Poverty has been one of humankind’s greatest and most widespread challenges. Its obvious toll is usually physical, but the spiritual and emotional damage it can bring may be even more debilitating. In any case, the great Redeemer has issued no more persistent call than for us to join Him in lifting this burden from the people. As Jehovah, He said He would judge the house of Israel harshly because “the spoil of the [needy] is in your houses.” (Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “Are We Not All Beggars” October 2014) The Wasatch Front Service Mission is organized and functions to grow and strengthen the church and to sustain the Bishop or Branch President in Wards and Branches across the Wasatch Front, from Logan to South Provo. A calling in the Wasatch Front Service Mission is a part-time service to care for the poor and needy in an assigned ward or branch. In this capacity, service missionaries:

1. Assist with temporal welfare
2. Help individuals and families develop self-reliance
3. Encourage spiritual progression

Wasatch Front service missionaries, usually called as couples, devote their time and energy to their assigned ward or branch. They serve under the direction of the Bishop/Branch President to strengthen leadership, teachers, youth, and others in ward/branch assignments. As directed, they lighten the welfare load of the bishop by helping individuals and families overcome personal challenges, improve their lives and get back on their feet financially so they can focus on their spiritual progression. The missionaries are assigned to minister, one by one. Seeking the guidance of the Holy Ghost, they minister to those in need, helping them along a path toward spiritual, emotional, and temporal self-reliance following the self-reliance principles in the Church Handbook of Instructions, section 22. They help all who require Church assistance implement a self-reliance plan. Missionaries invite those they serve to act with faith in Jesus Christ as they help individuals and families grow in confidence and capability, and progress on a path of self-reliance in the Lord’s way. Missionaries help them access appropriate family, community, and church resources to address their needs. They may be asked to counsel families on budgeting, find better employment, provide instruction on basic life skills, arrange health or legal services, provide transportation, or other acts of service as required, “administering to their relief, both temporally and spiritually, according to their wants” (Mosiah 4:26).

In 1996 a plea went out to save the inner-city in Salt Lake City, Utah, without spending any money. Part-time service missionaries were called from more affluent stakes in Salt Lake City to assist the bishops serving in wards and branches struggling with lack of leadership and significant needs for Church assistance. The Wasatch Front Service Mission is the fulfillment of the plea of a bishop who wrote: "I can see an army of faithful saints in our valley coming to the aid of our wards in this area, being the reinforcements needed to assist in bringing salvation to our members and keeping our community." There are now approximately 330 self-reliance service missionary couples serving in 172 wards and 68 stakes across the Wasatch Front. Besides serving in English speaking wards and branches, missionaries also serve in these special language wards or branches: Spanish Samoan Cambodian Swahili Tongan Karen Portuguese Laotian-Thai Nepali Sign Language Marshallese There are approximately 1,600 families being assisted by welfare and self-reliance service missionaries. Service missionary couples donate approximately 70 hours each month, and in total, all missionaries donate about 23,100 hours each month. A significant amount of sacred Fast Offering funds is preserved in this process.