The Church has always sought to place its members in a position to help themselves, rather than adopting the method of so many charitable institutions of providing for only present needs. The Latter-day Saint idea of charity, therefore, is to relieve present wants and then put the poor in a position to help themselves so that in turn they may help others. As they do so, they feel the dignity and self-respect that come through living a productive and contributing life.

"Ultimately the man who is approached in the right kind of way, the improvident man, will come along. He will do something. That is the purpose of the Welfare Plan, to build that man, rebuild him, rehabilitate him, make him over again, build up his testimony, get him into Church activity, make him and his family self-respecting and respected. That is the great job of the Welfare Plan" (J. Reuben Clark Jr., Church News, 13 May 1944, 1, 9).