President Marion G. Romney said, “Welfare is not a program of the Church; it is the essence of the Church” (qtd. by Vaughn J. Featherstone, “Now Abideth Faith, Hope, and Charity”, Ensign, July 1973, p.35). Shortly after The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized, a commandment was given to take care of the poor: Since that time, the Church and its members have done their best to follow the Savior's example of charity by helping those in need. In 1935, during the hard years of the Great Depression, the Welfare Program was instituted as a worldwide program.