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 The
parable of the virgins provides a valuable lesson in personal
preparedness and self-reliance. There were five virgins who
were prepared with oil for their lamps for the coming of the
bridegroom, and there were five virgins who were unprepared
and were shut out of the wedding. Although they were desirous
to enter into the wedding, they were rejected “saying, Lord,
Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto
you, I know you not” (Matt. 25:11-12). This lesson is both
temporal and spiritual and lays the doctrinal groundwork for
self-reliance and preparedness among the faithful in Christ.
We are called to be Prepared and Self-Reliant
Marion G. Romney said, “No self-respecting Church member will
voluntarily shift the responsibility for his own maintenance
to another. Furthermore, a man not only has the responsibility
to care for himself; he also has the responsibility to care
for his family” (“The Basics of Church Welfare,” address to
the Priesthood Board, 6 Mar. 1974, 2.). This principle was
also expounded by the Apostle Paul when he said “But if any
provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own
house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel”
(1 Tim. 5:8).
Self-Reliance is a key component to provident Christian living
with its purposes being “to encourage the economic,
intellectual, physical, and spiritual preparedness of families
and members. Its effect is to help them live an abundant life
and to prevent them from becoming poor and needy or
distressed” (Lane Johnson, “A Little Bit of Planning, a Lot of
Success,” Ensign, Jun 1977, 6).
Key Areas of Self-Reliance
The key areas of self-reliance for families are outlined by
Lane Johnson of the aforementioned article: literacy and
education, career development, financial and resource
management, home production and storage, physical health, and
social-emotional and spiritual strength. These six areas
capture the essence of self-reliance and that which is
important for individuals and families to focus upon in order
to maintain optimal preparedness.
The Widely Known Practice of Mormon Self-Reliance
Since the early 1800’s the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints has been well known for preaching and living
self-reliance among its members. To build a framework of
self-reliance we will tear a page directly out of the Mormon
handbook for provident living: L. Tom Perry of the Quorum of
the Twelve Apostles, in the May 1981 edition of the Ensign,
authored an article titled “The Need to Teach Personal and
Family Preparedness” (Ensign, May 1981, 87 and Welfare
Services Resource Handbook, 1980, p. 9). Like many articles
from Church leaders before and after his, the apostle Perry
urges families and individuals to take seriously their
responsibility in temporal and spiritual preparation and
outlines in nine points the operation of the Church welfare
program of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and
how personal and family preparedness is key to its
effectiveness:
-
The Church welfare system is designed to assist the membership
in case of a large, physical disaster…to assist the ill, the
injured, the incapacitated, and to rehabilitate them to a
productive life.
-
The home must be the heart of the welfare program.
-
The foundation of the Church welfare program is personal and
family preparedness. The organizational support is in place to
train and prepare the membership in this basic responsibility.
-
Personal and family preparedness must be tailored to fit the
circumstances of each family. Consideration must be given to
their unique requirements.
-
Each family organization should include a family council
comprised of all members of the family unit.
-
The first-line support to the families in the Church
organization is priesthood home teaching and Relief Society
visiting teaching.
-
The Melchizedek Priesthood quorum leader can help the head of
the household by teaching the principles of welfare.
-
The Relief Society president gives the same kind of strength
and support to the women of the ward.
-
Supporting the bishop is a stake organization. The bishop can
request assistance from the stake president…The stake
president has a high council and a stake Relief Society
organization to furnish the training support required.
Storing a Year’s Supply of Food
When one first considers the concept of personal and family
preparedness, with the practices associated in keeping with
the doctrine, it can be quite overwhelming. The practice for
example of storing a year’s supply of food and managing all of
the affairs of a family in a disciplined way makes good sense;
however, it’s easy to get stalled in not knowing where to
start. The counsel to store a year supply of food is not new.
In 1937 J. Reuben Clark Jr. said, “Let every head of every
household see to it that he has on hand enough food and
clothing, and, where possible, fuel also, for at least a year
ahead” (Conference Report, Apr. 1937, 26).
When our family lived in Houston Texas we were able to finally
amass a year’s supply of food, including dry and canned goods
and an appropriate supply of water. We also heeded the advice
of local Church leaders and developed a 72-hour kit for our
family. Residents of Houston are constantly confronted with
Hurricanes and other such calamities and continually counseled
by local government authorities to have a supply of food and
water in case of emergencies. Each time this counsel came we
were blessed with a peace of mind and readiness that allowed
us to avoid anxiety and be ready for whatever might come. When
the 9/11 attacks in New York took place, the Federal
Government counseled Americans to have a supply of food and
72-hour kit. We again found ourselves far ahead of the
government counsel due to our heeding the advice of Church
leaders. During the meltdown of world financial institutions
in late 2008 one could hear the whisperings of officials about
the possibility of massive unemployment and food
shortages—indicating again the wisdom of being temporally
prepared.
Conclusion
The Christian doctrine, teachings, and directives regarding
personal and family preparedness and self-reliance—whether
they be food storage, finances, employment, health, or
education—are an excellent example of the practical
application of the gospel of Jesus Christ in the lives of all
who believe.
Doctrinal
Study: Church
Practices: Self-Reliance
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Sword Series™ essay on Self-Reliance |
