A "masterpiece in memory" was how President Thomas S. Monson described the new LDS Welfare and Humanitarian Services display at the Museum of Church History and Art.

President Monson, first counselor in the First Presidency, spoke to a small gathering of invited guests and news reporters just prior to the March 11 ribbon cutting for the exhibit.

Other speakers included President James E. Faust, second counselor in the First Presidency; Presiding Bishop H. David Burton; and Elder Ben B. Banks of the Seventy.

The exhibit continues through Feb. 13, 2000.

In his remarks, President Monson told those who assembled the exhibit that, "You've done a magnificent job in putting together things that we never thought still existed. Absolutely phenomenal."

Continuing, he said, "I hope that every member of the Church as well as many who are not members of the Church has an opportunity to see what we've seen today."

He paid tribute to Elder Glen L. Rudd, a former member of the Seventy and former manager, for 25 years, of Welfare Square in Salt Lake City. Elder Rudd, President Monson recounted, wrote the book Pure Religion, a history of the Church welfare plan that was distributed to leaders of local Church units.

"It's one thing to know the welfare program; it's another to live it. And there are heroes and heroines everywhere in this marvelous endeavor in which we're all engaged," he said.

In his remarks, Elder Faust declared, "This exhibit has been very poignant for me, because I lived through it!"

He said it will be 50 years on May 8 since he was ordained a bishop and that he has participated in the Church welfare plan through most of his ecclesiastical experience.

"When the welfare program was first begun, the Brethren didn't have the full vision of the role, where to go. One of the Brethren, I'm not sure which one it was, made a remarkable statement, and that was, 'We'll go down the track as far as the light shows, and when we get to the curve, the light will continue to show further.' And that is the spirit of the welfare program in taking care of the poor and the needy."

Bishop Burton mentioned seeing a painting of the parable of the Good Samaritan in the exhibit and said it brought to his mind the scriptural injunction, "Go and do likewise."

He recalled past comments of President Monson that the Lord's storehouse not only includes tangible commodities but the time, skill, compassion, consecrated material and financial means of faithful Church members. He also cited a general conference statement from President Gordon B. Hinckley that if every member of the Church observed the principle of the fast and contributed generously, the poor and the needy in the Church, as well as many others, would have their needs met.

In introductory remarks, Elder Banks said: "The exhibit shows how Church welfare programs have met the specific needs of their time while retaining as a continuing principle the importance of consecrating a portion of one's personal resources to the needy.

"In addition to establishing institutional welfare programs to meet the needs of the Church, members have been encouraged to reach out to others by helping the needy and giving service outside the Church institutional program. These exhibits depict ways and means that it has been done and how we as members can reach out and help those in need."

Following the remarks, President Monson invited Elder Rudd to join him, President Faust and Bishop Burton in cutting the ribbon that opened the exhibit.