The next lesson in Relief society in my ward (After Fast Sunday) is to be Chapter 21 from the manual/book "Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Ezra Taft Benson".
For gospel study today I decided to read and study it.
Tip: If you don't know what to study for your daily gospel study, a great place to start is by preparing for Sunday by studying the lessons ahead of time. Technically we should be doing that every week, but it seems few do. I know that I have a hard time remembering. Here are some resources for this year (2015) Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Ezra Taft Benson ~ This one is for Relief Society and Elders Quorum. Also there is the New Testament Class Member Study Guide ~ for gospel doctrine. You might have to contact a leader in your ward to know which chapter your ward is studying for the week.
With every chapter of this book I become more and more impressed with Ezra Taft Benson. He really accomplished a lot in his life and was a good, hardworking, insightful, and humble man. He was in a stake presidency during the depression when the Church introduced a new welfare plan called the Church Security Plan. It was created "to help people to help themselves"
Ezra Taft Benson quoted Heber J. Grant in a talk about the church's Welfare program. He explained the purpose of the program, that being "to set up, insofar as it might be possible, a system under which the curse of idleness would be done away with, the evils of a dole abolished, and independence, industry, thrift, and self-respect be once more established amongst our people. The aim of the Church is to help the people to help themselves. Work is to be re-enthroned as the ruling principle of the lives of our church membership."
I love this philosophy. It is just like the ancient Chinese proverb 484 "If you give a man a fish you feed him for a day, if you teach a man to fish you feed him for a lifetime."
Think about how this changes when you are dealing not with just a man, but him and his wife and his children. This type of teaching does not just change a lifetime, but generations. If a father and mother learn righteous principles of hard work and personal financial responsibility, they pass it on to their children, and so on. This promotes strength and productivity. It creates progress and most importantly, sustainability. A program of handouts for the poor can not be sustained, it can not grow. It only leads to millions hungry searching for hands to feed them, when all hands are empty.
"The strength of the Church welfare program lies in every family following the inspired direction of the Church leaders to be self-sustaining through adequate preparation. God intends for his saints to so prepare themselves that the church as the lord has said may stand independent above all other creatures beneath the celestial world." Ezra Taft Benson
I know there are some who would like to believe that heaven is a big comfy chair in a mansion in the clouds where one can rest all day while being fed grapes without having to lift a finger. I don't want to believe that. I find truer joy in working, in creating, in accomplishing, in pondering and understanding. Joy is not found in idleness. We must work to do good, then we receive it.
D&C 6:33 "Fear not to do good, my sons, for whatsoever ye sow, that shall ye also reap, therefore, if ye sow good, ye shall also reap good for your reward."
What does this mean for you?
I am 25 years old. I am currently unemployed. I have to be careful with spending. I had saved up a lot while I was working so I am very fortunate to not need to ask my parents or anyone else for help. I have a phone where I pay as I go. I travel by foot or bus. I'm renting a cheap apartment with quite a few things I am not used. I grew up in a very cushy lifestyle, though I didn't know it at the time. You might be as well! I now have concrete floors, no working fridge or cupboard space. Some creepy roommates (cockroaches, millipedes, weird snail things that climb up my walls, spiders and such). I take cold showers. It's the only option. Sometimes if I shower just at the right time, the sun has heated up the water tank enough that is comes out almost room temperature. I never thought that would feel as good as it does now-a-days. Needless to say, the first few days were difficult. Now I have gotten used to it. Mostly I am just grateful for everything I have. I am especially grateful for my parents who taught me to work hard and endure challenges. They have brought me up in such a way that I am eager to get back to work. I really want to work because I don't want to be a burden to anyone else, and I am running out of money!
There are some who can not help themselves. They might be sick, old, or have mental difficulties. Loved ones work a extra hard to take care of them. But all those who are able should be wiling to work and progress. When we personally work for our possessions they have more worth to us.
Ezra Taft Benson ~ "Energetic purposeful work leads to vigorous health, praiseworthy aceivement, a clear conscience, and refreshing sleep. Work has always been a boon to man. May you have a wholesome respect, for labor whether with head, heart, or hand. May you ever enjoy the satisfaction of honest toil... You will never wish or dream yourself into heaven. You must pay the price in toil, in sacrifice, and righteous living."
Speaking of self-sufficiency, in a section of this chapter gardening is encouraged. This is something I was not expecting but fits in perfectly.
Last week my boyfriend and I went to the cinema. We watched "The Martian". It was pretty good, especially in 3D, though I didn't appreciate one particularly bloody scene....ANYWAY, The story is about an astronaut who gets left behind on mars by his team when their studies are interrupted by a huge storm. He safely makes it to a refuge they had there stocked with supplies. He quickly realizes he doesn't have enough food to survive until the next nasa trip to Mars. Luckily he is a botanist. He knows how to make things grow. He intelligently designs a green house and is able to grow potatoes. Though I have never heard of anyone growing potatoes on mars, and it's probably not a true story, it's still amazing. I wouldn't know the first thing about growing potatoes. If I were in a food crises with no grocery store, I wouldn't know what to do!
Ezra Taft Benson ~ "An almost forgotten means of economic self-reliance is the home production of food. We are too accustomed to going to stores and purchasing what we need. By producing some of our food we reduce, to a great extent, the impact of inflation on our money. More importantly, we learn how to produce our own food and involve all family members in a beneficial project..."
The chapter continues to talk about food storage and avoiding debt. I won't go into to that right now because my study time is up for the day, but you are more then welcome to read about it yourself from the book. Just scroll up and click the link titled "Chapter 21".
I just want to finish by saying that our heavenly father wants us to have joy. Like an earthly father he wants to see us succeed. Sometimes he stands back a little because he wants us to know that we can do it and he wants us to become stronger. We may not always appreciate the hardships we face, but if we do it right, our trials become the cocoons of life and transform us into something much more divine and beautiful. I know that God exists. I know that he is our father. I know that righteous work brings great joy. I know that through Christ's love and sacrifice we can be changed. It is our duty to reach out to others and helps them grow, just as others help us do the same.
Thanks for your time, enjoy your day.
With love,
Erin
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