out Christ’s commandment to love God and serve others.

“As disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, we feel that we’ve made that covenant to really do what He would do and to reach out to others and to help those in need,” Bishop Caussé said. “As we serve one another, as we try to make a positive difference in this world, this is how we can increase peace in the world and also reduce divisiveness and any kind of contention.”

Visit CaringSummary.ChurchofJesusChrist.org to discover more. At ChurchofJesusChrist.org you can also find 25 ways to support women and children.