A dedicated group of laymen in the Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod wanted to help the Synod settle a large debt. The success of that effort led to the formal organizing of the Lutheran Laymen's League on 3 December 1917. Their next project was to raise funds for a professional church worker pension. The stated purposes of the LLL were 1) to aid the Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod with word and deed; 2) to encourage one another to participate actively in the work of the local congregation; and 3) to help increase in the members a deeper consciousness of Christian stewardship life. In 1930 the organization began funding a weekly radio program called the Lutheran Hour. Over the years subsequently the organization concentrated on funding a number of radio and television programs. By 1972 the name was changed to International Lutheran Laymen's League to reflect its growing global outreach. In 1950 the League began the annual entry of a float in the Rose Bowl parade in Pasadena, CA. The ILL in 1992 chose to identify itself in a more specialized way with the Lutheran Hour and became known as Lutheran Hour Ministries to reflect its media outreach programs around the world.

The Northwest was divided into three districts: Washington (including Alaska), Oregon, and Utah-Idaho. Each District was then divided into zones to carry out its work more efficiently on the local level. Each District sponsored activities that would raise funds for its charitable projects (especially the media programs), held rallies to promote interest in the work of the League, and met in annual convention.