Click on Photo to read quotes*Nephi 1:20
*D&C 78:17
*D&C 121
More shared than this (I'm am not a very quick note taker)
Linda shared hers Alma 36:7 "by small and simple things are great things brought to pass" and D&C 64:33 "Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great.
Sister Linda gave us a quiz! Seriously would not kid you! So here is the quiz for you!
1. Celebrating____years of ________-________and _________!
2. On April 5, 1936, as the world groaned under the burden of the Great Depression, the Prophet, __________________announced what would later become known as the welfare program of the church.
3. Many members may think of welfare as a program to help members in temporarily difficult circumstances, but the intent of the church's welfare plan is much more vast; it involves promoting _________-__________as a way of life.
4. What does it mean to be self-reliant?
5. Church leaders encourage us to develop self-reliance in six basic areas, can you name them? 1)_______________2)_____________3)________________4)__________________5)_______________________6)__________________
6. How do I become self-reliant?
7. How does being self-reliant help us to keep our covenants to serve others?
8. What is the Lord's storehouse and what does it contain?
9. How can we help one another become more self-reliant?
Quote at the end of the quiz: The early Saints recognized the importance of living a self-reliant life, caring for the poor and needy, and serving others. The Prophet Joseph Smith stated, "A man filled with the love of God is not content with blessing his family alone, but ranges through the whole world, anxious to bless the whole human race."
Sister Kitty and I were doing a little bouncing off each other about the quiz, and yes we were not alone the room was a buzzing with bouncing ideas and thoughts...
Linda got us under control and we began to answer the questions together:
1) 75 years of self-reliance and service!
2) The prophet at the time was President Heber J Grant...lots of groaning about that one...should have known that! oops
3) The welfare program involves promoting self-reliance. Commemorating 75 years this year give us an opportunity to reflect on basic principles such as becoming self-reliant, caring for the poor and needy, and serving others. When we live these principles we are more able to
1) Alleviate suffering
2) Build Character
3) Foster Unity
A special letter sent by the First Presidency dated June 1, 2011 encourages us, with our families, to prayerfully consider and act upon self-reliance and other welfare principles.
4) Sister Beck: "Using all of our blessings from Heavenly Father to care for ourselves and our families and to find solutions for our own problems."
President Monson: "The ability, commitment, and effort to provide the necessities of life for self & family"
Sister S. Allred: "The ability to provide the spiritual and temporal necessities of life for self and family"
5) 1) Education
2) Health
3) Employment
4) Family & Home production and Storage
5) Family Finances
6) Spiritual Strength
6) We become self-reliant by obtaining sufficient knowledge, education, and literacy; by managing money and resources wisely, being spiritually strong, preparing for emergencies and eventualities; and by having physical health and social and emotional well-being. Robert D Hales: When we go into debt, we give away some of our precious, priceless agency and place ourselves in self-imposed servitude. We obligate our time, energy, and means to repay what we have borrowed-resources that could have been used to help ourselves, our families, and others.
7) As we live providently and increase our gifts and talents, we become more self-reliant. One of the comments of a sister, sorry don't remember who I think it was a visitor of Sister Jill's family, said. That as she has attended Relief Society and been a recipient of others preparations, of them teaching and sharing with her. She has been able to build on her self-reliance and been able to bless others with her gifts and talents! Marion G Romney: "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."
8) The Lord's storehouse is more than a building with goods to be distributed. Sister S Allred said "that every man/woman may improve upon his own talent to be cast into the bishop's storehouse. Everyman seeking the interest of his neighbor and doing all things for the glory of God." So what skills do you have to offer for the bishop's storehouse...math skills, reading skills, budgeting, cooking, car repair, family history and on and on and on....
9) By sharing our skills and time and attention. Being more engaged in our Visiting Teaching, what problems do your sisters have that you could help them solve...
The promise has been made that being self-reliant many of the problems of life will be solved. We will experience SERENITY in the midst of uncertainty, and SUSTANCE in the midst of want. The Lord said "all things unto me are spiritual and not at any time have I given unto you a law which was temporal." The foundation of helping ourselves and others is LOVE and CHARITY.
Our Challenge....let us review our own level of self-reliance-and begin today. Don't try to jump into all 6 areas of self-reliance and become overwhelmed and quit, but move forward one step at a time moving through each of the 6 areas and re-evaluating ourselves and move forward a little more.
ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE VS DISTRACTIONS!
D&C 64:33
