Building Self-Reliance: Lesson 180

Providing for Ourselves and Caring for Those in Need

Helping Others as the Savior Would

Can you think of someone you know who is a good example of self-reliance? Inspired by the Lord, Joseph of Egypt was a great example of someone who, like the Savior, demonstrated self-reliance and helped others in need. This lesson can help students identify ways that building self-reliance enables them to help others as Jesus Christ would.

Student preparation: Invite students to listen to or read the words of the hymn “A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief” (Hymns, no. 29). Students can look for ways we can care for others as Jesus would.

Possible Learning Activities

Spiritual oxygen masks

Consider beginning class by helping students discuss how providing for our own needs will enable us to better help others. One way you could do this is to display the image of airplane oxygen masks, included in this lesson, and the following statement.

Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:

A few weeks ago I boarded a plane for South America. The flight attendant directed our attention to a safety video. “It is unlikely,” we were warned, “but if cabin pressure changes, the panels above your seat will open, revealing oxygen masks. If this happens, reach up and pull a mask toward you. Place the mask over your nose and mouth. Slip the elastic strap over your head and adjust the mask if necessary.” Then this caution: “Be sure to adjust your own mask before helping others.” (“Joseph Smith,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2014, 30)

• Why would it be important to put on your own oxygen mask first before helping others?

• What are some ways this could apply to our spiritual and temporal efforts to follow Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ?

One way this could apply is in our efforts to build self-reliance so we can help others.

It may be helpful to remind students that Church leaders have counseled us to strengthen our “own self-reliance through diligent work and with the help of the Lord. Self-reliance is the ability … to provide the spiritual and temporal necessities of life for self and family” (General Handbook: Serving in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 22.0, Gospel Library).

Joseph of Egypt

Students may have studied the story of Joseph of Egypt in Lesson 35: “Genesis 42–45” or in Lesson 178: “Exercising Faith in Jesus Christ to Build Self-Reliance.” The following paragraph could be used to help remind students of the storyline. Alternatively, you could invite a student to recount the story of Joseph of Egypt found in Genesis 42–45.

Joseph of Egypt is an example of someone who demonstrated self-reliance and, as a result, was prepared by the Lord to help others. During a period of famine, Joseph’s older brothers traveled to Egypt to seek grain. Egypt had much grain stored away because God inspired Joseph to prepare for the famine in advance. When Joseph’s brothers arrived, seeking physical assistance, Joseph revealed himself as their brother.

Read Genesis 45:4–11; 47:11–12, looking for how Joseph blessed his family.

• What connections do you see between this story and the example of the oxygen mask?

• What in Joseph’s account reminds you of the Savior?

Help students identify a truth like such as this one: As we become self-reliant through God’s help, we become better able to help others. To help students see additional examples of this truth, you could organize the class into two groups and assign each group one of the following scripture references.

Read the following scripture references, looking for examples of how the Savior and Jacob taught this truth.

Luke 22:31–32

Jacob 2:17–19

• What examples of this truth do you see in these verses?

The following self-assessment may help students connect their efforts to build self-reliance and help others with their personal circumstances.

Although Joseph had experienced difficulties in Egypt, the Lord had prepared him to bless others as a result (see Genesis 45:5–8). Similarly, the Lord can prepare you to bless and help others as a result of your experiences. As you think of your life, ponder the following questions:

• What are you experiencing now that is helping you to be more self-reliant in different areas of your life? (These could be spiritual, financial, intellectual, physical, or emotional areas.)

• How could the Lord use these experiences to help you bless others in the future?

As you continue studying today, pay attention to promptings from the Holy Ghost that can help you become more self-reliant to help others as the Savior would.

Building self-reliance

The following activity can help students recognize how their efforts to build self-reliance can help others. Consider organizing students into five groups and assigning each group an area of self-reliance. In smaller classes, you could assign students each one of the areas.

Display an image such as the following on the board and share the instructions below, one at a time.

1. On a page in your study journal, draw two oxygen masks.

2. Label the top of your first oxygen mask with one of the following areas of self-reliance:

   - Gospel knowledge

   - Financial needs

   - Education and employment

   - Physical needs

   - Emotional and social needs

3. Think of things a teenager could be doing to build self-reliance in the area you selected. Write these things in the first oxygen mask.

   For example, students may mention things like studying the scriptures on my own (gospel knowledge), studying for my math test (education), or following an exercise plan (physical).

4. Label the second oxygen mask “Helping Others.” Select two or three of the ideas written in the first oxygen mask. For each idea you select, write a specific way a teenager could use that experience to help others build self-reliance. Write these specifics in the second oxygen mask.

   Students might write things such as using my scripture study experience to help my younger sibling learn how to study the scriptures (spiritual), teaching math concepts to my peers in class (education), or inviting my friends to exercise with me (physical).

   After students have had enough time to complete the exercise, invite them to share what they have written on their oxygen masks. They could do this by sharing what they learned with students who focused on different areas of self-reliance. As part of the sharing, you could invite a student to read Proverbs 28:27, looking for the promise for those who give to others. (Note: the word poor could apply to all areas of self-reliance, not just financial.)

   • In what ways have your efforts to become self-reliant helped others? How did that help you feel closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ?

As students share, help them recognize that they don’t need to be perfectly self-reliant in any area to help someone else.

Helping others as the Savior would

The following activity is intended to give students time to think about how their efforts to build self-reliance can enable them to help others.

Write the following incomplete statements in your study journal:

• I am building self-reliance by …

• A few ways I could help others in this area are …

Seek the help of the Holy Ghost to complete both statements.

Invite students to prayerfully consider what they might do. This could include identifying someone specific they want to help and how they might help.

Consider inviting students to share what they wrote down. As a follow-up question, you could ask students the following:

• How can caring for others help you to become more like the Savior?

Conclude the lesson by sharing your testimony on how building self-reliance has enabled you to help others. Invite students to act on the promptings they may have received to help others as Jesus Christ would.

Additional Resources

How do I help those that need spiritual self-reliance?

President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency taught:

In your love for them you may decide to try to give them what they ask. You may be tempted to go with them through their doubts, with the hope that you can find proof or reasoning to dispel their doubts. Persons with doubts often want to talk about what they think are the facts or the arguments that have caused their doubts, and about how much it hurts. …

You and I can do better if we do not stay long with what [they] see as the source of their doubts. … Their problem does not lie in what they think they see; it lies in what they cannot yet see. … We do best if we turn the conversation soon to the things of the heart, those changes of the heart that open spiritual eyes. (“‘And Thus We See’: Helping a Student in a Moment of Doubt,” [address to Church Educational System religious educators, Feb. 5, 1993], 3, 4)

Why should I be self-reliant?

Elder Robert D. Hales (1932–2017) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:

Only when we are self-reliant can we truly emulate the Savior in serving and blessing others. (“A Gospel Vision of Welfare: Faith in Action,” in Basic Principles of Welfare and Self-Reliance [booklet, 2009], 2)

The purpose of both temporal and spiritual self-reliance is to get ourselves on higher ground so that we can lift others in need. (“Coming to Ourselves: The Sacrament, the Temple, and Sacrifice in Service,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2012, 36)

Elder L. Tom Perry (1922–2015) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained:

The Lord does help when we go to Him in times of need, especially when we are committed to His work and respond to His will. But the Lord only helps those who are willing to help themselves. He expects His children to be self-reliant to the degree they can be. (“Becoming Self-Reliant,” Ensign or Liahona, November 1991, 64)

Supplemental Learning Activities

Amulek cares for Alma

To see an example of helping others from the scriptures, you could show the video “Amulek Receives Alma into His Home” (2:34). Ask students to look for how Amulek’s self-reliance led him to help Alma as the Savior would.

After the video, consider reading Alma 15:18, looking for how Alma was later able to help Amulek.

Seeking the Lord’s help

The following idea could be used in the last section of the lesson as students come up with an idea of how they can help others. Explain that King Solomon felt inadequate in his responsibilities as king. Invite students to read 1 Kings 3:9–14 looking for what Solomon did to seek the Lord’s help. You could then ask students to share other ideas they have about what we can do to seek the Lord’s guidance in our efforts to help others.

Being prepared temporally

To help students identify ways they could build temporal self-reliance, you could show the video “We Will Prove Them Herewith” from time code 4:36 to 6:40. After the video, you could ask students how being temporally prepared for the future could give them opportunities to minister to others as the Savior would.

A modern-day example

Before students think of a way in the last section of the lesson that they can help others, consider watching “Teaching Self-Reliance to Children and Youth” from time code 0:26 to 2:06. Elder Hugo E. Martinez of the Seventy shares how Wilfried Vanie’s desire to be self-reliant is blessing his family now and in the future.