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Becoming Self-Reliant

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Becoming self-reliant, both temporally and spiritually, requires obedience to key principles. While there are several principles to learn, four main principles underlie God’s promises to help us become self-reliant:

1. Exercise faith in Jesus Christ

2. Be obedient

3. Act for yourself

4. Serve others

L. Whitney Clayton

“Belief and testimony and faith are not passive principles. … Belief is something we choose—we hope for it, we work for it, and we sacrifice for it. We will not accidentally come to believe in the Savior and His gospel any more than we will accidentally pray or pay tithing. We actively choose to believe, just like we choose to keep other commandments” (L. Whitney Clayton, “Choose to Believe,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2015, 38).

“And thus we see that the commandments of God must be fulfilled. And if it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God he doth nourish them, and strengthen them, and provide means whereby they can accomplish the thing which he has commanded them; wherefore, he did provide means for us while we did sojourn in the wilderness” (1 Nephi 17:3).

Robert D. Hales

“The Lord expects us to help solve our own problems. … We are thinking, reasoning human beings. We have the ability to identify our needs, to plan, to set goals, and to solve our problems” (Robert D. Hales, “Every Good Gift,” New Era, Aug. 1983, 8–9).

Jeffrey R. Holland

“Rich or poor, we are to ‘do what we can’ when others are in need” (Jeffrey R. Holland, “Are We Not All Beggars?” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2014, 41).

Discuss

• How can you continue to have faith when there is no apparent help from God?

• What is the relationship between faith in Jesus Christ and obedience?

• Why does the Lord want us to work to solve our problems? How have you been blessed by acting for yourself to solve difficult problems?

• What did Amulek teach the Zoramite disciples about service? (see Alma 34:28). How can serving others strengthen your faith in Jesus Christ?

Activities

• Make a list of examples you observed on your mission of the importance of taking initiative to solve problems.

• Read the account in 1 Nephi 16:21–32 of how the Lord helped Nephi obtain food in the wilderness. What does this passage teach about the four key principles of self-reliance?

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Invitations

• Consider a problem you are trying to solve in your life. Write in your study journal the questions you have about how to solve the problem. Think about how you helped others on your mission to solve their own problems, and list resources God has provided that helped them and that will help you. Then use these resources to answer at least one of your questions.

• Choose one of the four principles of self-reliance to work on this week, and determine how you will apply that principle more in your life.

Additional Resources

My Foundation (booklet, 2016), ChurchofJesusChrist.org/self-reliance.