Study the scriptures- Use resources, finances wisely

"Independence and self-reliance are critical to our spiritual and temporal growth," said Elder L. Tom Perry of the Council of the Twelve."Whenever we get into a situation which threatens our self-reliance, we will find our freedoms threatened as well," Elder Perry affirmed Sunday morning. "If we increase our dependence on anything or anyone except the Lord, we will find an immediate decrease in our freedom to act.

"Never before in my life has the doctrine of self-reliance been more needed to be preached and encouraged for the benefit of the Saints," Elder Perry explained.

Elder Perry then expounded on some of the most fundamental principles of self-reliance, including spiritual nourishment, physical nourishment, material needs and financial well-being.

"In the scriptures, the Lord reveals His will to His children," he explained. "The holy scriptures declare eternal values; they are the firm foundation on which we can build a successful mortal experience. We become more self-reliant when we study the holy scriptures, which teach the principles that provide a divine center to our lives here in mortality."

He then discussed the need for physical nourishment. "Our Welfare Services program has taught us by using the spokes of a wheel to define the essential elements in self-reliance. The elements contained in the wheel are education, physical health, employment, home storage, resource management, and social, emotional, and spiritual strength."

There are thousands of ways for families to build self-reliance by working together in productive pursuits, he said.

Elder Perry spoke of the acquisition of things of the world. "We are bombarded today with powerful media to `acquire now and pay later' in what are purported to be painless monthly installments," he explained. "The acquisition of worldly goods seems to foster an appetite for more, rather than any kind of lasting satisfaction.

"Using our resources and worldly goods wisely and extending their life will help us to become more self-reliant," he continued.

Finally, he offered advice on financial well-being. "Having a savings while continuing to increase one's standard of living requires one simple practice and then religiously applying it. After paying your tithing of 10 percent to the Lord, you pay yourself a predetermined amount directly into savings."

Elder Perry concluded: "The principle of self-reliance is spiritual as well as temporal. It is not a doomsday program; it is something to be practiced each and every day of our lives."