8 | September 25-26, 2021
General Conference Guide – Fall 2021
SELF-RELIANCE IN A WORLD BY GENELLE PUGMIRE Daily Herald
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n the Old Testament telling of the story of Adam and Eve in the book of Genesis, we learn they lived in a beautiful garden, called Eden. They wanted for nothing. The ground gave off mists that watered and produced food spontaneously for them to eat. The Bible says that after the couple were tempted by Satan and they partook of the forbidden fruit, they could no longer stay in the garden, nor could they converse face to face with God. Adam and Eve were sent into the world where they had to till the ground, herd sheep and cattle, and live by faith and prayer — they had to be self-reliant both temporally and spiritually. And so it has been since that time until the present day; men and women must care for themselves, then their family and then their neighbors and so on. According teachings from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints, accepting and living the following principles of self-reliance will help individuals receive the spiritual and temporal blessings promised by the Lord: 1. Exercise faith in Jesus Christ. 2. Be obedient to God’s laws, principles and promptings. 3. Act. Individual accountability and action activate blessings. 4. Serve and be united. “Only when we are self-reliant can we truly emulate the Savior in serving and blessing others,” said Elder Robert D. Hales (19322017), of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. The Church has developed numerous tools for its members to use that will help them become self-reliant on topics such as debt, education, employment, family finances, food storage,
PHOTOS COURTESY INTELLECTUAL RESERVES
Early families in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had rely on themselves and then help others.
gardening and health. After the Latter-day Saints had gathered in the Salt Lake Valley, which was an isolated desert, President Brigham Young wanted them to flourish and establish permanent homes. This meant the Saints needed to learn skills that would allow them to become self-sufficient. In this effort, President Young had great trust in the capacities, talents, faithfulness and willingness of the women, and he encouraged
them in specific temporal duties. While the specific duties of Relief Society sisters are often different today, the principles remain constant: Learn to love work and avoid idleness. Acquire a spirit of self-sacrifice. Accept personal responsibility for spiritual strength, health, education, employment, finances, food and other life-sustaining necessities.
Pray for faith and courage to meet challenges. Strengthen others who need assistance. President Brigham Young instructed the Saints, “Instead of searching after what the Lord is going to do for us, let us inquire what we can do for ourselves.” (Discourses of Brigham Young, sel. John A. Widtsoe, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1978, p. 293.) President Heber J. Grant declared, “Nothing destroys the in-
dividuality of a man, a woman or a child as much as the failure to be self-reliant.” (Relief Society Magazine, October 1937, p. 627.) The history of teaching selfreliance in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints goes back to its founding. It was in 1831 when the Prophet Joseph Smith received by revelation the Law of Consecration. “An 1828 dictionary defined ‘consecration’ as ‘the act or ceremony of separating from a
