Self-Reliance

                I searched through the news of the day, looking for something interesting to discuss today, but found nothing that interested me.  If I am not interested in it, I certainly cannot begin to make it interesting for you.  I decided to share with my readers some of the things I studied this week.

                The topic of our lesson this week is self-reliance and why it is important.  You may be asking, “What is self-reliance?”  Well, it is exactly what it sounds like.  Hopefully, you will fully understand by the time I finish.        As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we are taught to accept personal responsibility for our own spiritual and temporal well-being and that of our family.  Since each of us was given the gift of agency in our pre-mortal life, we each have the opportunity and the responsibility to choose what we will do in life and how we will do it.  We are responsible to solve our own problems and to become self-reliant.  If for whatever reason, we have done our best in trying to be self-reliant and still need help, the first place we should go is to members of our family.  If we still need help, we should go to the Church.

                Becoming self-reliant involves six different areas of our lives:  education, health, employment, home storage, finances, and spiritual strength.  We should each seek to become self-reliant in all six areas. 

1.  Education includes knowing how to read, write and do basic math (the 3Rs of yesteryears), study the scriptures and learn other skills. 

2. Health involves taking care of our minds and bodies with nutritious foods, regular exercise, adequate sleep, good hygiene, adequate dental and medical care, good relationships, and shunning substances that are bad for mind or body. 

3. Employment involves work (the foundation of self-reliance), job skills, diligence, trustworthiness, and honest work for the pay and benefits received. 

4. Home storage involves building a three-month supply of food normally eaten, some drinking water for emergency use plus gradually building a longer-term supply of food that will sustain life and store up to thirty years.

5. Finances include paying honest tithes and offerings, avoiding unnecessary debt, using a budget, building an emergency fund, and teaching children to do the same.

6. Spiritual strength is just as essential – or maybe more so – than the other five areas.  We should exercise faith in Jesus Christ, obey the commandments, pray daily, study the scriptures, and attend Church meetings.

                President Marion G. Romney spoke about “The Celestial Nature of Self-Reliance” and included a story about the gullible gulls.  I enjoyed this story when he first told it and have remembered for more than thirty years.  It seems that the author witnessed great flocks of sea gulls starving to death in St. Augustine even though the fishing was good.  The reason the gulls were starving is because they had relied for generations on the scraps thrown out by the shrimp fleet.  Gulls did not bother to fish for their food and never taught their children to do so.  Now the shrimp fleet was moving, and the gulls were dying because they were not self-reliant.

                “Now the sea gulls, the fine free birds that almost symbolize liberty itself, are starving to death because they gave in to the `something for nothing’ lure!  They sacrificed their independence for a handout.

                “A lot of people are like that, too.  They see nothing wrong in picking delectable scraps from the tax nets of the U.S. Government’s `shrimp fleet.’  But what will happen when the Government runs out of goods?  What about our children of generations to come?

                “Let’s not be gullible gulls.  We … must preserve our talents of self-sufficiency, our genius for creating things for ourselves, our sense of thrift and our true love of independence” (“Fable of the Gullible Gull,” Reader’s Digest, October 1950, 32).

                We should build our self-reliance on a spiritual foundation and be prepared to follow the example of Jesus Christ who ministered to the needs of the poor and sick, healed them, and gave them hope.  President Romney quoted President David O. McKay who made this observation in 1936:  “The development of our spiritual nature should concern us most.  Spirituality is the highest acquisition of the soul, the divine in man; `the supreme, crowning gift that makes him king of all created things.’   It is the consciousness of victory over self and of communion with the infinite.  It is spirituality alone which really gives one the best in life.

                “It is something to supply clothing to the [poorly] clad, to furnish ample food to those whose table is thinly spread, to give activity to those who are fighting desperately the despair that comes from enforced idleness, but after all is said and done, the greatest blessings that will accrue from the Church [welfare program] are spiritual.  Outwardly, every act seems to be directed toward the physical:  re-making of dresses and suits of clothes, canning fruits and vegetables, storing foodstuffs, choosing of fertile fields for settlement – all seem strictly temporal, but permeating all these acts, inspiring and sanctifying them, is the element of spirituality.”

                We can remain free and independent if we first become self-reliant.  We must also remember that we are always dependent on Heavenly Father and upon our fellow human beings no matter how self-reliant we become.

Are You Prepared?

                Are we too late to prepare for the coming bad times?  Since the Great Depression leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have counseled members to prepare for bad times.  From the time I was a little girl I have heard them tell us to get out of debt, establish an emergency fund, have some food, clothing, and other necessities in our homes, and prepare in other ways for emergencies.

                President David O. McKay, a counselor in the First Presidency, spoke at the inauguration of the Church’s welfare plan in 1936:   “[The welfare program] is established by divine revelation, and there is nothing else in all the world that can so effectively take care of its members.”

                When the stock market crashed in 1929 the United States and the world were plunged into a financial crisis, such a one that had not previously been seen.  Millions of Americans were out of work; unemployment in Utah was 35.8 percent in 1932. 

                The Church was ahead of the curve in that it was teaching welfare principles and had a system of storehouses, but many members were turning to the government for assistance.  Church leaders wanted a way to assist “struggling members without promoting idleness and a sense of entitlement.  The goal was to help people help themselves become independent.

                “In 1933 the First Presidency announced:  `Our able-bodied members must not, except as a last resort, be put under the embarrassment of accepting something for nothing.  … Church officials administering relief must devise ways and means by which all able-bodied Church members who are in need, may make compensation for aid given them by rendering some sort of service.”

                The Church Welfare Plan came into existence because of welfare principles and faith.  Wards and stakes, branches and districts established “classes on sewing and canning, coordinating work projects, acquiring farms, and emphasizing righteous, thrifty, and independent living.”

                The Great Depression ended, and the economy eventually improved.  This did not change the need to prepare for emergencies, and  Church leaders continued to preach about preparedness.  In 1979 President Spencer W. Kimball  shared his experience as a stake president when the Gila River overflowed and flooded Duncan, Arizona, and the surrounding area:  “… After consulting with my first counselor … regarding the Saints’ immediate needs, I loaded my car with goods from the interstake welfare storehouse in Safford and drove the forty miles to Duncan.  Arranging matters as best we could there, I walked the eight miles to Virden because bridges were unsafe for cars.  I was filled with grief as I viewed the devastation of the houses and the farmland.  Yet, in the ensuring weeks, I shared in perhaps the most fulfilling experience of my tenure as stake president.  Through the high council and ward bishoprics, we organized for reconstruction.  From welfare supplies and local labor we reestablished the people on the land.  The contributions of the Saints throughout the area were wonderful, and, and I recall, we did not have to call on the General Welfare Committee for help.  We handled it all locally ourselves.

                “During this same period, I remember vigorously counseling the people to be self-reliant and to avoid debt.  The Great Depression had not fully run its course when I was installed.  Although we did not then refer to it as personal and family preparedness, we taught the Saints of our stake to care for their own needs.  In one way or another, we gave expression to the basic principles of work, self-reliance, love, service, consecration, and stewardship.

                “The firsthand experience of those days caused me to contemplate with great pleasure the progress the Church has achieved since welfare services were reemphasized in 1936.

                “From these experiences, coupled with observations of the needs of our people at this time, I should like to share with you what I would do today in welfare services if I were now serving as a stake president.

                “First, I would learn the program.  I would study the scriptures, handbooks, and materials relating to welfare.  I would come to understand that Welfare Services is nothing more nor less than `the gospel in action.’

                “We think of welfare services as consisting of three parts:  first, prevention of problems through provident living.  This applies to every member.  Second, temporary assistance for those with immediate needs, and third, rehabilitation for those with deep or long-lasting problems….

                “Second, having learned everything I could, I would teach my ward and stake officers the principles and practices of Welfare Services.  This includes instructing them in gospel principles, duties, and specific assignments….

                “Third, I would implement Welfare Services as best my stake could.  It is in the doing that the real blessing comes.  Do it!  That’s our motto.  After what we have heard this morning, maybe we should change that to:  Do it with a plan!  But after we have the plan – … – then we must implement it and get the job done….”

                In 2002 President Gordon B. Hinckley spoke to the priesthood brethren and said, “I wish to urge again the importance of self-reliance on the part of every individual Church member and family.  None of us knows when a catastrophe might strike.  Sickness, injury, unemployment may affect any of us.

                “We have a great welfare program with facilities for such things as grain storage in various areas.  It is important that we do this.  But the best place to have some food set aside is within our homes, together with a little money in savings.  The best welfare program is our own welfare program.  Five or six cans of wheat in the home are better than a bushel in the welfare granary.

                “I do not predict any impending disaster.  I hope that there will not be one.  But prudence should govern our lives.  Everyone who owns a home recognizes the need for fire insurance.  We hope and pray that there will never be a fire.  Nevertheless, we pay for insurance to cover such a catastrophe, should it occur. 

                “We ought to do the same with reference to family welfare.  We can begin ever so modestly.  We can begin with a one week’s food supply and gradually build it to a month, and then to three months.  I am speaking now of food to cover basic needs.  As all of you recognize, this counsel is not new.  But I fear that so many feel that a long-term food supply is so far beyond their reach that they make no effort at all.

                “Begin in a small way, my brethren, and gradually build toward a reasonable objective.  Save a little money regularly, and you will be surprised how it accumulates.

                “Get out of debt and rid yourself of the terrible bondage that debt brings.  We hear much about second mortgages.  Now I am told there are third mortgages.

                “Discipline yourselves in matters of spending, in matters of borrowing, in practices that lead to bankruptcy and the agony that comes therewith….”

                Now President Thomas S. Monson is asking “Are We Prepared?”   “No member of the Church who has helped provide for those in need ever forgets or regrets the experience.  Industry, thrift, self-reliance, and sharing with others are not new to us.

                “We should remember that the best storehouse system would be for every family in the Church to have a supply of food, clothing, and where possible, other necessities of life.  The Lord’s storehouse includes the time, talents, skills, compassion, consecrated material, and financial means of faithful Church members.  These resources are available to the bishop in assisting those in need.

                “We urge all Latter-day Saints to be prudent in their planning, to be conservative in their living, and to avoid excessive or unnecessary debt. Many more people could ride out the storm-tossed waves in their economic lives if they had a supply of food and clothing and were debt-free.  Today we find that many have followed this counsel in reverse:  they have a supply of debt and are food-free.

                “I repeat what the First Presidency declared a few years ago:  `Latter-day Saints have been counseled for many years to prepare for adversity by having a little money set aside.  Doing so adds immeasurably to security and well-being.  Every family has a responsibility to provide for its own needs to the extent possible. 

                “We encourage you wherever you may live in the world to prepare for adversity by looking to the condition of your finances.  We urge you to be modes in your expenditures; discipline yourselves in your purchases to avoid debt.  Pay off debt as quickly as you can, and free yourselves from this bondage.  Save a little money regularly to gradually build a financial reserve.”

                “Are we prepared for the emergencies in our lives?  Are our skills perfected?  Do we live providently?  Do we have our reserve supply on hand?  Are we obedient to the commandments of God?  Are we responsive to the teachings of prophets?  Are we prepared to give of our substance to the poor, the needy?  Are we square with the Lord?

                “We live in turbulent times.  Often the future is unknown; therefore, it behooves us to prepare for uncertainties.  When the time for decision arrives, the time for preparation is past.”

                I remember clearly 9/11 and how quickly our world turned upside down.  There were news reports about how quickly the shelves in the grocery stores were emptied that day.  I was discussing it with my older son and mentioned that I had not even thought about running to the store.  His reply was, “That is because you have food in your home.  If you did not have food, you would have been running to the store with all the rest of the people.”

                I thought about his statement for a long time and knew it to be true.  I have tried all my life to follow the counsel of the prophets and have lived providently for my entire married life.  When my husband and I were first married, we did not have cash to pay for our car, but we made double and triple payments on it until we had it paid for.  The same was true with our truck.   Since that time we have paid cash for our vehicles, and we finished paying for our home about two-thirds of the way through our mortgage.  Our 42-year-old washing machine died a couple of weeks ago.  We did not worry about how to pay for a new washing machine; our only concern was finding the best value for our money.  We are not independently wealthy; we simply practice provident living and self-reliance.

                I know the peace of mind that comes from following the counsel of the prophets to practice preparedness; however, I wonder if I am truly ready for a big emergency.  I know there are many ways I can better prepare; however, I am enough prepared to feel secure.  I have enough and some to spare to help other people.  This is a great feeling!

Be Wise

                Have you considered seriously the Parable of the Ten Virgins and how it applies to you?  Do you know how to increase the oil in your lamp?  What do you learn about spiritual self-reliance from this parable?

                “And then, at that day, before the Son of Man comes, shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.

                “And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.

                “They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:

                “But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

                “While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.

                “And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.

                “Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.

                “And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.

                “But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you:  but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.

                “And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage:  and the door was shut.

                “Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.

                “But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.

                “Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh” (JST Matthew 25:1/Matthew 25:2-13).

                This parable teaches the importance of being spiritually self-reliant.  It is essential to our eternal well-being that we become spiritually self-reliant.  When we are spiritually self-reliant, we are able to depend on our own testimony.  We seek for opportunities for spiritual growth, and we do this by doing those activities that bring spiritual experiences, such as exercising faith in Jesus Christ by praying daily and studying the scriptures.   We can learn to solve many of our own problems by turning to Heavenly Father and asking for His assistance.  When we are spiritually self-reliant, we have the capability to strengthen others when they are in spiritual need.  What can you do to increase the oil in your lamp?

                Other scriptures mention the Ten Virgins and/or give counsel about becoming spiritually self-reliant.  These scriptures confirm the principle that we are to use our agency to become spiritually strong.

                “O then despise not, and wonder not, but hearken unto the words of the Lord, and ask the Father in the name of Jesus for what things soever ye shall stand in need.  Doubt not, but be believing, and begin as in times of old, and come unto the Lord with all your heart, and work out your own salvation with fear and trembling before him” (Book of Mormon – Another Testament of Jesus Christ, Mormon 9:27; emphasis added).

                “Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.

                “And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

                “And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things” (Book of Mormon, Moroni 10:3-5; emphasis added).

                “And the Book of Mormon and the holy scriptures are given of me for your instruction; and the power of my Spirit quickeneth all things.

                “Wherefore, be faithful, praying always, having your lamps trimmed and burning, and oil with you, that you may be ready at the coming of the Bridegroom –

                “For behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, that I come quickly” (Doctrine and Covenants 33:16-18; emphasis added).

                “Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection.

                “And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come” (Doctrine and Covenants 130:18-19).

                Besides the counsel given in the scriptures, latter day apostles and prophets have spoken about the importance of becoming self-reliant.  Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke about the Parable of the Ten Virgins and how to apply it to ourselves.  “I now want to use one of many possible interpretations of the parable of the ten virgins to highlight the relationship between testimony and conversion.  Ten virgins, five who were wise and five who were foolish, took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.  Please think of the lamps used by the virgins as the lamps of testimony.  The foolish virgins took their lamps of testimony but took no oil with them.  Consider the oil to be the oil of conversion….

                “Were the five wise virgins selfish and unwilling to share, or were they indicating correctly that the oil of conversion cannot be borrowed?  Can the spiritual strength that results from consistent obedience to the commandments be given to another person?  Can the knowledge obtained through diligent study and pondering of the scriptures be conveyed to one who is in need?  Can the peace the gospel brings to a faithful Latter-day Saint be transferred to an individual experiencing adversity or great challenge?  The clear answer to each of these questions is no.

                “As the wise virgins emphasized properly, each of us must `buy for ourselves.’  These inspired women were not describing a business transaction; rather, they were emphasizing our individual responsibility to keep our lamp of testimony burning and to obtain an ample supply of the oil of conversion.  This precious oil is acquired one drop at a time – `line upon line [and] precept upon precept’ (2 Nephi 28:30), patiently and persistently.  No shortcut is available; no last-minute flurry of preparation is possible” ("Converted Unto the Lord," Ensign, Nov. 2012; emphasis added).  

                 President Spencer W. Kimball believed “the Ten Virgins represent the people of the Church of Jesus Christ and not the rank and file of the world.  All of the virgins, wise and foolish, had accepted the invitation to the wedding supper; they had knowledge of the program and had been warned of the important day to come….  They were knowing people who were foolishly unprepared….

                “They had the saving, exalting gospel, but it had not been made the center of their lives.  They knew the way but gave only a small measure of loyalty and devotion….

                “Rushing for their lamps to light their way through the blackness, half of them found them empty.  They had cheated themselves.  They were fools, these five unprepared virgins….

                “Even the foolish ones trimmed their lamps, but their oil was used up and they had none to refill the lamps. They hastened to make up for lost time….  They had been taught.  They had been warned….

                “… In the daytime, wise and unwise seemed alike; midnight is the time of test and judgment – and offered gladness….

                “The foolish asked the others to share their oil, but spiritual preparedness cannot be shared in an instant.  The wise had to go….  They needed all their oil for themselves; they could not save the foolish….

                “This was not selfishness or unkindness.  The kind of oil that is needed to illuminate the way and light up the darkness is not shareable.  How can one share obedience to the principle of tithing; a mind at peace from righteous living; an accumulation of knowledge?  How can one share attitudes or chastity, or the experience of a mission?  How can one share temple privileges?  Each must obtain that kind of oil for himself.

                “The foolish virgins were not averse to buying oil.  They knew they should have oil.  They merely procrastinated, not knowing when the bridegroom would come….

                “Midnight is so late for those who have procrastinated….

                “For those who heed the warning and make their preparations, for those found at midnight with the oil of righteousness in their lamps, for those with patience, long-suffering, and full dedication, the promise is that they shall sit down at the banquet with their Lord” (Faith Precedes the Miracle, p. 256; emphasis added).

                I know that we must know the truth and become converted to the Lord.  I know that we must hold to truth; we must be firm and steadfast.  We must keep our lamps of testimony burning brightly and have ample oil of conversion and righteousness in reserve.  We must become fully converted in order to strengthen our families, friends, and associates.  I know that we must stop our procrastination for our time for preparation is growing short.  I know that the Lord is hastening His work here upon the earth and that the time of His return to earth is near.  I will continue putting oil in my lamp – drop by drop.  What will you do?

Self-Reliance

                We can strengthen our family, community, and nation by modeling and teaching self-reliance and why it is important.  Self-reliance has been described as the ability, commitment, and effort to provide for our own spiritual and temporal well-being as well as that of our family.  By becoming self-reliant, we not only take care of our own needs but we put ourselves in a situation to be of greater assistance to those in need.

                When President Brigham Young led the Mormon pioneers into the Salt Lake Valley, they found an isolated desert.  President Young encouraged the pioneers to establish permanent homes.  If the Saints were to be obedient to the Prophet’s counsel, they needed to developed skills that would lead to self-sufficiency.  President Young trusted the women and their capacities, talents, faithfulness, and willingness, and he encouraged them in specific temporal duties.  The principles that President Young encouraged the pioneer women to learn are still practiced in the Relief Society today:  1) learn to love work and avoid idleness; 2) acquire a spirit of self-sacrifice; 3) accept personal responsibility for spiritual strength, health, education, employment, finances, food, and other life-sustaining necessities; 4) pray for faith and courage to meet challenges, and 5) strengthen others who need assistance.

                Relief Society sisters and other members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are encouraged to follow these same principles even though our specific duties may be different than our pioneer sisters.

                When we say that we have self-reliance, we mean that we have the capability to provide for our own spiritual and temporal well-being as well as that of our family.  Learning and applying the principles of self-reliance prepares us to recognize opportunities to care for the poor and needy as well as assist others to become self-reliant and prepare for times of adversity.

                Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught, “We become converted and spiritually self-reliant as we prayerfully live our covenants – through worthily partaking of the sacrament, being worthy of a temple recommend, and sacrificing to serve others.”

                Elder Hales said that we should become self-reliant temporally, “which includes getting a postsecondary education or vocational training, learning to work, and living within our means.  By avoiding debt and saving money now, we are prepared for full-time Church service in the years to come.  The purpose of both temporal and spiritual self-reliance is to get ourselves on higher ground so that we can lift others in need.”

            I like that last sentence:  “The purpose of both temporal and spiritual self-reliance is to get ourselves on higher ground so that we can lift others in need.”  This sounds so much less selfish than simply taking care of ourselves and our families!  We cannot provide from an empty cupboard or comfort with an empty soul.  We have to be on higher ground in order to help others!  As we increase in our own self-reliance, we can strengthen our family, community, and nation.

Teach Self-Reliance

                Families, communities, and nations are strengthened when parents teach and exemplify the importance of self-reliance.  It is a fact of life that children often follow in the footsteps of their parents.  When parents model self-reliance, the children learn the steps to take care of themselves; on the other hand, when parents model dependence on other people, church or government, their children learn to expect handouts.

                I had the great privilege of having parents who taught their children to work hard and to be independent.  Much of their teachings came from what they learned in their childhoods and through the teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  My mother was an active member of Church’s organization for women known as the Relief Society.  This organization may be the oldest and largest organization for women in the world.

                Welfare work is central to the work of Relief Society, and the purposes of the welfare program of the Church are “to help members become self-reliant, to care for the poor and needy among us, and to give service to others.”  In this society we are taught the welfare principles and encouraged to become spiritually and temporally self-reliant in order to be able to help other people.  As sisters in this great organization, we extend charity – or the pure love of Christ – to our neighbors all over the world.

                The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been teaching self-reliance since 1936 when it formed the Welfare Committee to help individuals and families during the Great Depression.  In striving to help people, the Church has learned much about the principles of self-reliance.  The following instructions are found in the Church Handbook of Instruction:  “The Savior has commanded the Church and its members to be self-reliant and independent….

                “To become self-reliant, a person must work.  Work is physical, mental, or spiritual effort.  It is a basic source of happiness, self-worth, and prosperity.  Through work, people accomplish many good things in their lives….

                “As people become self-reliant, they are better prepared to endure adversities” and are “better able to care for others in need.”

                Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught “a few simple but very important principles” that “can help prepare us to become more self-reliant.”  http://www.lds.org/ensign/2009/03/becoming-self-reliant-spiritually-and-physically?lang=eng

                The first principle taught by Elder Ballard is that “every person must know that he or she is a child of God and is loved by Him.  People need to realize that regardless of their circumstances, as desperate as those may be, they are entitled to the Light of Christ in their lives.  From Moroni we learn, `The Spirit of Christ is given to every man’ (Moroni 7:16).  The promise is that every son and daughter of God can find, through the Spirit, answers to the challenges in their lives, including how to become more self-reliant….

                “We become more self-reliant in some ways as we recognize our dependence on Him from whom all good things come….

                “At the root of self-reliance are the dignity and importance of seeing ourselves as children of God regardless of circumstance, culture, or location.”

                The second principle taught by Elder Ballard is the “need to appraise our own lives.  How well are we listening to the Spirit?  Are we living according to the eternal truths and doctrines of the restored Church of Jesus Christ?  Can we effectively appraise the needs of others by prompting of the Spirit?”  He share the experience of Muhammad Yunus, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for his efforts to help the poor by organizing an unusual bank in Bangladesh.  Mr. Yunus used his own funds to help the poor and then went to the banks for additional help but was refused.  His strategy evolved:  `Whatever the bankers did, I simply did the opposite.’  “The bankers would only lend to the rich.  I would only lend to the poor.  The bankers would only make large loans.  I would only make very small loans.  The bankers would only lend to men.  I would only lend to women.  The bankers would only lend if there was collateral.  I would only lend without collateral.  The bankers required extensive paperwork.  I only made loans that even an illiterate could understand.  The bankers required their clients to come to the bank.  I took my bank to the village.”

                Elder Ballard believes that Mr. Yunus was prompted by the Spirit.  Even though the “banks expected a high rate of loan defaults,” Mr. Yunus “expected and experienced almost none.”  His bank “has provided more than $4 billion in loans and is entirely self-sustaining.”

                The third principle taught by Elder Ballard is the “need to remember that every man and every woman has the God-given right to choose what he or she will believe and do.”  He quoted Benjamin Franklin:  “We stand at the crossroads, each minute, each hour, each day, making choices.  We choose the thoughts we allow ourselves to think, the passions we allow ourselves to feel, and the actions we allow ourselves to perform.  Each choice is made in the context of whatever value system we’ve selected to govern our lives.  In selecting that value system, we are, in a very real way, making the most important choice we will ever make.

                “Those who believe there is one God who made all things and who governs the world by his Providence will make many choices different from those who do not  Those who hold in reverence that being who gave them life and worship Him through adoration, prayer, and thanksgiving will make many choices different from those who do not.  Those who believe in a future state in which all that is wrong here will be made right will make many choices different from those who do not.  Those who subscribe to the morals of Jesus will make many choices different from those who do not.

                “Since the foundation of all happiness is thinking rightly, and since correct action is dependent on correct opinion, we cannot be too careful in choosing the value system we allow to govern our thoughts and actions.

                “And to know that God governs in the affairs of men, that he hears and answers prayers, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him, is indeed, a powerful regulator of human conduct.”

                I like this quote from Benjamin Franklin because it shows that he obviously knew what I have been taught.  He knew as I know that each child of God has moral agency and the right to choose what we will do.  We can choose to do good or we can choose to do evil; however, we cannot choose the consequences of our choices.

                Elder Ballard’s fourth principle is the need to “master the ability to think straight.”  The ability to “think straight” “may be more important in the future as the world continues to spiral downward and crumble into moral decay….

                “Often in my ministry have I heard the sad tale of those who are struggling to become self-reliant but in fact are becoming more dependent upon others because of their inability to think straight and apply common sense in the decisions they make.  Much of life’s misery centers in the lack of using common sense….

                “Helping people to think straight and use common sense will, in my judgment, always be a very important step in helping them to reach economic self-reliance.  It is part of teaching our children and others to walk in the ways of truth and soberness and to love and serve one another (see Mosiah 4:15).  Part of thinking straight is listening – being able to listen to the promptings of the Spirit.”

                The last of Elder Ballard’s principles is the need to “seek guidance from the Lord and trust in Him.”  The Lord is “merciful and gracious” unto those who fear Him and “delights to honor those who serve me in righteousness and in truth unto the end” (Doctrine and Covenants 76:5).

                President Marion G. Romney (1897-1988) also spoke about self-reliance:  “Without self-reliance one cannot exercise these innate desires to serve.  How can we give if there is nothing there?  Food for the hungry cannot come from empty shelves.  Money to assist the needy cannot come from an empty purse.  Support and understanding cannot come from the emotionally starved.  Teaching cannot come from the unlearned.  And most important of all, spiritual guidance cannot come from the spiritually weak.”

                President Ezra Taft Benson (1899-1994) taught the difference between the Lord’s way of helping people and the world’s way:  “The world would take people out of the slums.  Christ takes the slums out of people, and then they take themselves out of the slums.  The world would mold men by changing their environment.  Christ changes men, who then change their environment.  The world would shape human behavior, but Christ can change human nature.

                Heavenly Father wants each of His children to be self-reliant, and He send His Son, even Jesus Christ, to earth to help us be independent; however, both Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ know that there will always be those among us who need help and have commanded us to love and serve each other.  We should seek to be self-reliant in order to care for ourselves and families and then be able to serve other people.  When parents teach their children to be self-reliant, they strengthen their family, community, and nation.

Welfare Principles

                    Families grow stronger when they practice basic principles of welfare - self-reliance and industry.  Parents can teach these principles to their children by precept and example.  Children are blessed when they learn the importance of being self-reliant.

                    Our world today is much like that of 1929 when the stock market crashed and caused huge financial losses.  My parents married just a few weeks before the crash and spent the rest of their lives being prepared in case such a thing were to happen again.

                    The unemployment rate in Utah climbed to 35.8 percent by 1932.  Even though The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had a system of storehouses and programs set up to help members find work, many members of the Church were turning to the United States government for relief.

                    Church leaders did not like the idea of members going to the government for help.  President Heber J. Grant (1856-1945) stated during that difficult time, "I believe that there is a growing disposition among the people to try to get something from the government of the United States with little hope of ever paying it back."

                    Leaders knew that members were struggling, and they were determined to find a way to help the members become independent and avoid promoting idleness and a sense of entitlement.  The Church encouraged able-bodied men to render some sort of service in exchange for any aid received.  Thus the Church Welfare System was put in place.

                    The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is celebrating the 75th anniversary of its welfare program.  When the program was inaugurated in 1936, President David O. McKay, a counselor to President Heber J. Grant, confirmed the divinely inspired foundation of the welfare plan:  "[The welfare program] is established by divine revelation, and there is nothing else in all the world that can so effectively take care of its members."

                    During the past 75 years, our nation has gone through many economic cycles, and many changes have occurred in both the size of the Church and the morals of society.  The soundness of the welfare plan has been proven again and again.  Using welfare principles and operating on faith in God, wards and stakes emphasize righteous, thrifty and independent living, organize classes to teach sewing, food production, canning, etc. and coordinate work projects to help the members to help themselves.  The welfare plan teaches members to help others by giving a "hand up" rather than taking a "hand out" from other sources.

                    President Grant stated, "Our primary purpose was to set up … a system under which the curse of idleness would be done away with, the evils of a dole abolished, and independence, industry, thrift and self-respect be once more established amongst our people."  He also said, "Work is to be re-enthroned as the ruling principle of the lives of our Church membership."

                    Even though the Great Depression ended and World War II was over, Church leaders felt the need to continue the welfare program.  In October 1945, United States President Harry S. Truman asked President George Albert Smith (1870-1951) how and when the Church could deliver supplies to the war-torn nations of Europe.  President Truman was astonished when Church leaders told him that the food, clothing and other supplies were already collected and ready to ship.

                    The welfare facilities and programs of the Church have been expanded since 1945 and cover more needs and larger areas.  Over time, the welfare program expanded to Mexico, South America, England, and the Pacific Islands.  Today the Church is experiencing new challenging in adapting the welfare program to meet the needs of the developing nations.

                    The basic welfare principles of self-reliance and industry are the same today as they were in 1936.  In fact, the Lord commanded Adam, "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread" (Genesis 3:19).

                    The storehouse of the Church is in place to help widows and orphans as well as the poor (Doctrine and Covenants 83:6).  Welfare principles are helping members throughout the world as they practice them in their individual homes.  "The strength of the Church and the Lord's real storehouse is in the homes and hearts of his people" (Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles).

                    The welfare program's long-term objective continues to be fulfilled as members exercise their faith in Jesus Christ and develop their own self-reliance.  President J. Reuben Clark, Jr., counselor to President McKay, defined this objective as "the building of character in the members of the Church, givers and receivers, rescuing all that is finest down deep inside of them, and bringing to flower and fruitage the latent richness of the spirit, which after all is the mission and purpose and reason for being of this Church."

                    President Thomas S. Monson stated, "I declare that the welfare program of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is inspired of Almighty God."

                    His counselor, President Henry B. Eyring noted the difficult times we are living in when he stated, "Great temporal needs of the children of Heavenly Father have come again in our time as they have and as they will in all times.  The principles at the foundation of the Church welfare program are not for only one time or one place.  They are for all times and all places."

                    When we participate in the welfare program of the Church, we are given the opportunity to lift others in need as we covenanted in the waters of baptism.  Silvia H. Allred stated, "Men and women of the Church participate jointly today in bringing relief to those in need….  When love becomes the guiding principle in our care for others, our service to them becomes the gospel in action.  It is the gospel in its finest moment.  It is pure religion."

                    There is a great difference between the welfare program of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the entitlement programs of the state and federal governments.  The Church's program strives to help people to help themselves to become self-reliant whereas the government's programs simply invite more greed and feelings of entitlement.

                    Ideas and quotes are from an article by Heather Wrigley entitled "Celebrating 75 Years of Welfare," Ensign, May 2011, pp. 139-141.

Preparedness

Our topic for strengthening the family on this Saturday is to practice personal and family preparedness. When individuals and families are prepared to meet their own needs, they put themselves in a position to help others. We do not have to wait until we are fully self-reliant in order to help and serve other people. President Marion G. Romney taught: "Without self-reliance one cannot exercise these innate desires to serve. How can we give if there is nothing there? Food for the hungry cannot come from empty shelves. Money to assist the needy cannot come from an empty purse. Support and understanding cannot come from the emotionally starved. Teaching cannot come from the unlearned. And most important of all, spiritual guidance cannot come from the spiritually weak" (Ensign, November 1982, 93). The Lord revealed in Doctrine and Covenants 29:34 "All things unto me are spiritual, and not at any time have I given unto you a law which was temporal." Even though the following principles will help us temporally, the end result will be spiritual strength. There are six areas where we should become self-reliant. Those six areas are: literacy and education; career development; financial and resource management; home production and storage; physical health; social-emotional and spiritual strength. Let me expand on the areas individually. 1) Literacy and Education. Each person, to the extent of his or her ability, should be able to read, write, and do basic mathematics. Parents can teach these skills and habits to family members. Parents and children alike can take advantage of educational opportunities. Regular study of the scriptures and reading other good books will increase literacy. 2) Career Development. Each young person should receive counsel to help select a suitable vocation. Talents and skills should be evaluated when selecting a career. All should obtain appropriate training in order to become proficient. 3) Financial and Resource Management. Each individual should establish financial goals, pay tithes and offerings, avoid debt, pay obligations, use resources wisely, and save during times of plenty for use during times of need. 4) Home Production and Storage. Each individual and family should produce as much as possible by sewing, gardening, and making household items. Each individual and family should learn techniques for home canning, freezing, and drying of foods and store a one-year supply of food, clothing, and if possible, fuel. 5) Physical Health. Each individual should use wisdom and practice sound principals of nutrition, physical fitness, accident prevention, weight control, immunization, sanitation, mother and child health, dental health, and medical care. Each individual is responsible to maintain a healthy and clean environment and to acquire appropriate skills in first aid, home nursing, and food selection and preparation. 6) Social-emotional and Spiritual Strength. Each individual should build spiritual strength to meet life's challenges with confidence and stability. This is accomplished by learning to love God and to communicate with Him in personal prayer, by loving and serving others, and by loving and respecting him or herself by righteous living and self-mastery. Social-emotional and spiritual strength increases through living the gospel of Jesus Christ. Bishop H. Burke Peterson said, "When we speak of [personal and] family preparedness, we should speak of foreseen, anticipated, almost expected needs which can be met through wise preparation. Even true emergencies can be modified by good planning" ("the Family in Welfare Service," Welfare Services Meeting, April 1975, p. 4). As individuals and families practice personal and family preparedness principles, families become stronger and thus strengthen our nation.