Principles of Temporal & Spiritual Welfare
"The welfare principles of the Church are not simply good ideas; they are revealed truths from God," said Dieter F. Uchtdorf. Revealed truths came in April of 1936 when President Heber J. Grant gathered the Church leadership. "Out of the meeting came a modern day application of eternal principles in what has come to be known as the welfare plan of the Church," President Thomas S. Monson said in the First Presidency Message in the September 1986 Ensign. During the October general conference that year, President Grant described the purpose of the welfare plan to the members of the Church saying:
“Our primary purpose was 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.”
Lesson 21 of Teachings of the Presidents of the Church - Ezra Taft Benson, "Principles of Temporal and Spiritual Welfare," reiterates the importance of independence, industry, thrift, self-respect and hard work. The lesson comes from President Benson's October 1980 General Conference talk and also from the First Presidency Message in the June 1987 Ensign. While much of the lesson addresses the temporal aspect, President Benson reminds us that temporal and spiritual need to work together. He said, "I believe in faith and works, and that the Lord will bless more fully the man who works for what he prays for than He will the man who only prays."
President Uchtdorf said, "The temporal is intertwined with the spiritual. God has given us this mortal experience and the temporal challenges that attend it as a laboratory where we can grow into the beings Heavenly Father wants us to become." Some of that growth comes as we learn humility and compassion. There will be times when we may need to temporarily rely on each other for temporal or spiritual strength. The humility comes as we ask for help. The compassion comes as we give it. That requires us to look outside of ourselves and to be more aware and involved in each other's lives.
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland's heartfelt invitation in his April 2013 talk, "Lord, I Believe" was so touching to me. He offered help, hope and encouragement when he said:
"What was once a tiny seed of belief for me has grown into the tree of life, so if your faith is a little tested in this or any season, I invite you to lean on mine. I know this work is God’s very truth, and I know that only at our peril would we allow doubt or devils to sway us from its path. Hope on. Journey on. Honestly acknowledge your questions and your concerns, but first and forever fan the flame of your faith, because all things are possible to them that believe."
Elder Holland's October 2014 LDS General Conference talk was another very tender reminder that life can be challenging and we should be aware of those around us. Putting things into an eternal perspective he asked:
“Are we not all beggars? Don’t we all cry out for help and hope and answers to prayers? Don’t we all beg for forgiveness for mistakes we have made and troubles we have caused? Don’t we all implore that grace will compensate for our weaknesses, that mercy will triumph over justice at least in our case?"
No matter how well life is going, and maybe especially when it is going well, we must never forget we are always indebted to our Father in Heaven and our Savior, Jesus Christ. They do, however, expect us to "work out our own salvation." (Philippians 2:12) As President Benson puts it, "We should not expect the Lord to do for us what we can do for ourselves.
Forgive me if I have shared this before, but with this topic I feel it is worth taking the risk of repetition. In September of 2008, I was called into the stake Young Women presidency. The president was (and is) an incredibly spiritual woman. She had recently returned from serving a mission with her husband in Nigeria. While on her mission, she received some incredible tutoring in leadership, which she incorporated in our presidency. In our first presidency meeting, she challenged us to immerse ourselves in the the Book of Mormon - daily and prayerfully. I took her challenge very seriously. Each day now began by reading the scriptures and one article from the current Ensign. I could feel such a difference in my home. Even more important, I could feel a difference in my life! I learned to love the scriptures so much! Five short months later, my daughter was killed in a car accident. Though nothing can really prepare you for something like that, I know without a doubt that those many hours of sincere studying prepared me spiritually. Seven years and many interesting twists in life later, my early morning scripture study continues to sustain and strengthen me.
We will all experience storms in our lives. They are inevitable. They may be spiritual. They may be temporal. Or maybe both. We would be wise to make an honest assessment of both. Since we never know when those storms will hit, we should start preparing now if we haven't already or, if we have, prepare even more. President Benson said, "One can wait too long before he attempts to get his spiritual and temporal house in order. Are we prepared?"
And in case any of us feel we are prepared enough, I think Elder Kim C. Clark's counsel from his October 2015 LDS General Conference talk will clarify that thinking. He said:
"Whatever level of spirituality or faith or obedience we now have, it will not be sufficient for the work that lies ahead. We need greater spiritual light and power. We need eyes to see more clearly the Savior working in our lives and ears to hear His voice more deeply in our hearts."
Additional resources:
Education for a Better Life - Elder Joseph W. Sitati video
"Providing in the Lord's Way" - Dieter F. Uchtdorf October 2011
