Over the years, I've seen that a lot (not all) of Evangelical Fundamentalist types really go after the LDS Church and try to paint it in the most negative light possible. Many of them (not all) seem committed to only debunking and destroying the Mormon church. They act as if it has no good at all. This got me thinking though about the passage in the New Testament below:
Matthew 7:16-20 (NKJV):
16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
See What Positive Psychologists and Mormons Can Learn From Each Other by Elisa V. Hunter .
Some excerpts from Latter-day Saint Charities releases 2020 annual report by Genelle Pugmire (Daily Herald Mar 26, 2021):
In 2020, Latter-day Saint Charities helped 7,188,356 people in eight countries with vaccinations for diseases such as diphtheria, influenza, maternal and neonatal tetanus, polio, measles, malaria, rubella, and more, according to the report.
In 2020, Latter-day Saint Charities supported millions of refugees around the world who were forced to leave their homes because of war, famine, dangerous living conditions, and disease.
… Across the world, Latter-day Saint Charities works with local organizations to help them solve problems and meet the needs of their own communities. In 2020, Latter-day Saint Charities supported 654 locally managed projects in 99 countries and territories.
JustServe, a volunteer arm of Latter-day Saint Charities, was created in 2012, more than 570,000 volunteers have registered for more than 100,000 projects from nearly 11,000 organizations, according to the report.
In 2020, almost 75,000 volunteers registered to help with nearly 20,000 new projects from more than 2,000 new organizations
The church maintains 15 farms, five canneries, and 110 food distribution centers called bishop’s storehouses, all staffed primarily by local volunteers.
The LDS Church also has five additional processing plants that specialize in meat, milk, bread, grain and pasta, and soap. These facilities help provide assistance to church members in need and to local community partners.
In 2020, the church sent over 800 truckloads of food to 380 food banks, homeless shelters and charitable agencies throughout the U.S. Collectively, these trucks supplied over 26 million meals to those in need. These truckloads came from several of the church’s 110 bishop’s storehouses in the U.S. and Canada.
… The Perpetual Education Fund is a financial resource that helps individuals outside the United States enroll in local education programs to gain employable skills in 75 countries. Students are given loans to assist in their payments for education and training. Once students graduate and are successfully employed, they repay the loan so that others may benefit from the program. This program is funded through donations from members and other friends.
Source: https://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/faith/latter-day-saint-charities-releases-2020-annual-report/article_0f636215-61b9-596f-9504-fc4ed14a80d0.html
For more details see https://www.latterdaysaintcharities.org/annual-reports?lang=eng
Obviously, the LDS church does a lot of good in the world. Research continually shows that Mormons tend to be happier than most other Americans. For example, Utah was ranked number two, coming in second to Hawaii, of the happiest states in America in 2020. See https://wallethub.com/edu/happiest-states/6959
In his article, Why Mormons Make Good Neighbors, Larry Y. Wilson writes:
Recent studies reveal that practicing Latter-day Saints tend to be healthier, happier, better educated, and more committed to family values. …
… the UCLA School of Public Health looked at populations that have been practicing the faith for an extended period of time. The 25-year longitudinal study focused on members of the [LDS] Church in California and concluded that these individuals—particularly those who were married, had never smoked, attended church weekly, and had at least twelve years of education—had total death rates that were among the lowest ever reported for a well-defined group followed for 25 years.[4] They also had "among the longest life expectancies yet reported."[5] …
… In their landmark book American Grace, authors Robert Putnam and David Campbell survey extensive research suggesting a positive relationship between religion and life satisfaction—put simply, they say, "many researchers have found that religious people are happier."[10] Mormons, of course, are no exception. In 2009, both Gallup and Forbes identified Utah, the state with the highest concentration of Mormons, as having citizens with the greatest levels of "wellbeing" or "quality of life."[11] …
… In their book, Putnam and Campbell note that "the correlation between religiosity and life satisfaction is powerful and robust."[18] Accordingly, by the Pew Center's scale faithful Latter-day Saints rank higher in religiosity than any other group.[19] Nearly seven in ten Mormons (69%) exhibit strong religious commitment—more than any other religious group surveyed and substantially more than the U.S. public generally (30%).[20] Gallup polling research confirms that the religiously devout lead "noticeably happier, more fulfilled lives"[21]; …
… Studies have shown a sturdy correlation between religious inclination and family-centered values, which put the needs of the spouse, children, and others first.[22] Participation in such values, including family life, contributes to increased personal happiness.[23] Statistics show heavy participation in family life among Latter-day Saints. …
… Furthermore, nearly three out of four Mormons (73%) believe that, "having a successful marriage is one of the most important things in life,"[29] compared with 34 percent of the general public.
Education
One prominent scholar recently called Joseph Smith's "insistence upon education"[30] the faith's greatest inheritance. And indeed research confirms that "active, participating Mormons are unusual in their level of educational attainment."[31] … Latter-day Saint holy writ declares that the "glory of God is intelligence"[33] and teaches that "if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience . . . he will have so much the advantage in the world to come."[34] These doctrines have a profound impact.
… in one recent survey, Mormons were the most knowledgeable about Christianity and the Bible and were third only to atheists and Jewish participants in knowledge about other world religions.[37] ….
… the Latter-day Saint community functions like an extended family. AsAmerican Grace indicates, "no religious group in America feels warmer toward their own group than Mormons."[39] These social connections show up markedly in the lives of Mormon teenagers. …
… "Mormon teenagers showed the highest levels of religious understanding, vitality, and congruence between religious belief and practiced faith; they were the least likely to engage in high-risk behavior and consistently were the most positive, healthy, hopeful and self-aware teenagers in the interviews."[42] …
… In Pew's survey, nearly three-quarters of respondents (73%) said that working to help the poor and needy was "essential to being a good Mormon."[45].
Research has continually shown that Latter-day Saints rank very high among those who are giving not just of their time but also of their means.[46] … According to these results, a typical church-attending Latter-day Saint spends approximately 430 hours per year (36 hours per month) volunteering—nearly nine times more than the average American. …
According to the University of Pennsylvania study, even if one excludes the 10 percent biblical tithe that members donate to the Church, their charitable giving still exceeds the national average.[50] Corroborating this study, the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University released a report showing Mormons atop all groups for the percentage of annual charitable giving—both for the amount donated and for the percentage of their income given (see table below).[51]
Larry Y Wilson table
[See https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/blog/Larry-Y-Wilson-table.jpg]
… The bishop seeks to help these individuals work for what they receive and to find ways of getting them back on their feet. That may include coaching from the Church's employment centers or counseling from its social services centers. Typically, people depend on the food assistance for an average of three to six months before they are back to being self-sufficient.
Humanitarian Efforts
While the welfare program helps members who are struggling to meet their needs, the Church's humanitarian aid program focuses mostly on people who are not Mormons. Over the years it has relieved the suffering, hunger, thirst, and poverty of millions of people around the world to the tune of one and a half billion dollars.[54]
… Latter-day Saints also spread good will and the good news of Christ's gospel as volunteer missionaries. A significant percentage of young adults, as well as an increasing number of senior Church members, serve proselytizing, humanitarian, and service missions around the globe. … Often missionaries become fluent in a new language. Some leave an area of affluence and serve in a place of poverty, while others have the opposite experience. All face a demanding schedule of study and work. The mission typically lasts two years.
… Newsweek in 2005 described us [LDS] as a "21st century covenant of caring."[60]
Source: https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/why-mormons-make-good-neighbors
According to the article Religion and child development: Evidence from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study by John P. Bartkowski Xiaohe Xu, and Martin L. Levin
(in Social Science Research, Volume 37, Issue 1, March 2008, Pages 18-36):
Abstract
Although interest in religion among young people has increased markedly, research examining the impact of religion on child development has been sorely lacking. This study is the first of its kind to use nationally representative data to explore the influence of religion on several different dimensions of psychological development and social adjustment in early childhood. Data from the Spring 2000 wave of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS-K) are analyzed to explore how child development is shaped by individual parents’ religiosity, the religious homogamy of couples, and the family’s religious environment. Significant religious effects are observed across a range of child development domains and are manifested for both parents’ ratings and teachers’ ratings of youngsters. Parental, couple, and familial religion are linked with youngsters’ pro-social behavior. …
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0049089X07000129
Thus, this explains the general prosocial behavior among LDS.
The theological message and positive philosophy of Mormonism has a positive effect on the world. According to Wikipedia:
"I Am a Child of God" is a hymn of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) for all the members, but more often sung by children. ... The song has been translated into over 90 languages.
The fact that this song is translated worldwide and teaches children that they have intrinsic value and receive unconditional love from a father in heaven is clearly a positive thing in the world.
Then when you add to that the material charity of food and clothing to the third world, it is clear that the LDS Church does a lot of good in the world. If by their fruits you shall know them, how can this not be seen as good fruits?
