President Dallin H. Oaks and his counselors in the First Presidency recently toured the new Humanitarian Center of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, joyfully observing how the new center will help the global church and its members in striving to fulfill the Savior’s “divine commandment” to love God and their neighbor.
The church’s new Humanitarian Center in Salt Lake City “will serve an important role in preparing and distributing emergency supplies to meet global needs,” President Oaks wrote in a social media post published Sunday.
“I express appreciation for members of the Church and for all who minister in quiet and consistent ways. I testify of Jesus Christ, whose light and Spirit guide the children of God in caring for the poor and the distressed throughout the world.”
President Oaks and his counselors, President Henry B. Eyring and President D. Todd Christofferson, toured the center on Friday, May 22, per a church press release published Sunday. The tour came two weeks after they toured the Salt Lake Temple, which is moving closer to its six-month public open house next year.
The new Humanitarian Center — located in Salt Lake City at 1999 W. 1700 South — will provide job training, language courses and employment counseling for people working to overcome barriers to employment, per the church’s release. The new center will also be where the church prepares and distributes humanitarian supplies for those in need around the world.
First established in 1991, the church’s Humanitarian Center “has long served this dual purpose of fostering self-reliance and caring for those in need,” the church’s press release states.
“The new 250,000-square-foot facility, located across the street from the previous site, is designed to improve efficiency and strengthen collaboration.”
The new Humanitarian Center of the Church of Jesus Christ will be dedicated Wednesday, May 27, in a private event.
Tours of the new facility will then become available during a free public open house period running every Monday through Friday from June 1 to July 23.
Guests touring the new facility will be able to participate in service opportunities such as sorting clothing or assembling cleaning and humanitarian kits, per the press release.
Tour hours will run from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. during the open house period, and guests are encouraged to schedule their tour of the new facility through the church’s recently launched Temple Square app. Walk-ins are also welcome.
“The Savior has commanded each of us to love God and to love our neighbor,” President Oaks wrote in his Sunday social media post. “We are grateful for the faithful efforts of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who strive to fulfill this divine commandment. Their service is a witness of discipleship.”
The Church of Jesus Christ spent $1.58 billion last year on humanitarian aid, food donations, and other welfare and self-reliance operations, according to its 2025 annual charitable giving report.
On Wednesday, May 20, the church also announced it is contributing $25 million to a UNICEF fund supporting global child nutrition.
Learn more about the church’s recent contribution to UNICEF here and more about how the church’s charitable giving increased last year here.
