The recently completed 37,000-square-foot Ogden Welfare Center was dedicated Nov. 21 by President Thomas S. Monson, second counselor in the First Presidency. (Please see separate article on this page for President Monson's remarks.)
Included in the center are a bishops' storehouse with adjacent office and warehouse space, an LDS employment center and the Ogden LDS Social Services agency. The facility, which serves the needs of the poor and needy in the greater Ogden area, replaces a building that had served as a storehouse since 1949.Dedication proceedings followed an open house attended by several hundred community leaders, including pastors of various faiths and others involved in providing welfare-related services locally. Volunteer tour guides led groups through the facility. A five-minute videotape explained the principles of providing welfare assistance in "the Lord's way" and gave a history of the Ogden center.
In addition to President Monson, general Church leaders attending the dedication were Elder James E. Faust and Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin of the Council of the Twelve; Elder Rex D. Pinegar of the Presidency of the Seventy; Bishop Robert D. Hales and Bishop Glenn L. Pace of the Presiding Bishopric; Elders Marlin K. Jensen, Malcolm S. Jeppsen and Charles Didier of the Seventy and members of the Utah North Area presidency; and Pres. Elaine L. Jack, Relief Society general president.
Elder Faust, Elder Wirthlin, Elder Pinegar, the Presiding Bishopric members and Pres. Jack are all members of the general Welfare Services Executive Committee, chaired by President Monson.
Local and general Church Welfare Services personnel, along with local Church leaders, also were on hand for the dedication and open house. A Relief Society choir from the Ogden Utah Riverdale Stake, agent stake for the bishops' storehouse, sang an emotional medley of "Great Is the Lord," "Sweet Is the Work" and "Love One Another" following President Monson's dedicatory prayer. At the conclusion of the medley, director Telenie Togisala spontaneously turned and had the congregation join the choir in singing a verse of "Love One Another."
Afterward, one sister remarked how moving the musical number was, and how she was longing to express her feelings through song before Sister Togisala turned and provided that opportunity.
Prayers were offered by Ronald Hamblen and Renee Call, stake president and Relief Society president, respectively, of the Riverdale stake.
Besides President Monson, speakers at the dedication, conducted by area president Elder Jensen, included Elder Faust, Bishop Pace and Pres. Jack.
Elder Faust noted the importance the Relief Society plays in providing welfare service and shared several quotations of the Prophet Joseph Smith related to that subject. He quoted the Prophet as saying, among other things: "Who better qualified to administer than our faithful and zealous sisters, whose hearts are full of faith, tenderness, sympathy and compassion? No one."
He spoke of the new center and the blessing it would be in the lives of the poor and needy.
"With all my heart, I want to commend all who have had anything to do with this great facility - its concept, planning, design and construction," praised Elder Faust. "I feel good about the beauty of this storehouse. We are satisfied that this facility, with its operations and equipment, will be the blessing of the lives of thousands of people for many, many years."
Elder Faust also discussed the concept of the Lord's storehouse: "I've
been wondering where the Lord's storehouse really is. The bishops' storehouse is certainly the Lord's storehouse. But I think the Lord's storehouse is much more."
He shared a quote from President Monson found in Providing in the Lord's Way: A Leader's Guide to Welfare. "The Lord's storehouse includes the time, talents, skills, compassion, consecrated materials, and financial means of faithful Church members. These resources are available to the bishop in assisting those in need."
Elder Faust then continued: "Where is the Lord's storehouse? In a sense, and ultimately, the Lord's storehouse must be in our own hearts. Our hearts must be full of compassion for our fellowmen and women. There must be a feeling of caring, a desire to help."
Bishop Pace recounted the late President Marion G. Romney's reference to bishops' storehouses as "temporal temples." "There's something I always feel when I go into a facility like this where people are being helped," Bishop Pace said. "I can't help but hearing those words of President Romney's when I go in."
He then reflected on the upcoming holiday season, and on the great significance of the birth, death and life of the Savior.
"I am always gratified as we read the New Testament and Book of Mormon for what the Savior did with His life," mused Bishop Pace. "I have become more impressed with what the Savior did on His way to the Sermon on the Mount than with the Sermon on the Mount itself, as great as that marvelous sermon is. I am impressed with what He did between events. When He saw pain, He ministered to those in need. He never said He was too busy, or on His way to a meeting.
"I would like to think of this place as a reminder about what our other responsibilities are. Sometimes if we are not careful, we can abdicate some individual responsibility by institutionalizing that responsibility. The combination of the two is, I think, what The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints represents. We have institutional help that reaches out. But ultimately what happens to you and me inside our hearts, and the sanctification that takes place within us, depends on how we personally respond to those around us who are hurting."
Pres. Jack was called on to speak by President Monson.
"I am pleased with the opportunity to represent the women of the Church, particularly on such an important topic as welfare," responded Pres. Jack. "Welfare service has been our purpose since the very beginning of Relief Society. This was our purpose, our nature, to gather together and relieve the needs of the poor.
"The needs have never been greater than they are today, in local areas as well as in areas across the seas. We have greater opportunities than we have ever had. The door is open for us to stand by our priesthood leaders and work with them to alleviate the needs of those who are suffering. I bear testimony that we have extraordinary women who indeed are taking their places to do what is necessary. I bear testimony that the Lord guides and directs us as we need it."
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Ogden Welfare Center
Property was purchased by the Church in 1947 from the Utah-Idaho Central Railroad, remodeled and opened as a bishops' storehouse in 1949.
In 1978, the Ogden cannery was built for Church and family canning by groups.
In 1982, President Ronald Reagan took a tour of the cannery while visiting Utah, greeting volunteers at the facility.
The center serves 42 stakes and more than 300 wards in the greater Ogden area.
Some 10,000 bishops' orders for food and other assistance were filled at the storehouse in 1990.
More than 1,000 transients are provided food and work opportunities at the center each year.
The cannery produces more than 700,000 cans of commodities each year for distribution to the poor and needy.
Family groups use the cannery to produce more than 250,000 cans of commodities annually to augment home storage.
Nearly 400 people are employed at the center each year.
