Mormon Notes: An Added Emphasis

So, this last week it was announced that the LDS Church is going to add a new emphasis to what was once known as the 'Three-fold mission' of the Church. For those of you who are not familiar with the 'Three-fold mission' here it is (pretty simple):

1. Proclaim the Gospel
2. Perfect the Saints
3. Redeem the Dead

These three 'missions' have allowed the Church to function well. But, under the guidance of the President and Prophet, Thomas S. Monson, we are soon to add another 'mission.' This is not a new mission, in the sense that the Church has not already been fulfilling responsibilities here. In my opinion, the Church is merely codifying a practice that has been in place for many years. The added emphasis is:

4. Care for the Poor and Needy

I'm writing this blog post because of the many online attacks the Church has sustained since the Salt Lake Tribune reported the soon-to-be-made announcement.

Let's be perfectly clear people. Caring for the Poor and Needy has been a Church practice since the beginning. This is a codification and added emphasis for members of the Church (and people of the world) to be more aware and more helpful. Proof? President Marion G. Romney counseled us to do this in 1973; not to mention the numerous scriptural references in the Bible and the Book of Mormon.

Apart from the doctrinal support, here is the "Welfare Fact Sheet" that shows we're putting our money where our mouth is--to the tune of more than $1 Billion (not to mention the 1 million days of labor donated to further our welfare efforts). Make no mistake. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is already actively "caring for the poor and needy."