- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will organize 1 million children under 11 to engage in service projects in 2025.
- Research shows children generally underestimate their capacity to generate a positive outcome through their actions.
- The Primary organization of the church has encouraged children to engage in charity for more than a century.
A recent study found that children are like adults when it comes to helping others — they underestimate the positive impact of their service.
Imagine what kids on both sides of the giving might receive this year when 1 million children under age 11 join service projects organized by the children’s arm of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The church operates a volunteer-run Primary organization for children ages 3 to 11 in each of its 31,500 congregations worldwide. The General Primary Presidency at the faith’s Salt Lake City headquarters issued a letter last week inviting the Primary organization in each congregation, known as a ward or branch, to participate in a service project in 2025.
“We hope this worldwide effort will help children realize they are an important part of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and can contribute in meaningful ways,” said Primary President Susan H. Porter and her counselors, Sister Amy A. Wright and Sister Tracy Y. Browning. “As the children serve, they will grow in their love for the Savior and feel joy as they share his love with others.”
Teaching kids how much service matters
Researchers conducted an experiment at a museum in Chicago that asked children who chose to give away a pencil to predict how happy the other child would be. The results were published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology in 2023.
“It was clear that kids consistently underestimated the positive impact of these prosocial acts,” Stony Brook University professor Margaret Echelbarger said in a news release. “Children, like adults, didn’t fully anticipate just how happy their recipient would be, and that’s an important barrier to consider when encouraging kindness.”
That possible barrier to engaging in service is a misunderstanding of the impact, she said.
“We tend to think, ‘Oh, it’s no big deal,’ but on the other side, people often think, ‘Wow, someone really cared enough to do something kind for me,’” she said.
The children who received pencils were much happier than the givers predicted.
“What we found, both with adults and now with children, is that these small acts of generosity really make a bigger difference than people expect,” Echelbarger.
Primary and “Pennies by the Inch”
The Primary organization of the Church of Jesus Christ, founded in 1878, has been connecting children’s giving to children in need for over 100 years.
The Primary’s first president, Sarah Louise “Louie” B. Felt, conceived the idea of providing a room for children at a local hospital. The Primary immediately engaged Primary children in fundraising efforts to cover the costs of operating convalescing rooms, according to church history.
The church opened Primary Children’s Hospital in 1922. For a century, Primary children have engaged in efforts known as the “Penny Parade,” “Birthday Pennies” and “Pennies by the Inch.”
That combined effort represents the oldest grassroots fundraiser in the nation, according to Intermountain Health, which took over Primary Children’s Hospital in 1975.
Continuing a legacy of children serving others
The Primary General Presidency wants the 2025 service projects to continue the legacy of service by children.
“We are excited to see how children throughout the world make a difference in their communities and share the joy the gospel brings,” the three-member stated.
They recommended that the adult volunteer leaders in each ward involve children in organizing the service project and invite friends family and ward members to join them.
“You can ask children for help brainstorming ideas, seek feedback on what kind of service would feel meaningful to them and involve them as much as possible in the planning process and at the activity,” the Presidency stated in a Q&A document. “Help them feel ownership in this opportunity to serve as the Savior would.”
Any act of service makes a difference, they said, asking even local Primaries with one or two children to participate. Another option is for a stake — a grouping of congregations — to organize projects. Local Primaries also could collaborate with local non-profit organizations.
Leaders also suggested that the church’s service app and website, JustServe.org, can be a valuable resource for sharing volunteer opportunities.