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Lesson
38
"In Mine Own Way"
Doctrine
and Covenants 38:30, 42: 30-31; 42; 58:26-28; 104:13-18;
Our Heritage, pages 108-9,111-14.
by
Maurine Jensen Proctor
The
first reference for this lesson seems pointed and timely given
the new and harrowing times we have been plunged into since September
11. Beginning with the scripture before D&C 38:30 to
give context, we are told:
"Ye
hear of wars in far countries, and you say that there will soon
be great wars in far countries, but ye know not the hearts of
men in your own land. I tell you these things because of your
prayers; wherefore, treasure up wisdom in your bosoms, lest the
wickedness of men reveal these things unto you by their wickedness,
in a manner which shall speak in your ears with a voice louder
than that which shall shake the earth; but if ye are prepared
ye shall not fear." And that ye might
escape the power of the enemy, and be gathered unto me a righteous
people, without spot and blameless" (D&C 38:29-31).
What
a confidence-building line that is: "if ye are prepared ye
shall not fear." We think of our prophet, President
Gordon B. Hinckley, in the October 2001 conference telling us
in sober terms that missiles had just been launched, weeping over
the darkness of terrorism, and then giving us counsel that pierced
directly to our bone marrow: We should get out of debt, we should
have a year's supply of food and other necessities, and "to have a little laid aside against a rainy
day."
It
was grave counsel given our times, but what is most striking about
it is that it is nothing new. As we find ourselves in a
new crisis with modern-day Gadiantons
who infest their own mountains and strongholds, we see that we
are given the counsel we have long been given. In all times,
whether in a radically new kind of war on a dark terrorist network
or in conomic hardship knocking our
personal well being, the counsel is the same.
For
the war we are in which is vivid before us, is the same old war
we have already fought. We are veterans of a war with Satan
and his goal for us has always been captivity and bondage.
As Nephi said:
"Wherefore,
men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given
them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to
choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of
all men, or to choose captivity and death according to the captivity
and power of the devil; for he seeketh
that all men might be miserable like unto himself" 2 Nephi
2:27.
God
wants us to be free. Satan wants us in chains; terrified
and bound. While God has given us the welfare program and taught
us principles of self-reliance to help us temporally (which is
especially appropriate in light of Katrina), these are ultimately
spiritual programs. That means they impact not just our
temporal, physical lives here, but our eternal lives as well,
because ultimately they are about our freedom—liberty and eternal
life—Christ's great offering to us.
Elder
L. Tom Perry of the Council of the Twelve said it this way, "Independence
and self-reliance are critical to our spiritual and temporal growth.
Whenever we get into a situation which threatens our self-reliance,
we will find our freedoms threatened as well. If
we increase our dependence on anything or anyone except the Lord,
we will find an immediate decrease in our freedom to act"
(As Quoted in The Church News, Oct. 12, 1991).
President,
Joseph F. Smith said: "It has always been a cardinal teaching
with the Latter-day Saints, that a religion which has not the
power to save the people temporally and make them prosperous and
happy here cannot be depended upon to save them spiritually, and
exalt them in the life to come" (quoted in L. Arrington,
Great Basin Kingdom, 1958, p. 425, n. 16).
Historical
Context
That
the temporal well being of the Saints is one of the Lord's concerns
is clear from the beginnings of the Restoration. Within a year
of the organization of the Church in 1830, Latter-day Saints began
to gather to Ohio.
Many sold valuable farms for a pittance to come, arriving in destitution.
The Saints were instructed through revelation (D&C 42:34)
to consecrate their surplus properties to the Church for the care
of the poor.
Yet,
the welfare system as we know it today, was not inaugurated until
1936 in the midst of the Great Depression when President Heber
J. Grant was seeking to find a way to help members of the Church
be more self-reliant in the face of the economic shambles of their
times. The First Presidency said of this program: "Our
primary purpose was to set up, in so far as it might be possible,
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. The aim of the Church is to help the people to help
themselves. Work is to be re-enthroned as the
ruling principle of the lives of our Church membership" (Our
Heritage, pp. 108-111).
This
would be a welfare system unlike any the world had seen, for it
was of the Lord's devising and in the Lord's way—which is always
to uplift and develop the capacities of his children. The
cardinal principles of the program were self-reliance and consecration;
both designed to help foster liberty in those who participated.
Self-Reliance
Elder
Dallin H. Oaks noted,
"At the doctrinal or theoretical level, there is a rich
opportunity for confusion over the principle of self-reliance.
For example, some have experienced confusion in how the principle
of self-reliance applies to the twin goals of temporal well
being and spiritual salvation. The true principle is self-reliance
in temporal matters and ultimate total dependence on our Savior,
Jesus Christ, in spiritual matters. As Nephi taught, 'It is
by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.' (2 Ne.
25:23.)
"In
common with C. S. Lewis, the perceptive author of The Screwtape
Letters, I believe that one of Satan's most effective techniques
is to pretend to accept a true principle and then act so as
to corrupt it. Thus, Satan would surely like to corrupt the
practice of self-reliance in order to make us self-reliant in
spiritual things (thinking we can "work out our own salvation")
and largely dependent on others in temporal things. He desires
this corruption since misunderstanding of either role of self-reliance
forestalls an important part of the personal growth that the
Father's plan seeks to afford us. A misunderstanding of both
relationships is doubly devastating.
"There
are powerful forces at work to beguile us into self-sufficiency
in spiritual things and to lure us into some degree of dependence
in temporal things. It is easy for Latter-day Saints to fall
prey to those forces." (Dallin H. Oaks, The Lord's Way, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1991).
The Church has recommended that we seek self-reliance in these areas: literacy
and education; career development and counseling; financial and
resource management; home production and storage; physical health;
and social, emotional, and spiritual support. Self-reliance means
that we learn to live providently (see the Church’s website on
this subject: www.providentliving.org).
In
the Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Daniel Ludlow wrote:
"Latter-day
Saints view education as a spiritual, as well as a temporal, obligation.
All members are expected to take advantage of available educational
opportunities. Church leaders counsel parents to read to their
children, teach them, and encourage them to study the scriptures
and other good literature and to communicate well in writing and
speaking. Church organizations reinforce these family efforts.
Instruction in family relations strengthens the family's ability
to meet its challenges. People are given counsel to help them
select careers in which their talents and skills can be used in
meaningful employment. Adults and youth are expected to become
proficient through appropriate training. The Church accepts responsibility
for arranging for career counseling, encouraging access to training,
providing assistance as necessary, and motivating members to assist each other in finding
employment."
"Church
directives teach members to establish financial goals, pay tithing
and fast offerings, avoid excessive debt, pay their obligations,
use their resources wisely, and pursue a regular savings program.
Keeping property in good repair is also encouraged. LDS families
are taught to grow and preserve fruits and vegetables, sew clothing,
and make household items. Every family is urged to be prepared
for emergencies and to maintain a year's supply of food, clothing,
and, if possible, fuel. The Word of Wisdom obliges members to
avoid tobacco, alcohol, tea, coffee, and harmful drugs. Church
organizations teach principles and skills of nutrition, physical
fitness, immunization, sanitation, health, accident prevention,
medical care, and the maintenance of a healthy home environment.
Members are also advised to carry adequate health and life insurance
when feasible and to avoid questionable medical practices."
"Avoid
debt like the plague," said President J. Reuben Clark. "Debt
and its ever-present offspring, interest, are merciless taskmasters.
Interest becomes your constant companion. It never goes
away, never takes a rest, never has a
day off."
Despite
their best efforts, however, there are times when people need
help. None of us are guaranteed complete security and financial
hard times may befall any of us at any time (as we have so recently
seen with Katrina). Accidents and illness can produce unexpected
and overwhelming medical costs. Misfortune may is no respecter
of persons. Unemployment and inflation can eat up hard-earned
savings in a blink. And often with economic stress comes
personal challenges such as discouragement and frustration, strained
relationships and tense days.
Those
who are economically deprived for reasons either within or beyond
their control (Mark 14:7) are to be provided with short-term emergency
help, then assisted to a state of self-reliance, if possible,
and provided with support if not. But, the underlying principle
is that the provided assistance should exalt, rather than demean,
the poor.
We
are all ultimately beggars before the Lord, dependent on his gifts
to us, and in this life, it is reasonable that we are occasionally
in need of the help of one another. Giving when you can
and receiving when you need help are all part of the Lord's plan
of development for our eternal souls.
Do
Not Neglect the Poor
Elder
Russell M. Nelson has reminded us that "when the Lord sent
prophets to call Israel back from apostasy, in almost every instance, one of
the first charges made was that the poor had been neglected."
In fact, responding generously to the needs of the poor is a paramount
interest of the Lord's who makes it a recurring theme in his words
to us. This is not merely a commandment to do when it is
convenient or when our surpluses are so bountiful that it is painless.
John the Baptist observed, "He that hath two coats, let him
impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do
likewise" (Luke 3:11)
Elder
Dallin Oaks observed, in fact, that
taking care of the poor was the only way we could obtain essential
blessings:
"The
prophet/king Benjamin declared that we must impart of our substance
to the poor, 'such as feeding the hungry, clothing the naked,
visiting the sick and administering to their relief' for the
sake of 'retaining a remission of [our] sins from day to day,
that [we] may walk guiltless before God.' (Mosiah 4:26.)
"After
teaching the fundamental principles of the gospel (including
the Atonement and the necessity for faith, repentance, and prayer),
Amulek continued: 'And now . . . do
not suppose that this is all; for after ye have done all these
things, if ye turn away the needy, and the naked, and visit
not the sick and afflicted, and impart of your substance, if
ye have, to those who stand in need—I say unto you, if ye do
not any of these things, behold, your prayer is vain, and availeth
you nothing, and ye are as hypocrites who do deny the faith.'
(Alma 34:28.)
"In
modern times the Lord told his people they 'must visit the poor
and the needy and administer to their relief' (D&C 44:6),
and 'he that doeth not these things, the same is not my disciple'
(D&C 52:40). The Lord commanded his saints to 'learn to impart
one to another as the gospel requires.' (D&C 88:123.) President
Marion G. Romney explained the importance of these commandments
by relating them to the Savior's statement that when he comes
in his glory, he will divide his people 'as a shepherd divideth
his sheep from the goats.' (Matt. 25:32.) He said, 'The test on
which the division [will] be made on that great day [will] be
the care given to the poor and the needy.'"
We
will be in a position to render that service to others, if we
have first lived providently and with self-reliance ourselves.
© 2005 Meridian
Magazine. All Rights Reserved.
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