Self-reliance

1.         “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.”   (L. Tom Perry “Becoming Self-Reliant” Ensign,  October 1991)

2.        “Independence and self-reliance are critical to our spiritual and temporal growth.  Whenever we get into situations such threaten our self-reliance, we  will find our freedoms threatened as well.”   (L Tom Perry “Becoming Self-Reliant” Ensign, October 1991  )

3.       “I have learned that the way to have a surplus is to spend less than I earn.  With that surplus I have been able to learn that it is really is better to give than to receive.  That is partly because when we give help in the Lord’s way, He blesses us.” (President Henry B. Eyring “Opportunities to Do Good” Ensign, May 2011)

4.       “Some people who lived through the Great Depression and the period following, when the government best owed gratuities upon the people, developed a feeling that the world owed them a living. In that climate, the First Presidency said in 1936: “The aim ofthe 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.” (In Conference Report, Oct. 1936, p. 3.)” (Elder M. Russell Ballard “Providing For Our Needs” lds.org conference April 1981)

5.       “The love for work needs to be re-enthroned in our lives. Every family should have a plan for work that touches the lives of each family member so that this eternal principle will be ingrained in their lives.” (Elder M. Russell Ballard “Providing For Our Needs” lds.org conference April 1981)

6.       “Be prudent, wise, and conservative in your investment programs. It is by consistently and regularly adding to your investments that you will build your emergency and retirement savings.  This will add to your progress in becoming self-reliant.” (L. Tom Perry  “Becoming Self-Reliant” lds.org conference October 1991)

7.       “The principle of self- reliance is spiritual as well as temporal.  It is not a doomsday program; it is something to be practiced each day of our lives.”  (L. Tom Perry  “Becoming Self-Reliant” lds.org conference October 1991)

8.       “Some debt—such as for a modest home, expenses for education, perhaps for a needed first car—may be necessary. But never should we enter into financial bondage through consumer debt without carefully weighing the costs.”  (Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin “Earthly Debts, Heavenly Debts” lds.org conference April 2004)

9.       “We fear many parents in the Church are making “gullible gulls” out of their children with their permissiveness and their doling out of family resources. Parents who place their children on the dole are just as guilty as a government which places its citizens on the dole. In fact, the actions of parents in this area can be more devastating than any government program.”  (Marion G. Romney “The Celestial Nature of Self-Reliance” lds.org conference October 1982)

10.   “Self-reliance is not the end, but a means to an end. It is very possible for a person to be completely independent and lack every other desirable attribute. One may become wealthy and never have to ask anyone for anything, but unless there is some spiritual goal attached to this independence, it can canker his soul.” (Marion G. Romney “The Celestial Nature of Self-Reliance” lds.org conference October 1982)

Scripture Study

1.       “The scriptures enlarge our memory by helping us always to remember the Lord and our relationship to Him and the Father.  They remind us of what we knew in our premortal life.”  The Blessing of Scripture (Elder D. Todd Christofferson  “The Blessing of Scripture” Ensign, May 2010)

2.       “The scriptures also enlarge our memory by helping us not forget what we and earlier generations have learned.  Those who either don’t have or ignore the recorded word of God eventually cease to believe in Him and forget the purpose of their existence.”  (Elder D. Todd Christofferson  “The Blessing of Scripture” Ensign, May 2010)

3.       “Regular reading of and talking about the Book of Mormon invite the power to resist temptation and to produce feelings of love within our families.”  (Elder David A. Bednar “Watching with All Perseverance” Ensign, May 2010 pp)

4.       “Youth of all ages, even infants, can and do respond to the distinctive spirit of the Book of Mormon.  Children may not understand all of the words and stories, but they certainly can feel the “familiar spirit” described by Isaiah” (Elder David A. Bednar “Watching with All Perseverance” Ensign, May 2010 pp)

5.       “The effect of the Book of Mormon on your character, power, and courage to be a witness for God is certain.  The doctrine and the valiant examples in that book will lift, guide, and embolden you.”  (President Henry B. Eyring “A Witness” Ensign, November 2011)

6.       “Parents who struggle to get a witness of the Savior into the heart of a child will be helped as they seek for a way to bring the words and the spirit of the Book of Mormon into the home and all the lives in their family.” (President Henry B. Eyring “A Witness” Ensign, November 2011)

7.       “Who could have imagined not very many years ago that the full standard works and years of general conference messages would fit into your pocket?  Just having them in your pocket will not protect you, but studying, pondering, and listening to them during quiet moments of each day will enhance communication through the Spirit.” (Elder Richard G. Scott “For Peace at Home Ensign, May 2013 pp 29-31)

8.       “Crash courses on scripture study are not nearly soeffective as the day-to-day reading and application ofthe scriptures in our lives.” (President Thomas S. Monson “A Time to Choose” lds.org conference April 1995)

9.       “Become acquainted with the lessons the scriptures teach.  Learn the background and setting of the Master’s parables and the prophets’ admonitions.  Study them as though each were speaking to you, for such is the truth.” (President Thomas S. Monson “A Time to Choose” lds.org conference April 1995)

10.   “Don’t yield to Satan’s lie that you don’t have time to study the scriptures.  Choose to take time to study them.  Feasting on the word of God each day is more important than sleep, school, work, television shows, video games, or social media.  You may need to organize your priorities to provide time for the study of the word of God.  If so, do it!” ( Richard G. Scott “Make the Exercise of Faith Your First Priority” lds.org conference October 2014)

Personal Finances

1.        “We might want and expect a larger paycheck, but the blessing that comes to us through heavenly windows may be greater capacity to change our own circumstances rather than expecting our circumstances to be changed by someone or something else.”  (Elder David A. Bednar “The Windows of Heaven” Ensign, November 2013)

2.       “A subtle but significant blessing we receive is the spiritual gift of gratitude that enables our appreciation for what we have to constrain desires for what we want.  A grateful person is rich in contentment.  An ungrateful person suffers in the poverty of endless discontentment.”  (Elder David A. Bednar “The Windows of Heaven” Ensign, November 2013)

3.       “President Thomas S. Monson said: ‘If you are concerned about providing financially for a wife and family, may I assure you that there is no shame in a couple having to scrimp and save.  It is generally during these challenging times that you will grow close together as you learn to sacrifice and to make difficult decisions’.” (Elder Neil L. Andersen “Children” Ensign, November 2011)

4.       “If we make choices that put us deeply in debt, we will lose our agency to meet our wants and needs or to save for that inevitable rainy day.” ( Robert D. Hales “To Act for Ourselves: The Gift and Blessings of Agency”  lds.org conference April 2006)

5.       “As we obey the counsel to avoid and get out of debt now, we use our agency and obtain the liberty to use our disposable income for helping and blessing others.”  (Elder Robert D. Hales “Agency: Essential to the Plan of Life” Ensign, November 2010 pp 24-26)

6.       “Remember this: debt is a form of bondage. It is a financial termite. When we make purchases on credit, they give us only an illusion of prosperity. We think we own things, but the reality is, our things own us.”  

(Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin “Earthly Debts, Heavenly Debts” lds.org conference April 2004)

7.       “Through wise budgeting, control your real needs and measure them carefully against your many wants in life. Far too many individuals and families have incurred too much debt. Be careful of the many attractive offers to borrow money. It is much easier to borrow money than it is to pay it back. There are no shortcuts to financial security. There are no get-rich-quick schemes that work. Perhaps none need the principle of balance in their lives more than those who are driven toward accumulating “things” in this world.”  (M. Russell Ballard “Keeping Life’s Demands In Balance” lds.org conference April 1987)

8.       “When faced with the choice to buy, consume, or engage in worldly things and activities, we all need to learn to say to one another, “We can’t afford it, even though we want it!” or “We can afford it, but we don’t need it—and we really don’t even want it!” (Robert D. Hales “Becoming Provident Providers” lds.org conference April 2009)

9.       “There is an equally important principle underlying these lessons: we can learn much from communicating withour husbands and wives. As we counsel and work together in family councils, we can help each other become provident providers and teach our children to live providently as well.” (Robert D. Hales “Becoming Provident Providers” lds.org conference April 2009)

10.   “Your grandfather always told us children that if we would faithfully pay an honest tithing, the Lord would bless us and it would be the best investment that we could ever make.” (Elder Sheldon F. Child “The Best Investment” lds.org conference April 2008)