View source for Question: Did the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons) invest more money in Proposition 8 than in all of its combined humanitarian efforts?

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==Question: Did the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons) invest more money in Proposition 8 than in all of its combined humanitarian efforts?==
===The question is not relevant, since the Church as an ''organization'' did not donate any money to “Yes on 8"===

Members contribute to humanitarian efforts sponsored by the church based on their specific abilities.  For example, [http://providentliving.org/content/display/0,11666,7416-1-4005-1,00.html fast offerings] are donations to a fund for assisting local and other members who are financially struggling. These funds represent a generous offering of the value of 2 meals abstained from on the first Sunday of each month. The combination of personal sacrifice (fasting) and financial sacrifice make such contributions particularly meaningful for both the donor and the recipient.

The Church also manages a significant humanitarian effort known as "[http://www.lds.org/ldsfoundation/welfare/welcome/0,7133,1325-1-9,00.html LDS Humanitarian Services]". This organization provides relief and assistance for disasters and other urgent humanitarian needs. The amount contributed by the Church to humanitarian causes far outweighs anything that individual members contributed toward the effort to pass Prop 8. According to a  [http://providentliving.org/welfare/pdf/2006WelfareFactSheet.pdf 2007 report] from the Presiding Bishopric of the Church, external humanitarian efforts exceeded $1 billion in cash and material contributions from 1985 until 2007. This does not include contributions of many millions more as part of the Church Welfare program. 

Other humanitarian efforts include:
* [http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=f318118dd536c010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=46398d00422fe010VgnVCM100000176f620a____&hideNav=1 Perpetual Education Fund]
* [http://providentliving.org/channel/0,11677,2022-1,00.html Deseret Industries]
* [http://providentliving.org/channel/0,11677,1703-1,00.html Employment Services]

Many Latter-day Saints make significant contributions to humanitarian efforts outside of LDS sponsored channels. For example, in 2007, high profile Latter-day Saints [http://specials.slate.com/slate60/2007/ John and Karen Huntsman] donated more than $672 million for charitable causes not associated with the LDS Church. [http://www.bc.edu/research/cwp/meta-elements/ssi/vol11.html Utah] in general was ranked #2 of all 50 states in charitable contributions in 2007.

===Wouldn't the money that Church members contributed to the cause have been better spent on humanitarian needs?===

Church members have always been encouraged to contribute to humanitarian causes. Since all contributions came from individual members, those that donated made the choice to support the “Yes on 8” campaign.

It should be noted that the Latter-day saints believe that family is central to the plan of God for the eternal destiny of His children and has been instituted by divine design for the betterment of society. The First Presidency and Quorum of the 12 Apostles warned "that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets" (see the [http://www.lds.org/library/display/0,4945,161-1-11-1,00.html Proclamation)]. For these reasons, many Latter-day Saints and their leaders believe that Proposition 8, whose original title was "The California Marriage Protection Act" was a cause of great significance and worthy of their most noble efforts.

*Bishop H. David Burton, [http://lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,23-1-851-18,00.html And Who Is My Neighbor?], April 2008 General Conference.


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