Reader comments
LDS plans one-stop 'Welfare Complex'

Robert Robinson | 6:19 a.m. Sept. 12, 2007

I worked for the Bishop's Storehouse one year. 8 hour day for two weeks of food. God bless the LDS Church.

Thomas | 10:42 a.m. Sept. 12, 2007

Um, sorry to burst your bubble, but this is not the "first" complex of this type. A similar "one-stop" facility with all services in one location opened earlier this year in North Las Vegas. It is a wonderful facility and a vast improvement over the previous D.I. location.

Alan | 11:10 a.m. Sept. 12, 2007

Wrong. The same complex opened in Las Vegas last year

Comments continue below

Ramona Dancer | 4:28 p.m. Sept. 12, 2007

there is one in sacramento,california also.

Anonymous | 7:30 p.m. Sept. 12, 2007

There has been a one-stop welfare complex (employment counseling, welfare, bishop's storehouse, cannery, etc.) in Dallas for close to 20 years.

Someone | 8:49 p.m. Sept. 12, 2007

What about the Distribution/Beehive store that will be in the Layton facility? Is that also in the ones in Vegas/Mesa/Dallas????

Richard | 4:27 a.m. Sept. 13, 2007

I agree with others, better check your facts or explain the difference. Las Vegas has the same, which did open last year or early this year.

militant | 6:56 a.m. Sept. 13, 2007

Having worked for the church in Vegas I can tell you that all of the facilities mentioned in the other posts are missing something that this Layton facility will have. Dallas does not have a DI among other things. The facility is in North Las Vegas not Las Vegas and that faciity does not have a distribution center (although it is beautiful!). Vegas also acks a humanitarian area like they have in St George. I have spoken with Scott Anderson on a number of occasions and if he says it is the first of its kind then it is. Sorry to burst your bubble : )

Area code 302 | 7:41 a.m. Sept. 13, 2007

Any chance of even just a Deseret Industries making it east of the Mississippi? After all, the majority of Americans live here - and we do have fourteen temples.

And don't just plop one facility somewhere and assume that will do the job.

Wanting a DI | 9:02 a.m. Sept. 13, 2007

I agree! Although I'm not in the East but I want a DI in OKLAHOMA!!! I can't stand the Goodwill or the Salvation Army, They are almost always over priced and DI just has a better operation. You go to these places to get a break on the things you need, I would rather give my things away any day than to give it to the Goodwill to sell an an unreasonable price. Well, any how, Please, Please, Please send a DI our way. Oh, and a LDS Book store...we do have a temple now, small but it serves the same glorious purpose!

Dorothy Williams | 9:46 a.m. Sept. 13, 2007

What is this DI? Sounds wonderful...Could we have one in Saint Louis Mo.? The thrift stores here are really outrageous in prices.. Would like more information...

Dorothy | 11:16 a.m. Sept. 13, 2007

DI stands for Deseret Industries and it functions like a Salvation Army-type thrift store, but also sends a vast amount of its materials to third-world countries for distribution as charity. It is owned and operated by the LDS church, which is known for its unmatched, effective organizational structure. From what I hear, they are far better priced than other thrift stores, hence thrift stores have trouble competing in the Salt Lake City area.

Patti, Scotland | 4:27 p.m. Sept. 13, 2007

Boy could we use one over here. We're smaller don't have quite the same need as in the States but there is still a need here, even on a small scale. We do have one LDS book store that serves the entire UK and a tiny Distribution center at each of the 2 Temples. I suppose we're doing ok.

Carol | 6:47 p.m. Sept. 13, 2007

I live in North Carolina and would really enjoy having an LDS Book Store and a Distribution Center in this part of the country.

area code 217 | 6:49 p.m. Sept. 13, 2007

Although membership isn't as great here as the western states, I feel it would give members here more of a feeling of belonging if we had some DI stores & other facilities here. Perhaps it would be good PR for the church too. We also need a local place to donate items such as Humanitarian Aid supplies like quilts.

Anonymous | 7:35 p.m. Sept. 13, 2007

Needing a bishop to tell you someone is homeless and staving, is like needing a weatherman to tell you it's raining. Maybe, Christ should have hung out with his finger stuck in his ear, waiting for Joesph Smith to establish a church with bishops to tell him who to heal!

From Oregon | 9:51 p.m. Sept. 13, 2007

Anonymous, please post your home address so we all know where to send homeless people, the hungry, the unemployed, those needing counseling, unwed mothers seeking adoptive couples, those needing rent paid and finances for utilities, medical expenses, schooling, those seeking humanitarian aid, etc. You obviously provide better care for the poor and needy than the flawed system I currently support. I give the Church WAY too much in financial and time commitments and it looks like my life would be much easier with your plan.

Philippines | 12:36 a.m. Sept. 14, 2007

I hope someday DI will come to the Philippines. I think the person from Oregon can help us here.

Anonymous | 8:24 a.m. Sept. 14, 2007

How about a small "store-front" type place in a seedy, downtown area, that teaches the basic spiritual principles and ordinances of the gospel, as well providing availablilty for family canning and emergency prparedness teaching and opportunities to apply?

need DI in OHIO | 8:20 a.m. Sept. 15, 2007

Well, we once had a bookstore, they moved to UT, but never have had a DI. I do know that you can take humanitarian efforts to the Bishop's storehouse (in your area) and they will send to UT. But to have the blessings of having such complex, here, would be wonderful and such an example - here in the mission field! We can all make a difference, somehow, just find the need and fullfill it. Remember you can make a difference, all by yourself. I am involved in the Singles program and this is one thing I have learned, I, alone can make a difference but with my brotheres and sisters we can change the world.

be kind | 12:01 p.m. Sept. 15, 2007

I appreciate the comments that have been made. Some may need to work on presenting their comments in a more friendly and understanding manner. We are all here because we love the Lord and we should show that with a little patience.

I too would love to have a DI in my area, here in North Georgia. I only remember ever living by a DI when I lived in CA and I loved it. I voluntered there once and it was very nice...work, but nice, I think it does offer good pricing and employment opportunities as well as a wonderful chance to offer some service. I hope one day we can all have a DI in our prefered areas, but for now it is an exercise in patience, as patience is a virture I have not mastered. :)

217 in Illinois | 6:10 p.m. Sept. 16, 2007

The new welfare complex will be a great advantage for those who need to quickly gather & load life sustaining supplies. I think this is most important. We have the advantage of the gospel. Our growing testimony & obedience thereto will net us greater rewards than we can imagine.

Where there is not a welfare complex close by, perhaps one or a group could start their own DI type store in a garage, basement, extra bedroom, closet or where ever space could be found. Books & videos would be wonderful especially for our youth. A food storage room could be added where families could share excess & help with the preserving. Then, how about a sewing room where fabrics & other supplies could be traded or utilized to make quilts, clothing, draperies etc. Sewing & mending could be taught. It may be a necessary skill someday. Is there a better way than by example to teach the gospel? Great & marvelous work has a simple beginning.

Love to each one of you. I would enjoy hearing your ideas & experiences. Remember to keep your nose in the scriptures & a prayer in your heart.

Mike | 8:50 a.m. Sept. 22, 2007

Anonymous, hey why do your type always go under the name anonymous?? Oh, I know its because you always say stupid things.

ron | 11:04 a.m. Sept. 22, 2007

get a life mike

Janice | 3:32 p.m. Sept. 22, 2007

Part of the reason for the DI not being back east is the fact that it is staffed by those employed by the LDS church. The limited and far flung number of church members in the mission fields make it harder to have a DI. I like the comments from 217 in Illinois because that is a very workable start. Purhaps you could work with your local church officals to start a small DI type place in your area.

And it doesn't have to be started by an LDS group. Baptists can donate just as much as Lutherans, Buddists, Episcapalians, Catholics, Muslims, Jewish or any other religious sect.

Dear From Oregon | 7:33 p.m. Sept. 22, 2007

Sarcastic comments, yes, funny no. Luke Warm LDS yes.

Area code 302 | 9:37 p.m. Sept. 22, 2007

"Part of the reason for the DI not being back east is the fact that it is staffed by those employed by the LDS church. The limited and far flung number of church members in the mission fields make it harder to have a DI."

That's circular reasoning. Deseret Industries (like so many Church entities) was formed to serve the _majority_ of Church members. Why should the 15% of members that live in Utah get 50% of the resources?

By the way - "mission field" as you put it is an insult to the rest of us. We have wards, stakes, and yes, temples like anywhere else. We just don't live in a place that's 75% LDS (where "good members" are hostile to the other 25%.)

Relocated Southerner | 9:56 a.m. Sept. 23, 2007

Why does the term "mission field" offend you, Area Code 302? I lived in the "mission field" for years, and I found it appropriate and loved the fact that it indicated we were still fresh and the Gospel was still actively growing there. And now that I live in Utah, I don't think that the "good members" are hostile to the rest. To the contrary, I find that the Latter-day Saints here are some of the most Christian I have ever met. Yes, there are "less actives", "inactives" and even downright hypocrites, but that's just the law of averages and can be found anywhere one lives. It's just that in the "mission field", you only really see and associate with the active members; the others tend to only be seen by faithful home and visiting teachers and most people don't see or associate with them on a daily basis.

Area Code 302 | 8:42 a.m. Sept. 24, 2007

It implies that outside Utah, it's less of a church. The term derives from the days when the only stakes were between the Rockies to the Pacific, and so it comes off as a put-down now that that's no longer the case.

I even had a stake president at BYU who didn't recognize my Aaronic Priesthood ordinations because the local units had "made do" with whomever for leadership, while in Utah only the "best" serve.

Stop holding grudges, grow up! | 11:46 a.m. Sept. 26, 2007

What percentage of prison inmates (murderers, thiefs,rapists,etc) are LDS? less than 3%
Why do you judge all Mormons by a few bad apples you met??? Don't judge a whole group until you know each one personally. Why are people so caught up in knocking down the church when there are so many good people in it? There are plenty of good and bad non-LDS people. So if you hate mormons are you associating yourself with the other 97% prisoners? I don't.!! You shouldn't. I look at each person individually!!
DI ROCKS!!!!!!

Atlanta Georgia member | 8:25 a.m. Sept. 29, 2007

We did something on a smaller scale in our ward. The Relief Society asked the members to bring any clean unused clothes to their weekday meeting night. Then anyone who needed any of the clothes could pick out what they needed. It basically was a clothes exchange. On this scale there was no money exchanged, as the clothes were free for the taking. Any clothes left over were donated to one of our local Goodwills or Salvation Army, after determining that they were not needed in our ward.

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