My Foundation: Self-Reliance Is a Principle of Salvation

Maximum Time: 20 Minutes

Ponder:

John 10:10.

John 10:10

“I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

Discuss:

What is an abundant life?

Watch:

“He Polished My Toe,” available at srs.lds.org/videos. (No video? See the script at the end of this section.)

Discuss:

Do you believe there are solutions to your problems? How can we qualify for the Lord’s power to assist us?

Read:

The Handbook 2 reference and the quote by Elder Dallin H. Oaks.

Handbook 2: Administering the Church

“Self-reliance is the ability, commitment, and effort to provide the spiritual and temporal necessities of life for self and family. As members become self-reliant, they are also better able to serve and care for others.”

(2010), 6.1.1

Elder Dallin H. Oaks

“Whatever causes us to be dependent on someone else for decisions or resources we could provide for ourselves weakens us spiritually and retards our growth toward what the gospel plan intends us to be.”

“Repentance and Change,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2003, 40

Being self-reliant does not mean that we can do or obtain anything we set our mind to. Rather, it is believing that through the grace, or enabling power, of Jesus Christ and our own effort, we can obtain all the spiritual and temporal necessities of life that we require for ourselves and our families. Self-reliance is evidence of our trust or faith in God’s power to move mountains in our lives and to give us strength to triumph over trials and afflictions.

Discuss:

How has Christ’s grace helped you obtain the spiritual and temporal necessities of life?

Activity (5 minutes)

Step 1: Choose a partner and read each principle below.

Doctrinal Principles of Self-Reliance
1. Self-reliance is a commandment.	“The Church and its members are commanded by the Lord to be self-reliant and independent” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball [2006], 116).
2. God can and will provide a way for His righteous children to become self-reliant.	“And it is my purpose to provide for my saints, for all things are mine” (D&C 104:15).
3. The temporal and spiritual are one to God.	“Wherefore, verily I say unto you that all things unto me are spiritual” (D&C 29:34).

Step 2: With your partner, discuss why believing these truths can help make you more self-reliant.

Discuss:

Read President Marion G. Romney’s quote. How do you know if you are becoming more self-reliant?

President Marion G. Romney

“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.”

“The Celestial Nature of Self-Reliance,” Ensign, Nov. 1982, 93

Commit:

Commit to do the following action during the week:

• Read the First Presidency letter at the beginning of this manual and identify the promised blessings. What must you do to obtain them? Write your thoughts below.

• Share what you’ve learned today about self-reliance with your family or friends.

He Polished My Toe

If you are unable to watch the video, choose a group member to read the following script.

Elder Enrique R. Falabella:

When I was growing up, we didn’t have much. I remember one day when I approached my father and said to him, “Papa, I need a new pair of shoes. These old ones are already worn out.” He stopped and looked at my shoes and saw they were really worn out. He said, “I think this is something we can fix.” He took a bit of black polish and polished my shoes, leaving them shiny and nice. He said to me, “Now they’re fixed, son.” I replied, “No, not yet. You can still see my toe sticking out of my shoe.” He said, “Well, we can fix that too!” He took a little more polish and he polished my toe.

That day I learned that there is a solution to every problem. I am convinced that this principle of self-reliance and this initiative is a way to hasten the Lord’s work. It’s part of the work of salvation.

All of us can become better than what we are now. You have to let go of apathy. Many times we become complacent, and this destroys our progress. Every day is a day I can make progress if I decide to do something different to improve what I’ve done poorly in the past. If you do it with faith, exercising faith and hope in Christ that He will be there helping you, you will find the way to make progress in temporal and spiritual things. This is because God lives and you are His son or daughter.