LDS to boost emphasis on helping the needy; Salt Lake Temple not closing

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has released

two statements in response to a pair of hot topics on LDS-related blogs — one

an emphasis on caring for the poor and the needy and the other an erroneous

purported closing of the Salt Lake Temple.

Blog postings reported that \"to care for the poor and

the needy\" would receive increased emphasis in the next edition of the

Church Handbook of Instructions, due to be released in 2010. The manual

contains directives, responsibilities and information for local and general LDS

Church leaders worldwide.

In the upcoming handbook, caring for the poor and the needy

will be stated as one of the church's purposes, along with its well-recognized,

three-fold mission statement.

\"Caring for the poor and needy has always been a basic

tenet of the Church,\" said LDS Church spokesman Scott Trotter. \"The

language reference is simply a description of the purposes of the church to be

included in the next edition of the Church Handbook.\"

The three-fold mission of the LDS Church was first taught at

the April 1981 General Conference by then-President Spencer W. Kimball, who

said it was the inspired product of the church's First Presidency and Quorum of

the Twelve.

As stated, the aspects are:

• \"To proclaim the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to

  every nation, kindred, tongue and people.

• \"To perfect the Saints by preparing them to receive

  the ordinances of the gospel and by instruction and discipline to gain

  exaltation.

• \"To redeem the dead by performing vicarious

  ordinances of the gospel for those who have lived on the earth.\"