Faith - Family - Relief
Each month, the Church News publishes a message to complement the Relief Society visiting teaching message found in the Ensign magazine. The article on this page is based on the June 2011 message.
"Strengthening Families through Temporal Self-Reliance"
Every sister in the Church has the responsibility to develop the skills and principles of self-reliance as they learn to care for themselves and their families. As they become self-reliant, they are able to avoid problems before they happen and learn to overcome challenges when they occur. They are able to help others in need.
In this month's visiting teaching message, sisters are encouraged to learn about the principles of self-reliance. In the message, two questions were given to help sisters know, "What can I do?"
1. How can I help my sisters and their families improve in temporal self-reliance?
2. How can I improve my own temporal self-reliance?
Sister Julie B. Beck, Relief Society general president counseled Church members during the general auxiliary training meeting in 2009: "How do we become self-reliant? We become self-reliant through obtaining sufficient knowledge,education,and literacy,being spiritually strong, preparing for emergencies and eventualities;and by having physical health and social and emotional well-being."
"So what skills do we need to help us become self-reliant? In the early days of the Church Brigham Young pled with the sisters to learn to prevent illness in families, establish home industries and learn accounting and bookkeeping and other practical skills. Those principles still apply today. Education continues to be vitally important. Each of us is a teacher and a learner, and literacy, technical and reasoning skills are a daily requirement. There is also a great need for better communication skills in marriages and families, and good parenting skills have never been more important. We also see an increase in debt and consumerism in the world.
Several bishops within the Church were asked what self-reliance skills the sisters in their wards needed most, and they said budgeting. Women need to understand the implications of buying on credit and not living within a budget. The second skill bishops listed was cooking. Meals prepared and eaten at home generally cost less, are healthier and contribute to stronger family relationships...
President Monson in April 2004 general conference said," The family is the ideal place for teaching. It is also the laboratory for learning. Family Home Evening can bring spiritual growth to each member. The home is the basis of righteous life, and no other instrumentality can take its place or fulfill its essential functions. Such truth has been taught by many presidents of the Church. It is within the home where fathers and mothers can teach provident living to their children. Sharing of tasks and helping one another set a pattern for future families as children grow, marry and leave home. The lessons learned in the home are those that last the longest.President Gordon B. Hinckley has continually stressed the avoidance of unnecessary debt, the fallacy of living beyond one's means and the temptation to let our wants become our necessities."
President Henry B Eyring in April 2011 general conference stated,"All people are happier and feel more self-respect when they can provide for themselves and their family and then reach out to take care of others."
In closing, may we be reminded what Sister Beck also stated, " Providing for ourselves and others is evidence that we are disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ."
In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
