The Gospel Vision of Welfare
The economic clouds that have long threatened the world are now fully upon us. The impact of this economic storm on our Heavenly Father’s children requires a gospel vision of welfare today more than ever before.
The gospel vision of welfare is to put our faith in Jesus Christ into action.
Provident Living
❏ joyfully living within our means and preparing for the ups and downs of life so that we can be ready for the rainy-day emergencies when they come into our lives.
❏ not coveting the things of this world.
❏ using the resources of the earth wisely and not being wasteful, even in times of plenty.
❏ avoiding excessive debt and being content with what we have.
Self-Reliance
❏ Using all of our blessings from Heavenly Father to care for ourselves and our families and to find solutions for our own problems.” Each of us has a responsibility to try to avoid problems before they happen and to learn to overcome challenges when they occur.
❏ 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.
❏ 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.
How do we become self-reliant?
We become self-reliant through obtaining sufficient knowledge, education, and literacy; by managing money and resources wisely, being spiritually strong, preparing for emergencies and eventualities; and by having physical health and social and emotional well-being.
How do we prepare for the future?
❏ Budgeting – Several Bishops were surveyed as to what self-reliance skill the sisters in the ward need most. #1 answer was budgeting. The #2 answer was cooking – basic cooking skills.
❏ Education - Preparing for the future also includes obtaining an education or vocational training and finding gainful employment. If you are currently employed, do all that you can to be a valued, essential part of the organization you work for.
❏ Maintain your Health – In order to accomplish the work we need to best meet our challenges, good health is essential.
❏ Spiritual Preparation - Just as we save our temporal resources for rainy days, keeping the commandments, praying, reading the scriptures, and relying upon the Holy Ghost prepare us for the rainy-day tests of life. By our obedience, we store up the faith we need to meet the challenges of life.
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