What is Prosperity?

What Does the Book of Mormon Say About Inequality? Series

The Book of Mormon contains some surprising insights concerning economic inequality.  This series explores several topics addressed by the LDS scripture and its insights for today.

This article part of a chapter on the teachings of the Book of Mormon concerning inequality, organized in order to deconstruct the prosperity gospel and other modern bad ideas.  If you haven't already, take a look at the introduction to this chapter which explains what I mean by 'prosperity gospel', otherwise enjoy and feel free to join in the discussion.

The "Prosperity Gospel" of some mainstream Christianity suggests that material wealth is a sign of personal righteousness, while poverty is evidence of moral degradation.  It is assumed that one can pull oneself out of poverty by keeping the commandments of God, and therefore government welfare and even charity programs are unnecessary and even obstructive to ultimate poverty reduction.

In the strongest of words may I suggest that the Book of Mormon does not at all support these assumptions, or any other similar ideas t the 'prosperity gospel'.

However, the Book of Mormon does talk about prosperity and how 'prospering' is connected to keeping the commandments, which could lead one to believe the Book of Mormon supports the many errors of the prosperity gospel.  This article will address what the Book of Mormon says about prosperity, and how its concept differs from the modern economic errors today.

The Book of Mormon's "Prosperity Gospel"

"Keep the commandments of God and you shall prosper in the land"

This is one of the most common phrases of the Book of Mormon - 19 times by my count.  The total usage of the word 'prosper' is 64 times.  Many have interpreted this phrase, or simply the word prosper, to mean the same as the prosperity gospel - that following the commandments leads to becoming wealthy.

But does 'prosper' really mean to become rich?  Does it have to do with money at all?

I have looked over the context of every passage, and this is how I would define prosperity in each circumstance.

• Being Protected from Enemies - 2 Nephi 1:9; Omni 1:6; Jarom 1:9; Mosiah 2:31; 12:15; Alma 48:15; 50:20; Helaman 4:15; 3 Nephi 22:17 

• Having the Lord's Presence and Spiritual Help - 1 Nephi 4:12-15; 13:15; 2 Nephi 1:20; 4:4; Mosiah 25:24; 26:37; Alma 9:19; 36:30; 37:13,43; 38:1; 45:8; 50:20; Helaman 3:20

The first two categories contain all of the references to "keep the commandments of God and you shall prosper in the land", plus several other references to the word 'prosper'.  Neither of the two categories have anything to do with money.

• And Public Wealth - 2 Nephi 5:11-13; Mosiah 9:9; 10:5; 21:16; 23:19; 27:7; Alma 1:31; 9:22; 50:18; 62:48-51; Helaman 11:20; 3 Nephi 6:4; Ether 6:28; 7:19; 9:16; 10:4-28; Nephi 1:7 

This third category contains many of the usages of the word 'prosper' in the Book of Mormon.  In this category the word is indeed associated with wealth, and even becoming 'rich'.

But there is an important distinction, and that is that in every passage the wealth that is being referred to is public wealth, not personal wealth.  The people became wealthy or rich as a group, with no evidence that individuals were being 'blessed' with wealth.

To ensure that every individual benefited from the prospering society, the people were commanded to share their resources.  The commandments of the Law of Moses required people to share, and to forgive debt; the commandments of King Benjamin and Mosiah, and the covenants of the church, required the people to share with those who had less.  Thus "keep my commandments and you will prosper" is a recipe for an economic outcome, not a promise and unrelated reward.
 
In Mosiah 21 the people as a whole prosper after becoming more righteous, and then King Limhi creates a welfare program which taxes families to pay for poor widows, who were plenty righteous, and also poor.  In Mosiah 27 and Alma 1 the people as a whole become more wealthy and then share that wealth with the poor in their society, who were also righteous. 

In each of these circumstances, if every individual prospered according to their righteousness then there would be no need for social programs and charity.  But on the contrary, it is when the people are righteous and prospering from the Lord that they are commanded to share the most.

Incidentally, in each of the above examples, the word 'prosper' or 'prosperity' occurs during periods of low pride, no persecution of the poor, and minimal wealth inequality - in other words, not during pride cycles.   When riches and wealth inequality occur, the word 'prosper' is not used, but 'riches' instead.

 So why is it that the people prosper when they keep the commandments?

Are they blessed?  Sure, but that is not implying that wealth is magically beamed to people.  "Keep my commandments and he shall prosper in the land" is a statement of fact. 

The commandments the Nephites receive include several attributes that naturally create wealth - like industriousness, and an ethic of equality and justice.

More importantly, the commandments include the requirement for the rich to give to the poor, "that they may be rich like unto you" (Jacob 2), thus ensuring that each individual could prosper so long as everyone actually keeps the commandments.


The Lord never intended to grant every individual material prosperity when they alone kept the commandments, but that a society could be materially prosperous when they kept the commandments, and that every individual could also prosper if these commandments were kept because the fortunate would give to the unfortunate.

Again, this phrase is an economic recipe, not a promise with an unrelated reward.

We will explore these ideas more closely in the next chapter on Origins of Wealth.

Jacob's Promise

There is a specific promise in the book of Jacob which can cause confusion, and so deserves attention here.  The passage does not use the word prosper, but it contains a promise that seems to guarantee material wealth for righteousness:

18 But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God.

19 And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches, if ye seek them...

A pretty good promise huh?  Just reading this portion could inspire all sorts of prosperity gospel errors.  So lets first consider the context of these verses, and then lets read the whole passage.

In this chapter Jacob has identified the inequalities and pride of the early Nephite people and is berating them for it:

16 O that he would rid you from this iniquity and abomination... and let not this pride of your hearts destroy your souls!

17 Think of your brethren like unto yourselves, and be familiar with all and free with your substance, that they may be rich like unto you.

Being rich while others around you are not, and the pride that comes with it, is "iniquity and abomination" according to Jacob.

In our modern culture, when someone seeks to become rich, the goal usually isn't to just have money, the goal is to have more money than most.  That's generally the difference between the word 'prosperity' and 'rich', everyone can be prosperous, but only some can be rich.

Yet, this is obviously not the type of seeking after riches that Jacob would promote, since inequality is an 'abomination', and the rich should give their riches so other people may be rich like unto them.

Let's continue:

18 But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God.

19 And After ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches, if ye seek them; and ye will seek them for the intent to do good - to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive and administer relief to the sick and afflicted.

There are character requirements for this promise which I would imagine necessitates the rarity of this promise ever being fulfilled.  This promise requires someone of pure enough heart to only seek after riches to do good, and then to give those riches away as she/he receives them.  This process is the only way in this verse that the Lord will bless an individual with riches.

This verse is not the prosperity gospel of mainstream Christianity - but actually very opposed to it. 

Today, there are a lot of rich Christians, Mormons, and other pious people in the world, but I would expect very few, if any, have followed this pattern, became wealthy, and then gave that wealth away (and they wouldn't be rich anymore anyway, at least not rich relative to the rest of us).  There are many charitable people in the world, including many millionaires and billionaires, but how many of them wanted to give away their wealth from the beginning?  And how many of them have not raised their standard of living to match their increased wealth, instead of simply facilitating their lives and giving the excess away?  

As the fulfillment of this promise is rare, if actually existent at all, wealth today comes largely for the same reasons that the Nephites sometimes became wealthy - which will be our topic in the next article.

For now, lets close this article with the rest of Jacob's quote:

20 And now, my brethren, I have spoken unto you concerning pride; and those of you which have afflicted your neighbor, and persecuted him because ye were proud in your hearts, of the things which God hath given you, what say ye of it?

21 Do ye not suppose that such things are abominable unto him who created all flesh?  And the one being is as precious in his sight as the other.  And all flesh is of the dust; and for the selfsame end hath he created them, that they should keep his commandments and glorify him forever.

Teachings of the Book of Mormon Concerning Inequality

What Does the Book of Mormon Say About Inequality? Series

The Book of Mormon contains some surprising insights concerning economic inequality.  This series explores several topics addressed by the LDS scripture and its insights for today.

This article is the beginning of a chapter on deconstructing the prosperity gospel and other bad ideas.
 
Series Table of Contents

In this new chapter of the series I will be building upon the historical context of the last chapter to take a closer look at what the Book of Mormon teaches about inequality.  We have covered some of the central teachings in the introductory articles and throughout the last chapter as they are important for understanding the history of the book, but this chapter will go into more detail.

In addition to presenting these details, I have organized this chapter to be juxtaposed with prevalent modern ideas about inequality, poverty, wealth, today, summed up in what I will refer to as the "prosperity gospel and related bad ideas".  One reason I do this is because these modern ideas are very much in disagreement with the Book of Mormon, and so they make understanding the economic messages in the book difficult. 

The modern ideas need to be dismantled to truly understand the Book of Mormon,

The rest of this article will introduce what I mean by the "prosperity gospel" and its "related bad ideas", and thereafter introduce each article which is included in this chapter.

Deconstructing the Prosperity Gospel and Related Bad Ideas

Prosperity Gospel, or Prosperity Theology, is a belief shared in some Christian circles which teaches that if an individual follows the teachings of God then they will be blessed with material things.  There are also undertones that it is God's will for his followers to become rich, and that wealth is a worthy pursuit.  Poverty then is a sign of moral degradation and laziness, assuming that if poor people had been righteous then they would not be in poverty.

As this message implies that wealth and poverty come from God as a reward for personal morality, there is no need for a discussion on the economic causes of inequality, and certainly no need for a discussion on economic solutions, because the true solution is simply for the poor to be more righteous.  At its heart, this philosophy really is not about God, and more about the self - since God only gives wealth to the righteous, it is personal righteous choices that cause wealth.  It is no more than idolatry and priestcraft - a worship of the self and an elevation of

The most overt versions of the prosperity gospel have been championed by several televangelists from the 1970's to the present, beginning in the U.S., and growing in international popularity.  Prosperity Gospel churches have found great success among poor populations who feel economically powerless, and who are inspired to give away their money to churches in the hopes that they will be rewarded by future riches.  In short, prosperity theology churches have been very profitable, and thus offer one example of a modern day priestcraft.

But these televangelists only represent the most overt form of the prosperity gospel.  The economic ideas of the prosperity gospel in some form or another exist in most modern American Christian denominations.  This includes the LDS faith which many of you readers belong, although prosperity theology has been specifically taught against by Elder Oaks in a recent general conference address.

Beyond organized religion, some of the ideas of the prosperity gospel have also bled into every-day American thought, in both religious and secular ways.  If poverty is seen in our country, it is predominantly assumed that it is a result of bad decisions on the part of the poor, while wealth is most often attributed to intelligence, hard work, or being "blessed".  Inequality is overlooked as a spiritual, or even social, concern because it is assumed to be the justified result of God, choices, or just different personal capacities to be successful.

However, not all personal and political persuasions that view the poor in such a way would consider themselves to be part of this "prosperity gospel", and several of the ideas that we will address in this chapter are secular in nature.  This is why I have chosen to identify this collection of ideas as the "prosperity gospel and related bad ideas".

The teachings of Jesus Christ, both in the Bible and in the Book of Mormon, unequivocally reject the teachings of the prosperity gospel and the other related ideas.  Take a look at the articles below to find out how.

Articles in this Chapter

General Economic Teachings - This article will be a review of the general economic themes in the Book of Mormon; especially a review of iniquity, family and human obligations, pride, envy, persecution of the poor, and economic inequality.

What is Prosperity? - The Book of Mormon frequently talks about prosperity, and even promises prosperity for a society which keeps the commandments.  As opposed to the prosperity gospel, these promises are not recipes for individual wealth, but instruction on how a society should share its resources with those who are most vulnerable.

Origins of Wealth - This article will return to the historical narrative of the Book of Mormon and explore why the Nephites become wealthy in each circumstance, and what this can say concerning the prosperity gospel.  It is found that some of the time they become wealthy as a result of righteousness, but the type of righteousness are qualities that naturally create wealth, including cooperation and equality.

Wealth and the Rich - Book of Mormon attitudes and teachings concerning wealth and the rich.  Riches are to be avoided as they are spiritually precarious, and the rich are among the most criticized groups in the book for their wickedness and iniquities.

Poverty and the Poor - Book of Mormon attitudes concerning poverty and the poor.  Poverty as both an elated state, and an infirmity which should be addressed through individuals, the gospel/church, and the society.  Unlike the rich, the poor are never characterized for immorality and iniquity.

Agency and Poverty - A common modern assumption is that those in poverty can simply choose to act in a way to climb out of poverty - or to "exercise their agency".  The agency taught in the Book of Mormon is a very different concept than that used in modern discourse, applying only to special spiritual choices, and not to every decision.  Agency, or 'choosing your way' out of poverty is never a solution offered for poverty or inequality.

Accountability and Poverty - Whose fault is inequality or poverty?  In the Book of Mormon the concept of accountability is different than in modern discourse.  In the book, economic accountability, and the spiritual consequences of iniquity, are not always expected for every individual, and in fact spiritual culpability is often placed entirely on the rich who create poverty and inequality through their actions. 

      Jesus and King Benjamin on Accountability - The articles about agency and accountability 

      focused how the Book of Mormon versions of agency and accountability differ from the modern 

      concepts, and how that affects its view of poverty and the poor.  This article instead explores the 

      teachings of Jesus and King Benjamin that state we simply are not supposed to judge the poor,
      making determining accountability irrelevant.

Self-Reliance - Book of Mormon teachings relating to the modern concepts of Provident Living or Self-Reliance, or independence and work ethic.  Work ethic is an important aspect of spiritual maturity, but hard work or the lack thereof is not the cause of economic inequality, and therefore is also not a social prescription.  The misuse of the concepts Provident Living and Self-Reliance to justify inequality, to judge others, or to excuse withholding resources from the poor, constitutes as priestcraft.

Entitlement -  Entitlement - or the feeling that one deserves special treatment - is not a concept that is specifically in the Book of Mormon, but there are similar concepts including pride, envy, and hearts set on riches.  Today there is the worry that charitable giving to the poor can lead to feelings of entitlement - but the Book of Mormon provides the opposite message, that charity is the cure for entitlement.

The Gospel and the Free Lunch - This article addresses the Book of Mormon teachings about the Atonement of Jesus, grace, repentance, salvation, and the workings of the Gospel and Church of Jesus, and how these relate to the economics of the Gospel.  We do not earn our salvation, it is a free gift, and we keep the commandments because we love the Lord and are asked to, including serving the poor.  The economy of the gospel is the same - the needs of people are to be a free gift, and we should work not to earn our keep, but because it is spiritually mature to do so.

The Heresy of Korihor and other Priestcrafts - An explanation of the philosophies of the anti-Christ Korihor, and other examples of priestcraft, which teach a dangerous philosophy that is not too dissimilar to today.  Forthcoming.

King Benjamin's Address - A conclusion to this chapter, summing up all the previous objections to the prosperity gospel that the Book of Mormon offers through King Benjamin's address. Forthcoming.

The Law of Moses

What Does the Book of Mormon Say About Inequality? Series

The Book of Mormon contains some surprising insights concerning economic inequality.  This series explores several topics addressed by the LDS scripture and its insights for today.

The historical narrative of the Book of Mormon covers a purported 1000 year history of a branch of the House of Israel who migrated from the middle east to somewhere in the Americas.  As Israelites, the people in the book follow the Law of Moses up until the coming of Jesus.  This is a significant detail because the Law of Moses in its original form sets limits on the possible extent of economic inequality in an obedient society.

However, although the book frequently mentions the fact that the people followed the Law of Moses, it does not provide many details on how they followed it, and it only provides clues as to how the tenets of the law affected economic inequality.  Similarly, after the book of Leviticus, the Old Testament also does not provide many details about how the law was being followed in the society.

This article is dedicated to providing a social context for the rest of this chapter by exploring the economic elements of the Law of Moses, and considering the likely ways the law shapes the story of the Book of Mormon - especially pertaining to economic inequality.

Economic Elements of the Law of Moses - Leviticus 25-27

When most people familiar with the New Testament hear of the Law of Moses they will think of the long list of silly rules the Pharisees and other groups in the Bible had to govern behavior - for example what could and could not be done on the Sabbath.  Unfortunately, this has led to a low opinion of the Law of Moses, highlighting the importance in Christian doctrine that it was done away with in the coming of Jesus. 

Actually though, the law in its original form contains some neat ideas on how to regulate a society - for example the year of Jubilee required debts to be forgiven and land returned to original owners every fifty years - but it is clear by New Testament times that these were were not being followed in lieu of silly rules that just served to cement the power of the ruling elite.


As the people of the Book of Mormon split away from Jewish society 600 years before New Testament times, the New Testament picture of the law is an inappropriate model for the Book of Mormon.  As the book has few details on how the law was practiced, our best bet is to look at the original law.

Like other law systems of the time, the Law of Moses was originally written as a social law with both religious and practical elements - rather than simply being rules governing a religious society.  There was no separation of church and state, in social practice or in concept - the law was the law.  As a social law, the Law of Moses focuses on items relating to public morality and conduct - how to treat your neighbor and family members, managing social contracts, rules in the marketplace, etc.  Even rules regarding religious cleanliness or kosher eating ultimately were aimed and limiting the spread of disease to yourself and your neighbors; or rules which would be considered entirely religious in nature today, like rules limiting idolatry or adultery, are also aimed at addressing social problems, like the worship of money which leads to iniquity, or the breaking of the family structure through adultery.

Of particular note in the law for the purposes of this study are the teachings on the Sabbath day, and its extension the year of Jubilee.

The original laws of the Sabbath day contain no allotment of steps which could be made, or any other Pharisaical nonsense.  The law was simple - on the seventh day rest.  Have six periods of labor, and on the seventh day rest from your labors, and ensure that anyone that works for you also rests.  Although work was not to be done on the seventh day, people still needed to eat - so food, wages, or whatever form of compensation were still to be provided for dependents - family, servants, workers, etc - its just that no one was to profit from such service during the seventh day.

This is important because no one in Israelite society was to be overworked - everyone was to have periods of rest after their periods of work.  Furthermore, it fostered a sense of community because there were periods of time when work was not being accomplished, so preparations had to be made beforehand, and resources shared during the rest.

The model of the Sabbath day was also extended into the Sabbath year.  Every seventh year fields were to lie fallow; all those whose livelihood was dependent on growing food were not to work during this year.  The level of community, preparation, collaboration, and charity that were necessary to make a Sabbath day without work possible was expanded in preparation and during the Sabbath year.

Finally, the year after seven Sabbatical years, or on the 50th year, Jubilee was declared.  During this celebration, the land was to rest again, but also so much more happened because Liberty was proclaimed. 

All debts were forgiven. 

All possessions and property that had been sold in desperation were to be returned to their original owners. 

All servants and employees were to be freed from their obligations and given a just wage.  Furthermore, the owners of the farms, or probably any means of production, were to use his own reserves - cattle, food, savings - to provide the needs for his workers, his family, his neighbors, and any strangers that resided in their midst.

In order to assist those who fasted from growing crops for the Sabbath years and for Jubilee, prices for goods were not set according to a market price, but were set according to how many years before the next Jubilee, allowing farmers time and resources to prepare.  To push for prices outside what was set according to the law was considered oppression.

So why did the ancient Israelites follow this law?  Why would people give up their opportunity to earn more money every seventh day and seventh year?  Why would debtors give up their cash cows and forgive debts?  Why would people return items and possessions which they justly purchased?

Because they did not think like we do today.  All property - lands, possessions, everything - in their minds belonged to the Lord.  Property was a tool to provide for the needs of your family, community, and the occasional stranger - not as a means to become rich.  The driving feature of their economy was collaboration, not competition. 

Under these tenets of the Law, serious economic inequality was impossible.  Every seventh day and every seventh year resources were to be shared with those around you, meaning that well off community members were constantly reminded of the needs of those around them, and required to aid them.  Those who owned means of production - farms, debtors, etc - filled a purpose in society, and were justly rewarded, but they were unable to become that much richer than those around them because they were to forgive debts, return possessions and property to original owners, and to release the obligations of their employees, while also taking care of their needs, every fifty years; not to mention the interruption in production, and requisite sharing, every Sabbath day, Sabbath year, and the year of Jubilee.  There could be no generational wealth gain, and no extended inequality, under the Law.

Such a system probably could not work in a global economy - or at least not all of it - but there are nevertheless interested aspects of the Law that deserve to be considered in a discussion about modern day inequality, and certainly in a discussion on inequality and the Book of Mormon.

The Law of Moses in the Book of Mormon - Context for the Rest of this Chapter

As I said earlier, the people in the Book of Mormon are said to follow the Law of Moses - and strictly in several instances - yet there are few details about what this entails.  At the first of Nephite society, in 2 Nephi 5:2 and Jarom 1:5, the people strictly follow the Law of Moses and it leads to prosperity.  This prosperity is a self-fulfilled prophecy, as the equitable economic practices of the Law of Moses, and the lack of inequality it can create, is the very definition of 'prosperity', which we will look at more closely in chapter 2. 

The Law of Moses, or at least economic laws similar to them, are the focus of King Benjamin, King Mosiah, Alma, and Nephihah's religious and civil work; and breaking away from these rules is likely what leads to frequent cycles of inequality from the book of Alma to 3 Nephi.  We we explore these themes more closely in Iniquitous Kings and The Pride Cycle.

When the Book of Mormon mentions a people who do not follow the Law of Moses, there is evidence of high inequality and economic disaster. 

The priests of wicked King Noah in Mosiah 12 set up a religion and government among the people which taxes the people in order to fund their lavish lifestyles, making a horrible unequal society which we cover in more detail in Iniquitous Kings.  When confronted by Abinadi, they are told that they are not following the Law of Moses.  When pressed why, Abinadi tells them that they are not following the Sabbath Day among other laws, and that they had 'set their hearts upon riches', an emotion which is incompatible with the Law.

The Zoramites and the Gadianton Robbers are also specifically mentioned to have broken away from the Law of Moses, and are also specifically mentioned to persecute the poor.  We look at each of them more closely in Dissension and War and Gadianton Robbers. 

And that about sums up all of the references to the Law of Moses in the Book of Mormon.  It is unfortunate that there are not more details about how the people followed the Sabbath years and Jubilee in the book, and how this interacted with the frequent cycles of socioeconomic inequality, but I believe there are enough clues and context to say that it was the struggle to follow the economic tenets of the Law of Moses, or at least the spirit of the Law, behind all of the trouble in the narrative of the book.  

What do you think?

How You can Volunteer with Refugees in Salt Lake City

As some of you know, I had the privilege of volunteering and interning with Catholic Community Services and their refugee resettlement program this past year.  As a volunteer mentor, I worked with a family from Burma to learn about American customs, to learn English, and to understand what is available to them in Salt Lake City.  As an intern, I worked with CCS case managers to help newly arrived refugees from all over the world apply for social security, learn to ride the bus, become registered in English classes, become orientated to our culture, and many other rewarding activities.

During this time I also worked at the Leonardo museum in SLC before moving out of state.  As a last hurrah at the Leo I organized an event we called the Weekend of Welcome, where we gave free tickets for hundreds of refugees to attend the museum, and we highlighted the volunteer opportunities of the many organizations that work with refugees for our visitors.

Although we had planned the event since November, it turned out that we had good timing as the Weekend of Welcome occurred scarcely a week after the conclusion of the LDS General Conference containing several powerful messages about the moral need to reach out and to help refugees.  Because of this, we had a lot of interest among visitors in how they could volunteer with refugees.  For those of you who did not see this conference, I would recommend watching Patrick Kearon's message here or up above, as well as Linda Burton's message.

The LDS church has also put together a fantastic website with religious messages and practical ideas on how to help refugees.  It is called I Was a Stranger.

Throughout my volunteer work, and putting the Weekend of Welcome together, I have learned quite a lot about all the many opportunities to volunteer with refugees in Salt Lake City, and I would like to highlight those opportunities here.  For those of you who are not in Salt Lake City, there may be similar volunteer opportunities near you, and if you would like help in searching for them let me know.


Catholic Community Services

Catholic Community Services is one of two organizations that directly resettles refugees in Salt Lake City, although there are many organizations that work with refugees. CCS resettles refugees in part from funds from the U.S. Government, however these funds only cover about a third of the actual expenses of resettlement and services, which lasts up to two years.  CCS makes up the rest with donations of basic necessity items, money, and time.  There are two ways that you can help out CCS and their refugee resettlement, donations and becoming a volunteer mentor.

CCS accepts money donations which you can do with this link.  They also take in-kind donations of furniture, clothing, and other household items.  Their sharehouse is located at:
Sharehouse
440 South 400 West #D&E
Salt Lake City, 84101
Mon - Thur 9am to 5pm
Fri 9am to Noon

CCS also receives a lot of assistance from their partnership with Deseret Industries, so make sure to donate items to them as well.  The DI also employs many refugees that have been recently resettled, so your donations can help in multiple ways.

Becoming a volunteer mentor is a rewarding experience that I would recommend.  Mentors are assigned families when they first arrive in the U.S. (you can even welcome the new families at the airport); thereafter mentors meet with new families weekly and teach them English, American culture, and basic life skills like how to ride the bus, how to do a job interview, what to do when a child is sick, how to shop at a grocery store, etc.  With my mentor family, in addition to teaching them English, we also celebrated birthdays, went to the zoo and the Leonardo museum, and I simply checked in on them from time to time.

It is expected that the refugee family will be visited weekly, and possibly daily within the first couple of weeks of arriving in Utah if that's what the family needs.  If that is not a commitment that you could make, you could join a group of other mentors and work with the family together, ensuring that the newly arrived people are frequently visited.  My dad's LDS ward and stake are currently organizes families in their congregations to become mentors in this way.

If you would like to try the refugee mentor program, then contact Raul Yumul: ryumul@ccsutah.org.

If you are interested in other volunteer opportunities with CCS, including interning with them, contact Janet Healy: jhealy@ccsutah.org

The International Rescue Committee

The IRC joins with CCS in directly resettling refugees in Salt Lake City.  They also work to resettle refugees in most states in the U.S., and provide assistance for people in refugee camps all throughout the world.  I worked with the IRC to distribute tickets for the Leonardo event and they are some great people.


Like CCS, you can directly donate to the IRC, volunteer to work with refugee youth, health, and employment programs, or provide service in many other ways.  You can donate with this link.  If you are interested in volunteering then send an email to this address: volunteerslc@rescue.org.  The volunteer coordinator is currently a VISTA volunteer herself, and her name is Amy Meyer.
 

The Asian Association of Utah

Once the IRC and CCS resettle refugees and work with them for up to two years, their cases are transfered to the Asian Association of Utah which provides access to services for another three years.  AAU especially provides great youth and afterschool programing for refugee youth.  They are looking for volunteers to continue to mentor families, tutor and teach ESL, provide office support, and help run the youth programming.


If you are interested in volunteering then email volunteer@aau-slc.org.  Or you can contact the youth coordinator directly, Peter Frost peter.frost@aau-slc.org.

AAU also runs the Sunnyvale Neighborhood Center near a high concentration of refugees.  They are looking for volunteers to run ESL, afterschool, and early learning programs.  If this sounds interesting to you, then contact Jenny Hart jennyh@aau-slc.org.

The Department of Workforce Services

The Utah Department of Workforce Services assists the IRC, CCS, and AAU in providing services and employment assistance to refugee families.  They also organize cultural events, including partnering with the Utah Refugee Center to put on the annual World Refugee Day celebration, which I talk about below.

DWS is currently putting together its own mentorship program, called the Know Your Neighbor Mentor Program.  If you would like to volunteer, contact Fatima Dirie at fatima.dirie@slcgov.com. If you would like to volunteer with cultural events contact Michael Pekarske at mpekarske@utah.gov.

 

The Department of Workforce Services and the Utah Refugee Center put on an awesome event every June in Liberty Park.  This year it will occur on June 4th from 10:00am to 4:00pm, and will kick off a whole month of refugee related events.  Attendance is free, and the activities will include cultural entertainment and food, and many family centered activities. 

Attending is one great way to increase awareness and appreciation for refugees, but if you are also interested in volunteering for the event then contact Madeline at info@utahrefugee.org.

 

The Utah Refugee Center has also created an app for apple and droid that helps you to find ways to serve refugees.  It is called "Serve Refugees".


Other Volunteer Opportunities

There are so many volunteer opportunities in Salt Lake City that it would be too much to highlight them all, but here is a list of others that I have come across, what do and are looking for, and how to contact them.  This list is adapted from one published by DWS and Promise South Salt Lake.

Because He First Loved Us

Contact: Danielle Griffin Alcala, danielle@bhflu.org

Ph: 801-979-7707

- Mentoring refugees of all ages

- Youth outreach/sports programs: boys basketball and girls tennis

- Transportation

- Women’s outreach

- Men’s outreach

- Fundraising

- Tutoring

Big Brothers and Big Sisters

Contact: Mia Ristovska, mia.ristovska@bbbsu.org

Ph: 801-743-1671

- Community-based mentoring youth 6-18 yrs

- School-based mentoring youth 6-15 yrs

- Mentoring 2.0 (mentoring with a technological component) youth 15-18 yrs

- Mentoring newly arrived refugee youth 6-18 yrs

The English Skills Learning Center (ESLC)

Contact: Jessica Hercules, j.hercules@elscenter.org

Ph: 801-328-5608

- Tutoring English as a second language (ESL)

- Teaching ESL classes

- Empowering ESL learners

- Preparing for the citizenship exam

Hser Ner Moo Center

Contact: Mark Lowe, mlowe@southsaltlakecity.com

Ph: 801-466-3238

- Mentor refugee families

- After school tutoring-elementary and teen

Salt Lake City

Contact: Amanda Anderson, amanda.anderson@slcgov.com

Phone: 801-535-6202

- Family mentor

- Board advisor

- Skill share

Utah Health and Human Rights

Contact: volunteer.uhhr@gmail.com

- Office greeter and receptionist volunteer

- Medical case management volunteer

- Volunteer drivers

- Massage therapy and alternative therapies

- Childcare

- Dental services

- Interpretation/translation volunteer

- English tutoring

Granite Peaks Language Learning Center
Contact: Michelle Dahl, mdahl@graniteschools.org
- Office support
- Help with ESL testing

Promise South Salt Lake
The city of South Salt Lake, which has a high proportion of refugees, has many volunteer opportunities with their school and community programs.  Below is contact information for the specific centers:

Contact Kari Cutler about any questions regarding these volunteer opportunities: kcutler@southsaltlakecity.com.

•  Roosevelt Elementary School.  Caitlin Warbis, 801-828-8219
• Columbus Community Recreation Center, 801-412-3217
• Historic Scott School Arts & Community Center: Trina Valdez 801-803-3632
• Central Park Community Center PAL Boxing Program: Adam Hedin, 801-386-4949
• Woodrow Wilson Elementary Community School, Bonnie Owens 801-386-0589
• Lincoln Elementary Community School, Kelli Meranda, 801-828-8678
• Granite Park Junior High Community School, Alexis Smart 801-440-4499
• Utah International Charter School, Adrienne Buhler, 801-520-7175
• Meadowbrook STEM & Community Center, Joseph Genda, 801-518-550

Hopefully there is something in this list of twenty volunteer opportunities that fits your time schedule, desires, and commitment to serve.

For those of you who are not near Salt Lake City, then I encourage you to search for volunteer opportunities near you.  Or you can donate to one of the organizations that I mentioned above.