We are here to work our way through life, earning our daily bread and giving our excess to help those in need. It is our obligation to progress ourselves by developing the skills we need to provide for our families.
In our efforts to be self-reliant, it makes sense to get the help we need from friends in our self-reliance groups, from our personal network, and especially from our Heavenly Father. When we have faith in Jesus Christ, we are not weighed down with personal doubt. When we believe in His Atonement, we believe He will quicken our minds through the Holy Ghost so that we can learn the things that are necessary for us to improve ourselves.
With faith in Jesus Christ as our anchor, our plan to become self-reliant becomes a little easier and a little clearer. We learn much more when the Holy Ghost is our constant companion, as promised in Doctrine and Covenants 121:46.
Building faith in Jesus Christ is also work. The following are some empowering principles outlined by Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles that you should refer to often as you build your faith:
Let these five principles guide you as you build your faith. Apply them to your daily goals and struggles. Take the Lord at His word and see if He will not bless you:
Having faith does not excuse us from doing work. When Wilford Woodruff and others were serving missions in England, Elder Woodruff received a clear impression that he should travel south. Immediately he left for the farming country in the southwest of England, where he met a congregation of more than 600 people who called themselves the United Brethren. They had been praying for the truth, and many were baptized. Elder Woodruff had faith in Jesus Christ. He acted on the promptings he received, and he worked hard where the Spirit led him (see William R. Walker, “Live True to the Faith,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2014, 97–98).
We may or may not be called to travel across the country on faith alone, but our lives will improve if we incorporate faith into our daily labors, call on the Lord for direction, and exercise patience in our labors as He leads and teaches us. His plan is for us to be happy and productive—sometimes in ways that we have not discovered yet.
The way to discover our best path is to let the Lord guide us. As Elder Neal A. Maxwell taught,
Hardworking people everywhere will be lifted up as their faith in Jesus Christ increases. As an old adage says, “Work hard, pray harder, and accept what comes as a gift.”
President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency stated:
