“Lesson 18 Class Preparation Material: Providing for Temporal Needs,” The Eternal Family Class Preparation Material (2022)
“Lesson 18 Class Preparation Material,” The Eternal Family Class Preparation Material
Lesson 18 Class Preparation Material
Providing for Temporal Needs
The Lord cares about our temporal, or physical, well-being. He has revealed truths that can help you provide for your own and your family’s physical needs in ways that will also help you grow spiritually. As you study this material, consider how you might be better able to apply these truths.
Section 1
What is my responsibility in providing for my family’s temporal needs?
Shortly after the Church of Jesus Christ was restored, the Lord revealed some temporal responsibilities of Church members.
Study in Preparation for Class
Read Doctrine and Covenants 75:28–29; 83:4, and consider how the Lord’s counsel applies to you.
Through Latter-day prophets, the Lord has reaffirmed that “parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness [and] to provide for their physical and spiritual needs” (“The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” ChurchofJesusChrist.org).
To fulfill this duty to provide for their children’s physical needs, parents must learn to be self-reliant. Self-reliance is a fundamental principle of the gospel. It is “the ability, commitment, and effort to provide the necessities of life for self and family” (Providing in the Lord’s Way: Summary of a Leader’s Guide to Welfare [2009], 1).
Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught the following principles about self-reliance:
Self-reliance is taking responsibility for our own spiritual and temporal welfare and for those whom Heavenly Father has entrusted to our care. Only when we are self-reliant can we truly emulate the Savior in serving and blessing others.
It is important to understand that self-reliance is a means to an end. Our ultimate goal is to become like the Savior, and that goal is enhanced by our unselfish service to others. Our ability to serve is increased or diminished by the level of our self-reliance. (“A Gospel Vision of Welfare: Faith in Action,” in Basic Principles of Welfare and Self-Reliance [worldwide leadership training meeting, 2009], 1–2; see also ChurchofJesusChrist.org)
Consider the importance of the following instruction about self-reliance:
When you are self-reliant, you use the blessings and abilities God has given you to care for yourself and your family and to find solutions for your own problems. Self-reliance does not mean that you must be able to do all things on your own. To be truly self-reliant, you must learn how to work with others and turn to the Lord for His help and strength. (For the Strength of Youth [booklet, 2011], 41)
President Spencer W. Kimball taught, “No true Latter-day Saint, while physically or emotionally able, will voluntarily shift the burden of his [or her] own or his [or her] family’s well-being to someone else” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball [2006], 116; see also 1 Timothy 5:8). Know that the Lord will help you in your efforts to become self-reliant. Jesus Christ taught that “through [His] providence,” the Church could “stand independent” both temporally and spiritually (Doctrine and Covenants 78:14). Likewise, the Savior “through [His] providence” can help you become self-reliant and able to provide for yourself and your family.
Ponder in Preparation for Class
What thoughts or feelings do you have about the responsibility to provide for your family’s temporal needs?
Section 2
What can help me develop self-reliance and become a better provider?
A diligent work ethic is essential for developing self-reliance and providing for our families. Beginning with Adam, our Heavenly Father has commanded His children to work (see Moses 4:25, 29; 2 Thessalonians 3:10–13). Hard work and diligence are characteristics of God and of those who strive to follow Him (see 2 Nephi 5:17; Mosiah 27:3–4).
Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles emphasized the importance of hard work when he taught:
God has designed this mortal existence to require nearly constant exertion. … By work we sustain and enrich life. It enables us to survive the disappointments and tragedies of the mortal experience. Hard-earned achievement brings a sense of self-worth. Work builds and refines character, creates beauty, and is the instrument of our service to one another and to God. A consecrated life is filled with work, sometimes repetitive, sometimes menial, sometimes unappreciated but always work that improves, orders, sustains, lifts, ministers, aspires. (“Reflections on a Consecrated Life,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2010, 17)
In addition to the reponsibility parents have “to provide for their [children’s] physical and spiritual needs,” “by divine design, fathers … are responsible to provide the necessities of life … for their families” (“The Family: A Proclamation to the World”). Elder Christofferson encouraged those who are preparing to be fathers when he said:
Prepare now by being diligent in school and planning for postsecondary training. Education, whether in a university, technical school, apprenticeship, or similar program, is key to developing the skills and capabilities you will need. (“Fathers,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2016, 96)
The counsel to seek education is important for all disciples of Jesus Christ. The Lord instructs us to “seek learning, even by study and also by faith” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:118; see also Doctrine and Covenants 90:15). Regarding this responsibility, President Russell M. Nelson taught:
Because of our sacred regard for each human intellect, we consider the obtaining of an education to be a religious responsibility. … Our Creator expects His children everywhere to educate themselves. (“Where Is Wisdom?,” Ensign, Nov. 1992, 6)
Consider other potential blessings of education that go beyond helping us to better provide for our family’s financial needs. Obtaining education can bring personal fulfillment and can help us meet the Lord’s expectation to develop and use the gifts and abilities He has given us (see Matthew 25:14–30). Obtaining education can improve our ability to navigate life’s challenges. Education also increases our capacity to serve others and to build the Lord’s kingdom.
President Thomas S. Monson taught:
Your talents will expand as you study and learn. You will be able to better assist your families in their learning, and you will have peace of mind in knowing that you have prepared yourself for the eventualities that you may encounter in life. (“Three Goals to Guide You,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2007, 119)
In some cases, because of death or divorce or other extenuating circumstances, the mother must provide for the family (see paragraph 7 of the family proclamation). In other cases, both parents need to be employed to help meet the basic needs of their family. President M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles provided an important caution and helpful counsel in making decisions regarding both parents being employed:
Today there is significant pressure in our materialistic world to have and spend more money. Unfortunately, this draws married mothers to work outside the home in order to provide a second income. As husbands, wives, and children recognize the difference between basic necessities and material wants, they lessen family financial burdens and contribute to helping mothers be at home. Decisions about working outside the home are difficult ones and need to be made prayerfully, keeping ever in mind the counsel of the living prophets on this complex issue. (“The Sacred Responsibilities of Parenthood,” Ensign, Mar. 2006, 31; see also Alma 37:37)
Ponder in Preparation for Class
How has the Lord helped you, or how can He help you, develop a diligent work ethic or obtain more education?
Section 3
What financial principles can guide me in providing for my family?
The earth belongs to the Lord (see Psalm 24:1). He gives us power and access to earthly resources to provide for our temporal and spiritual needs (see Deuteronomy 8:10, 18; Doctrine and Covenants 59:18–20). To the Lord, all things are spiritual, even His temporal laws (see Doctrine and Covenants 29:34). He knows both the blessings and the spiritual risks associated with seeking and obtaining money and possessions. He has revealed principles to help us manage these resources in ways that can bless and protect us as individuals and families.
Study in Preparation for Class
Select at least two of the following scripture passages, or find two of your own, and identify the principles of wise financial management they teach. Come to class prepared to discuss what you discover.
Record Your Thoughts
Write some of the wise choices you have made in providing for your temporal needs, as well as some of the ways you feel you can improve in your efforts to provide for your temporal needs.