Elder L. Tom Perry
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"It is often part of human nature to attach less value to familiar things, simply because they are so common to us. One of these familiar things could be our membership in the restored church."
Complacency can make church members less valiant contributors to the building of a community of Saints. "I challenge the many Saints who are hiding in the corners to stand tall and proclaim loudly the treasured teachings of our common heritage, not with a spirit of boasting and pride, but with a spirit of confidence and conviction."
When released from Liberty Jail in Missouri in 1839, the Prophet Joseph Smith immediately began the work of building a community of Saints. He had three major objectives: economic, educational and spiritual.
The economic principles of the church are built on the requirements for love and work. "Work is just as important to the success of the Lord's economic plan as the commandment to love our neighbor . . . . We see evidence of many parents who over-indulge their children without adding sufficient training about the value of work."
The educational ideal of the church grew from revelations given to Joseph Smith "that emphasize the eternal nature of knowledge and the vital role learning plays in the spiritual, moral and intellectual development of mankind."
Spiritual growth "begins in the home. The most important instruction our children will ever receive will be that which parents give to them in their own home." The community of Saints is open to all who "love, appreciate and have compassion for our Father in Heaven's children."
