Over the past couple of days, we’ve talked about visiting teaching — a program within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to encourage Latter-day Saint women care for and serve one another and strengthen each other spiritually.

But for Mormons, service is not something we just do for each other within our own faith. One of the ways we seek to serve others is through the Mormon Helping Hands program.

Perhaps you have seen people wearing yellow jackets or T-shirts, working in their communities. Sometimes they appear after a disaster like the tsumani in Japan or Hurricane Katrina or the devastation in Joplin, MO.

Other times, they plan community service efforts to help with ongoing needs in their communities, such as with service activities organized in California this past spring, or efforts last month in 40 countries in Africa such as ”Madagascar, Reunion and Mauritius in celebration of the 5th Annual All Africa Mormon Helping Hands day Saturday, 20 August 2011.”

The LDS Newsroom article talking about Mormon Helping Hands’ service in Africa explains simply what MHH is:

Mormon Helping Hands is a worldwide program where Latter-day Saints reach out in their communities to give service and help those in need.

We as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe strongly in the admonition of the Savior, Jesus Christ, to love and serve those around us. Mormon Helping Hands is one way Latter-day Saints seek to follow His example and His commandments.