Hi all,

  I know I just recently released a paper I worked on and still have some good comments to answer on the last one but I decided to focus my attentions on this paper that I am putting up.  It will answer things like relationships with inlaws, with priesthood leaders, proper forms of service and charity, debt, and pretty much everything I could find relating to self-reliance.  It has a main essay going over all the points I have preached a lot of my life but I backed them all up with QUOTES from the ensign, general authorities, and the scriptures.  So those who thought I was a quack when I would tell them about self reliance don't believe in their church leaders or what the church teaches.  HA!  (Hint - I have argued with many people about self reliance, what it is and how they need to develop it).  Now that I'm done sounding cocky and arrogant I will sound more myself.  I am not saying I'm perfectly self reliant as we all have room to grow (another point of the talk).  I am saying, however, the principles I have taught/preached for so long are now backed with quotes from the Ensign and other church sources.  So hope y'all enjoy it and if you want a hard copy of it I can email it to you so that it is in it's original form (which is so much better to read and understand).

-Brian Carver

Brian Carver

Wednesday, September 06, 2006

The Need of True Self Reliance in Our Lives

            Self reliance is defined as reliance on one’s own efforts and abilities (Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary).  In the gospel, self reliance extends not only to physical needs but also to emotional and spiritual needs as well.[1]  In fact, self reliance is considered one of the six highest doctrines for a priesthood society.2  Not only do you need to have self-reliance in your life but you need to have the proper form of self reliance.3  I will illustrate the need of self reliance through some stories.

            A lot of times people will think they are helping people when they may actually be hurting them.  There is a story about sea gulls that became dependent on the shrimp scraps of boaters thereby causing the sea gulls to never learn to hunt for themselves.4  I’m sure the boaters didn’t think they were doing harm by giving leftovers to the animals.  However, the animals learned to not work for their food and instead become dependent for the rest of their lives on the shrimp scraps.  So if the shrimp scraps stopped coming what would they do?  Hopefully figure out how to fish or they would die.

            The next examples are religious based in the Church of Jesus Christ and I will only briefly mention them as the endnotes give more detail.  One example was when Oliver Cowdery was given the opportunity to translate the Book of Mormon.5  While translating he was scolded for always asking God what the words translated to without trying to think/figure it out first and then asking.  Another example was when Nephi was told to build a boat and how to build it.6  Nephi, however, had not been given the knowledge on how to make the tools he needed to build the boat.  The next question Nephi ended up asking was not how to get the tools but rather how to get ore to make the tools.  So Nephi took the initiative to do what he could and didn’t expect the lord to tell him everything to do.  The last example I will mention is about the prophet Joseph Smith.  If Joseph hadn’t thought for himself and tried to figure out which religion was right, he wouldn’t have prayed about which religion was right.  If he had not studied beforehand and prayed about which religion to join, he would not have had God and Jesus Christ appear to him.  Instead of all this he would have joined the religion of his parents and may not have had a restoration of the fullness of the gospel in our day.

            The four stories just given help show why self reliance is important.  Self reliance is needed to be able to develop in life.7  It is a major reason why we are here, because we are given agency down here.  This agency allows us to choose who we want to be.  If we are reliant on others, we are limiting our agency, our freedom, and our ability to serve others.8  By not helping others develop self-reliance, like allowing them to serve us, we are limiting their agency and freedom too.9  That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t help those in need but need to help them in the correct manner.10  This includes priesthood leaders, who need to be careful not to make people dependent on them (which means we shouldn’t be dependent on them either).11

Issues arise when we try to figure out when it is ok to allow dependencies to form in our life.  One issue is whether to allow the dependency of debt to be part of our lives or not.  The best guide to judge this is to ask yourself what you are going into debt for.12  If going into debt is for needs in life then it is probably ok, but if it is for wants in life then it probably isn’t ok.  We should be able to learn to budget and be able to decipher between what are needs and extravagant wants.13  Budgeting, however, is not learning to shift responsibility on others or exploits others situations.14  Another issue is whether or not we should ever accept help from others.  It is taught that we should accept help from others and that there are legitimate circumstances in our lives when we should accept help.  Some legitimate reasons to be dependent on others are when you are incapacitated, aged, sickly, or poor for legitimate reasons.15

Now the order of reliance should be in this order in life: 1) Self 2) Family 3) Church.16  One question may arise as what to do with extended family.  Should we go to them for help or given them help when they come to us?  Well, I think it is best stated as that we are basically obligated to help our family (within reason) but have the opportunity to help out extended family.17  It is basically a little higher than helping out people in general in society but is not on the same level as yourself and your family.

Now people may say that you need to rely on the spirit always in your life and let God guide you through everything.  This way of thinking is incorrect for it would destroy the very principle of agency.18  Now that does not mean we do everything on our own without asking for advice in some things.  Basically it is a fine balance between asking God what we should do, doing what we think is right, and seeing if God is good with it.  We do have the Holy Ghost to guide us but we also have our own mind and conscience to guide us as well.19  We are here to learn and grow and be able to figure out what is right and wrong and what we should do in situations.20

            So when we have problems in life, we should first see what we can do to help our situations, then go and see what our family can do to help our situation, and then go and ask the church for help.21  By realizing and developing the idea that the most helpful hand in our situation is ourselves, we can learn to be an agent unto ourselves and develop better spiritually.22  Now we shouldn’t rely only on ourselves.  If that were true we wouldn’t have prayer.  And we shouldn’t only rely on God.  We should be willing to accept constructive criticism from others, whether from God or other people.  We always have room to grow and improve and exercise great wisdom when we realize this and accept tips from others.23  However, as always, we need to be careful not to be dependent on the advice of others.24  It has even been said that God is not willing to help us unless we are willing to help ourselves, and that the loss of self-reliance is one of the greatest destroyers of individuality in our lives.25

            So with everything said I will just give a brief history on welfare services.  Welfare services are intended for the purpose to allow people to become self reliant.26  The need for self reliance is as it says, so that people can develop spiritually.27  Welfare was not intended to be used by people with poor management skills or those who didn’t use their money wisely.28  It was intended for major natural disasters and other disabilities that suddenly strike a person.  Also, it is not mean of a bishop to tell a person to try to rely first on their family for support.29  It goes with what I have written earlier about the proper order to go for help in our situations.  Welfare was not intended for people to be dependent on the rest of their lives.  It was intended to try to help people become self reliant and be able to teach them the principles of self reliance.  A more modern change in the welfare system is preparing members in more preventative methods in life so that they have self reliance in their lives.30

            I will now briefly mention some things that come be done to attain self reliance.  Here are ten points that you need to cultivate/gain to help you attain self reliance: study, faith, education, health, employment, home storage, resource management, social strength, emotional strength, and spiritual strength.31  If that is not enough to help you determine how self-reliant you are or what you need to do, you can ask yourself questions about self-reliance, like how well you have developed the ten points stated above.32

Now we know that self reliance is an important principle and truth of the gospel.  We need to learn to develop independence so that we can support ourselves, our family, and the church.  We need to learn to be self reliant and realize that we do not need to depend on other’s opinions for how we should be.  We need to learn to rely on ourselves and try to do things right.  God is there to help us out but he is not there to tell us everything we need to do in our lives.  We have agency and need to use it in this life. 

NOTES

[1]           The lord’s way of being self reliant is described in these words (notice that it talks about us working physically, mentally, and spiritually to attain self reliance):

“Becoming self-reliant in the Lord’s way requires that we work physically, mentally, and spiritually in order to provide as best we can for ourselves and others. With work, we can become self-reliant in the following areas: education, health, employment, home storage, resource management, and spiritual, emotional, and social strength” (Lindsey 1997).

2           I had a hard time describing this quote to show that the doctrine of self reliance is important since a lot of people feel doctrines are more important if they are related to the priesthood.

“Among the doctrines that give rise to this highest order of priesthood society are love, service, work, self-reliance, consecration, and stewardship” (McMullin 2002).

3           Just because you have self reliance does not mean you are a good person or good attributes.  You need to have the proper self reliance, which includes spiritual goals as described in these words:

“Now, I wish speak of a very important truth: 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” (Romney 1982 and 1984).

4           This example was quoted in the Ensign article by Marion G. Romney which has been printed twice in the Ensign.  This example shows a good example of just giving things to people without teaching them can be problematic and lead to dependency.  This story was originally in the Reader’s Digest and reads as follows:

“In our friendly neighbor city of St. Augustine [Florida] great flocks of sea gulls are starving amid plenty. Fishing is still good, but the gulls don’t know how to fish. For generations they have depended on the shrimp fleet to toss them scraps from the nets. Now the fleet has moved. . . .

The shrimpers had created a Welfare State for the . . . sea gulls. The big birds never bothered to learn how to fish for themselves and they never taught their children to fish. Instead they led their little ones to the shrimp nets.

Now the sea gulls, the fine free birds that almost symbolize liberty itself, are starving to death because they gave in to the ‘something for nothing’ lure! They sacrificed their independence for a hand-out.

A lot of people are like that, too. They see nothing wrong in picking delectable scraps from the tax nets of the U.S. Government’s ‘shrimp fleet.’ But what will happen when the Government runs out of goods? What about our children of generations to come?

Let’s not be gullible gulls. We . . . must preserve our talents of self-sufficiency, our genius for creating things for ourselves, our sense of thrift and our true love of independence” (“Fable of the Gullible Gull,” Reader’s Digest, Oct. 1950, p. 32.) (quoted by Romney 1982 & 1984).

5           This is a good example of not always just asking God what we should do in our life.  This shows the fact that we must also try to think things through before we ask god something.  It is stated in these words:

“If we are not careful, we can lose the power of individual revelation. What the Lord said to Oliver Cowdery has meaning for all of us.

‘Behold, you have not understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me.

But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.

But if it be not right you shall have no such feelings, but you shall have a stupor of thought that shall cause you to forget the thing which is wrong’ (D&C 9:7–9.)” (Packer 1978).

6              This example of Nephi is used to show the fact again that we shouldn’t ask God everything we should do.  If God tells us to do something, we should always be well how will I do this, how will I do that.  Instead we can ask instead for things we don’t know and do the things we do know how to do (like Nephi knew how to build the tools but didn’t know where the ore was).  It is explained in these words:

“Nephi obeyed the Lord; he went into the mountain and prayed. And the Lord commanded Nephi, ‘Thou shalt construct a ship, after the manner which I shall show thee, that I may carry thy people across these waters.’ (1 Ne. 17:8.)

Then Nephi asked the Lord, ‘Whither shall I go that I may find ore to molten, that I may make tools to construct the ship after the manner which thou hast shown unto me?’ (1 Ne. 17:9).

The Lord instructed Nephi where he could find ore, but then Nephi was on his own. In 1 Nephi, chapter 17, we read:

‘And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did make a bellows wherewith to blow the fire, of the skins of beasts; and after I had made a bellows, that I might have wherewith to blow the fire, I did smite two stones together that I might make fire. …

And it came to pass that I did make tools of the ore which I did molten out of the rock.’

This is one of the more interesting stories we have in the scriptures because it tells of an instance in which the Lord provided help but then stepped aside to allow one of His sons to exercise his own initiative. I have sometimes wondered what would have happened if Nephi had asked the Lord for tools instead of a place to find the ore to make the tools. I doubt the Lord would have honored Nephi’s request. You see, the Lord knew that Nephi could make the tools, and it is seldom the Lord will do something for us that we can do for ourselves” (Perry 1991).

7           The need for self-reliance as part of the gospel can be shown in two parts.  One is the need to be developed into good Christian people which is stated as follows:

            “The Latter-day Saints believe not only in the gospel of spiritual salvation, but also in the gospel of temporal salvation. We have to look after the cattle, … the gardens and the farms, … and other necessary things for the maintenance of ourselves and our families in the earth. … We do not feel that it is possible for men to be really good and faithful Christian people unless they can also be good, faithful, honest and industrious people. Therefore, we preach the gospel of industry, the gospel of economy, the gospel of sobriety” (Gospel Doctrine, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1939, p. 208; emphasis added.) (Joseph Fielding Smith as quoted by Romney 1981).

            This need for self reliance in reliance is bluntly stated later as follows:

            “The self-reliance we speak of in the Church, then, grows out of eternal truths connected with the doctrines of intelligence and agency. Consequently, self-reliance, as taught by the prophets, becomes a fundamental truth in the gospel plan” (Romney 1981).

8           Reliance on others is described as being bad in multiple instances.  For example, if we are reliant emotional or spiritually we become weakened which is stated as follows:

            “We must not set up a network of counseling services without at the same time emphasizing the principle of emotional self-reliance and individual independence.

If we lose our emotional and spiritual independence, our self-reliance, we can be weakened quite as much, perhaps even more, than when we become dependent materially” (Packer 1978).

            Marion G. Romney also went on to explain that it is basically a direct cause relationship between freedom and self reliance.  When our self reliance decreases our freedom decreases as well.  If we aren’t self reliant, we aren’t using our agency and thereby aren’t developing spiritually.  He states this as:

            “Doctrine and Covenants 29:34–35 [D&C 29:34–35] tells us there is no such thing as a temporal commandment, that all commandments are spiritual. It also tells us that man is to be “an agent unto himself.” Man cannot be an agent unto himself if he is not self-reliant. Herein we see that independence and self-reliance are critical keys to our spiritual growth. Whenever we get into a situation which threatens our self-reliance, we will find our freedom threatened as well. If we increase our dependence, we will find an immediate decrease in our freedom to act” (Romney 1982 & 1984).

            Also, if we want to be able to serve others, which is an attribute of godhood, we need to be self-reliant.  It is described in these words:

“Can we see how critical self-reliance becomes when looked upon as the prerequisite to service, when we also know service is what godhood is all about? Without self-reliance one cannot exercise these innate desires to serve. How can we give if there is nothing there? Food for the hungry cannot come from empty shelves. Money to assist the needy cannot come from an empty purse. Support and understanding cannot come from the emotionally starved. Teaching cannot come from the unlearned. And most important of all, spiritual guidance cannot come from the spiritually weak” (Romney 1982 and 1984).

9           We all have pros and cons in different areas of self reliance.  We should develop those we are weak at and help others develop the one’s we have strengths at.  This includes allowing others to serve and help us when we are in a real need which allows them to develop their self-reliance more to.

“We are all self-reliant in some areas and dependent in others. Therefore, each of us should strive to help others in areas where we have strengths. At the same time, pride should not prevent us from graciously accepting the helping hand of another when we have a real need. To do so denies another person the opportunity to participate in a sanctifying experience” (Romney 1982 & 1984).

10          As stated earlier we need to make sure to help them develop self-reliance and not be dependent on us.  Some good guidelines to helping people in need (giving welfare services) is given in the following steps as Marvin J. Ashton stated:

            “1. Build self-respect by building self-reliance.

2. Give help and service in the Lord’s own way, which is a balance of agency and accountability.

3. Realize the proper sequence of sources of help is (1) the individual, (2) the family, and (3) the Church.

4. Be aware that to feed His sheep, one must know who and where they are.

5. Proper assisting requires love, empathy, and the restoration of dignity.

6. Finally, welfare services requires planning, obedience to basic gospel principles, and above all the willingness to serve as our prophet serves, with unconditional love” (Ashton 1981).

11          All can be guilty of making people dependent on them even whenever they are trying to help out others.  We can give out doles (a charitable distribution of food and money) with the intent to help people but make them more dependent on us.  We should be trying to help other people become independent and not be dependent on others, on bishops, or on priesthood leaders.  Basically I am also saying that sometimes church leaders even make people dependent on them without meaning too.  It was stated in these words:

“Bishops and other priesthood leaders can be guilty of making “gullible gulls” out of their ward members. Some members become financially or emotionally dependent on their bishops. A dole is a dole whatever its source. All of our Church and family actions should be directed toward making our children and members self-reliant. We can’t always control government programs, but we can control our own homes and congregations. If we will teach these principles and live them, we can do much to counter the negative effects which may exist in government programs in any country” (Romney 1982 and 1984).

12          The following will be a good explanation of debt can be both good and bad and again emphasizes that debt is a source of a lot of conflicts in families.  It is explained like this:

            “One of the most rewarding projects for the individual and the family is to avoid debt whenever it is possible. Debt in itself is neither good nor bad. It is a financial tool with the potential of being either. Debt in business may be used to increase productivity or aid in expansion. However, most individuals in debt are usually average people, but they are temporarily out of financial control. They are the victims of poor monetary habits and often have no idea of the importance of proper money management. They misuse credit, especially credit cards, and don’t live within budgets or wise operational guidelines. For many of us, credit is like a magic carpet on which we can fly to places we couldn’t ordinarily get to. We ride free at first, but forget that a little later we will have to pay for the magic carpet. Bondage-producing interest rates added to the original amount will turn out to be staggering.

Debt can cause serious family conflict. Often couples who have trouble stretching their paychecks find their marriage stretched to the breaking point” (Ashton 1981).

13          We need to learn to distinguish between needs and extravagant wants.  One way is to practice being thrifty with our money, learning to budget, and learning to go without some wants we have in life.  It is stated like this:

“The practice of thrift is not outdated. We must discipline ourselves to live within our incomes even if it means going without or making do. The wise person can distinguish between basic needs and extravagant wants. Some find budgeting extremely painful, but I promise you, it is never fatal” (Ashton 1981).

14          In life, we should never try to exploit another’s situation for our gain.  We should never want to shift responsibility in life to another.  We should learn to be self reliant and be able to do what we need to in our own situations.  It is stated in the following two quotes given below:

            “I believe the Lord wants us to become alarmed and concerned when we see the wicked and unscrupulous taking unfair advantage of the weak and uninformed. No Latter-day Saint should exploit another man’s situation, manipulate, lie, steal, cheat, or deceive. Our responsibility is to assist each other in avoiding involvements that can be devastating to our welfare” (Ashton 1981).

 “… no member should desire or seek to voluntarily shift the responsibility for his own maintenance to another. Rather, each member, through work, should seek to find great satisfaction in personal achievement; and thus, he will be entitled to the fruits of his labors—both temporal and spiritual” (Romney 1981).

15          With all that I have mentioned on self reliance I do understand that some people are actually in need of help and are reliant on others.  This is generally not the case in life, but there are situations you need to be reliant like when you are incapacitated, aged, or sick enough that you need help.  It is stated in these words:

“This great principle does not deny to the needy nor to the poor the assistance they should have. The wholly incapacitated, the aged, the sickly are cared for with all tenderness, but every able-bodied person is enjoined to do his utmost for himself to avoid dependence, if his own efforts can make such a course possible; to look upon adversity as temporary; to combine his faith in his own ability with honest toil. …” (Romney 1982 and 1984).

16          Thomas S. Monson quoted the words of President Spencer W. Kimball which talked about the order of reliance we should have in life (in our aspects).  He says it in these words:

“President Spencer W. Kimball further taught concerning self-reliance: ‘The responsibility for each person’s social, emotional, spiritual, physical, or economic well-being rests first upon himself, second upon his family, and third upon the Church if he is a faithful member thereof’” (Monson 1986).

17          Like I stated that extended family is not as important as developing self and family self reliance.  It was explained well in these words:

            “While it is true that the nature of the responsibility to help is not as great among extended family members as it is among immediate family members, we shall in no wise lose our reward if our hearts and minds come to grips with the meaning of imparting of our substance ‘to the poor, every man according to that which he hath, such as feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and administering to their relief, both spiritually and temporally, according to their wants’ (Mosiah 4:26)” (Romney 1981).

            He then later goes on to say that we can basically say we are obligated to help family but don’t have to help extended family (have opportunity to help them).  Note this help needs to be taken within reason as explained earlier.

“Perhaps we can best state these mutual responsibilities in this manner: The immediate family is obligated to help each other; the extended family has the opportunity to help each other. And when our vision of Christlike love matures, we will joyfully take advantage of the opportunities” (Romney 1981).

18          This is a good scripture talking about how we are agents unto ourselves and that we need to make decisions.  Any time we get more dependence on others we lose the freedom to act in our situations.  It was stated as follows:

“Doctrine and Covenants 29:34–35 [D&C 29:34–35] tells us there is no such thing as a temporal commandment, that all commandments are spiritual. It also tells us that man is to be “an agent unto himself.” Man cannot be an agent unto himself if he is not self-reliant. Herein we see that independence and self-reliance are critical keys to our spiritual growth. Whenever we get into a situation which threatens our self-reliance, we will find our freedom threatened as well. If we increase our dependence, we will find an immediate decrease in our freedom to act” (Romney 1982 & 1984).

19          The need for independence while still realizing we have the scriptures, spirit, prayer, and other methods of communication with God to see if we are doing the right thing or not.  It was stated as follows:

“May I emphasize here that the point so easily forgotten is that the Lord is interested in everything we do in our lives: our families, our work, and our personal development. He has given eternal truths to guide us in these matters. Further, he gives us his Spirit to help us apply these principles. But only as we follow him can we have security” (Romney 1981).

20          The need for self-reliance is important to develop to help yourself and others.  In fact, the lord expects us to work and develop our skills when it was stated as follows:

“Self-reliance implies the individual development of skills and abilities and then their application to provide for one’s own needs and wants. It further implies that one will achieve those skills through self-discipline and then, through self-restraint and charity, use those skills to bless himself and others. That the Lord expects all his children of sound mind and body to thus perform in this second estate is made clear in many scriptural passages whose central thought focuses on work—personal, earnest, life-sustaining work” (Romney 1981).

21          We must always remember the order in which we should go for assistance goes from yourself, then to the family, and then to the church.  It was stated as follows:

“The first line of defense against present-day problems must be the faithful observance by each of us of the counsel we have received. This means—first, individuals; then the family unit. It is only after discovering that the problem or need exceeds the resources of these two levels of assistance that we call upon the Church through our bishops” (Romney 1981).

22          One must always remember that we are the first line of defense against problems we face.  It was stated as follows:

“May we remind each other that the strongest helping hand is most often the one closest to ourselves—our very own hands. Can you consider your own options for self-help as problems arise? Or do you toss your arms in the air and say, “Oh, no!” or “Why me?” Can you quietly sit down, review the facts, and list all the possible courses of action? Can you identify causes and determine remedies? Quiet contemplation can solve problems more quickly than frantic force” (Ashton 1981).

23          There is a small scripture chain I came up with that  shows that even though you are independent you still need to be able to listen to other’s good advice.  In fact, listening other’s good advice is beneficial and the sign of a wise man.  Read these scriptures: Proverbs 8:33 => Proverbs 3:11-12 => Proverbs 15:32-33 => Proverbs 9:8-10.

24          I used this quote earlier in the paper to describe things that we can’t have or lose when we are dependent on others.  I will use it again to emphasize to show that we must not be dependent on others, specifically the advice/counseling services of others.  It is stated as follows:

            “We must not set up a network of counseling services without at the same time emphasizing the principle of emotional self-reliance and individual independence.

If we lose our emotional and spiritual independence, our self-reliance, we can be weakened quite as much, perhaps even more, than when we become dependent materially” (Packer 1978).

25          This is an awesome quote in which it shows that God does not just give things to us without expecting us to try to do things for ourselves.  As the quote will say below, we shouldn’t be asking God what he can do for us but what we can do for ourselves in our lives.  Although this quote can be twisted to mean that we should ask everything that we should do in our lives, that is not the intent of the quote as we know that God wants us to be able to learn to act for ourselves and not be commanded in all things (ex: see D&C 58:26).  The idea of not being commanded/compelled in all things was also shown by the stories shared in the paper (like Oliver Cowdery).  However, of all people to be dependent on God would be the best choice.  The quote also states that more dependence in our lives makes us have less freedom to act in our lives.  It is stated as follows:

“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.

“Brigham Young instructed the Saints, ‘Instead of searching after what the Lord is going to do for us, let us inquire what we can do for ourselves.’ (Discourses of Brigham Young, sel. John A. Widtsoe, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1978, p. 293.)

Independence and self-reliance are critical to our spiritual and temporal growth. Whenever we get into situations which threaten our self-reliance, we will find our freedoms threatened as well. If we increase our dependence on anything or anyone except the Lord, we will find an immediate decrease in our freedom to act. As President Heber J. Grant declared, ‘Nothing destroys the individuality of a man, a woman, or a child as much as the failure to be self-reliant’ (Relief Society Magazine, Oct. 1937, p. 627.) (all said by Perry 1991).

26          Welfare was designed so that people can become self-reliant again which allows them to be more spiritual.

            It is the consciousness of victory over self and of communion with the infinite. It is spirituality alone which really gives one the best in life.

It is something to supply clothing to the [poorly] clad, to furnish ample food to those whose table is thinly spread, to give activity to those who are fighting desperately the despair that comes from enforced idleness, but after all is said and done, the greatest blessings that will accrue from the Church [welfare program] are spiritual. Outwardly, every act seems to be directed toward the physical: remaking of dresses and suits of clothes, canning fruits and vegetables, storing foodstuffs, choosing fertile fields for settlement—all seem strictly temporal, but permeating all these acts, inspiring and sanctifying them, is the element of spirituality.” (General Conference, October 1936.) (quoted by Romeny 1982 and 1984, italics added).

27          I will just emphasize what has been quoted earlier: “Herein we see that independence and self-reliance are critical keys to our spiritual growth” (Romney 1982 and 1984).

28          The welfare system was not designed for people who didn’t prepare beforehand.  It is not designed for poor planning or preparation but for other difficulties like disasters, injuries, etc.

“The results indicate that training of families in basic principles of self-reliance and independence over the past years has not been as effective as it should have been.

With such alarming results we must remind ourselves that the Church welfare system was never designed or intended to care for the healthy member who, as a result of his poor management or lack of preparation, has found himself in difficulty. It was designed to assist the membership in case of a large, physical disaster, such as an earthquake or a flood. It was designed to assist the ill, the injured, the incapacitated, and to rehabilitate them to a productive life. In far too many cases, members who should be making use of their own preparedness provisions are finding that there is nothing there and that they have to turn to the Church” (Perry 1981).

29          Self-reliance is the sustaining power of the church and should be something that we want ourselves and others to have as well.  Also, a bishop may turn people to their family first or try to have them exercise their own individual resources.  After that the bishop may help them then.  It is states as follows:

“Spiritual independence and self-reliance is a sustaining power in the Church. If we rob the members of that, how can they get revelation for themselves? How will they know there is a prophet of God? How can they get answers to prayers? How can they know for sure for themselves?

It is not an unfeeling bishop who requires those coming to him for counsel to exhaust every personal and family resource before helping them.

Bishops, be careful with your “emotional order forms.” Do not pass them out without having analyzed carefully the individual resources.

Teach our members to follow proper channels in solving problems” (Packer 1978).

30          Church welfare methods have evolved over time and have tried to become better over time as well.  One change was trying to help members have less chances of becoming dependent in their lives by teaching them more preventive methods to follow in their lives.  It was stated as follows:

In the 1980s Church welfare methods underwent significant changes, and preparedness concepts for members became more preventive in nature. The time, talents, skills, and resources of families became an important part of the Lord’s storehouse. A renewed call came from Church leaders for members to work toward self-reliance and to share resources with those in need (Lindsey 1997).

31          Here are ten points that you need to develop and cultivate in order to achieve self reliance.  This is not all of what you should do, but is a good start to starting to achieve self-reliance in your life.  It is stated in the following two quotes:

            “To me, the terms learning by study and learning by faith say that self-reliance comes from both efforts. Everyone involved in the Relief Society literacy effort knows that literacy takes both study and faith. We need to cultivate both of them” (Okazaki 1994).

            “There are many kinds of self-reliance. According to the Church’s welfare guidelines, Providing in the Lord’s Way, ‘as we work toward self-reliance, we should prepare ourselves in the following areas: education; health; employment; home storage; resource management; and social, emotional, and spiritual strength’” (Okazaki 1994).

32          Besides asking questions about how well we have developed the ten basic points in our lives, Elder Joseph B Wirthlin gives us additional questions we can ask ourselves to help us determine if we are self reliant or not.  It is stated as follows:

            “In addition to helping others, families and individual members would do well to review their own level of self-reliance. We may ask ourselves a few questions:

Are we wise stewards of our money? Do we spend less than we earn? Do we avoid unnecessary debt? Do we follow the counsel of the Brethren to “store sufficient food, clothing, and where possible fuel for at least one year”? Do we teach our children to value and not waste what they have? Do we teach them to work? Do they understand the importance of the sacred law of tithing? Do we have sufficient education and adequate employment? Do we maintain good health by living the Word of Wisdom? Are we free from the adverse effects of harmful substances?” (Wirthlin 1999).

Works Cited

Ashton, Marvin J. “Give with Wisdom That They May Receive with Dignity.” Ensign.

Nov. 1981: 89.

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of

Jesus Christ. Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,

1989.

---. The Doctrine and Covenants of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. 

Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1989.

---. The Holy Bible. King James Version. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1989.

Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2005. Merriam-Webster, Incorporated.

20 Aug. 2006. <http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/self-reliance>

Lindsey, Lauradene. “Self-Reliance.” Liahona. Oct. 1997: 23.

McMullin, Keith B. “Come to Zion! Come to Zion!” Ensign. Nov. 2002: 94.

Monson, Thomas S. “Guiding Principles of Personal and Family Welfare.” Ensign.

Sept. 1986: 3.

Okazaki, Chieko N. “Rowing Your Boat.” Ensign. Nov. 1994: 92.

Packer, Boyd K. “Solving Emotional Problems in the Lord’s Own Way.” Ensign.

May 1978: 91.

Perry, L. Tom. “Becoming Self-Reliant.” Ensign. Nov. 1991: 64.

Perry, L. Tom. “The Need to Teach Personal and Family Preparedness.” Ensign.

May 1981: 87.

Romney, Marion G. “Principles of Temporal Salvation.” Ensign. Apr. 1981: 3.

Romney, Marion G. “The Celestial Nature of Self-reliance.” Ensign. Nov. 1982: 91.

Romney, Marion G. “The Celestial Nature of Self-Reliance.” Ensign. June 1984: 3.

Wirthlin, Joseph B. “Inspired Church Welfare.” Ensign. May 1999: 76.

Works Cited (w/ web links)

Ashton, Marvin J. “Give with Wisdom That They May Receive with Dignity.” Ensign.

Nov. 1981: 89. <http://library.lds.org/nxt/gateway.dll/Magazines/Ensign/1981.htm/ensign%20november%201981.htm/give%20with%20wisdom%20that%20they%20may%20receive%20with%20dignity.htm>

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of

Jesus Christ. Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,

1989.

---. The Doctrine and Covenants of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. 

Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1989.

---. The Holy Bible. King James Version. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1989.

Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2005. Merriam-Webster, Incorporated.

20 Aug. 2006. <http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/self-reliance>

Lindsey, Lauradene. “Self-Reliance.” Liahona. Oct. 1997: 23.

<http://library.lds.org/nxt/gateway.dll/Magazines/Liahona/1997.htm/liahona%20october%201997.htm/selfreliance.htm>

McMullin, Keith B. “Come to Zion! Come to Zion!” Ensign. Nov. 2002: 94.

<http://library.lds.org/nxt/gateway.dll/Magazines/Ensign/2002.htm/ensign%20november%202002.htm/come%20to%20zion%20%20come%20to%20zion.htm>

Monson, Thomas S. “Guiding Principles of Personal and Family Welfare.” Ensign.

Sept. 1986: 3.

<http://library.lds.org/nxt/gateway.dll/Magazines/Ensign/1986.htm/ensign%20september%201986%20.htm/first%20presidency%20message%20guiding%20principles%20of%20personal%20and%20family%20welfare.htm>

Okazaki, Chieko N. “Rowing Your Boat.” Ensign. Nov. 1994: 92.

<http://library.lds.org/nxt/gateway.dll/Magazines/Ensign/1994.htm/ensign%20november%201994.htm/rowing%20your%20boat.htm>

Packer, Boyd K. “Solving Emotional Problems in the Lord’s Own Way.” Ensign.

May 1978: 91.

<http://library.lds.org/nxt/gateway.dll/Magazines/Ensign/1978.htm/ensign%20may%201978%20.htm/solving%20emotional%20problems%20in%20the%20lords%20own%20way.htm>

Perry, L. Tom. “Becoming Self-Reliant.” Ensign. Nov. 1991: 64.

<http://library.lds.org/nxt/gateway.dll/Magazines/Ensign/1991.htm/ensign%20november%201991%20.htm/becoming%20selfreliant.htm>

Perry, L. Tom. “The Need to Teach Personal and Family Preparedness.” Ensign.

May 1981: 87.

<http://library.lds.org/nxt/gateway.dll/Magazines/Ensign/1981.htm/ensign%20may%201981.htm/the%20need%20to%20teach%20personal%20and%20family%20preparedness.htm>

Romney, Marion G. “Principles of Temporal Salvation.” Ensign. Apr. 1981: 3.

<http://library.lds.org/nxt/gateway.dll/Magazines/Ensign/1981.htm/ensign%20may%201981.htm/the%20basic%20principles%20of%20church%20welfare.htm>

Romney, Marion G. “The Celestial Nature of Self-reliance.” Ensign. Nov. 1982: 91.

<http://library.lds.org/nxt/gateway.dll/Magazines/Ensign/1982.htm/ensign%20november%201982%20.htm/the%20celestial%20nature%20of%20selfreliance.htm>

Romney, Marion G. “The Celestial Nature of Self-Reliance.” Ensign. June 1984: 3.

<http://library.lds.org/nxt/gateway.dll/Magazines/Ensign/1984.htm/ensign%20june%201984%20.htm/first%20presidency%20message%20the%20celestial%20nature%20of%20selfreliance.htm>

Wirthlin, Joseph B. “Inspired Church Welfare.” Ensign. May 1999: 76.

<http://library.lds.org/nxt/gateway.dll/Magazines/Ensign/1999.htm/ensign%20may%201999.htm/inspired%20church%20welfare.htm>

Connection Essay – Agency and Salvation

            The doctrinal issues of agency and salvation have been debated by many people throughout the ages.  An important debate on these issues happened between Luther and Erasmus in the early 1500’s.  After I read their debate it made me go find out what the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS) believes on the issues debated.  I found that all three views on agency and salvation are best understood by discussing God’s nature and our environment on earth, accountability and free agency, and how judgment will work.

            I believe a central issue to the discussion between Erasmus and Luther is about God’s nature, because understanding God’s nature helps us to understand more about ourselves now and in the future.  Although they did not directly state it, they talked about the effects of God’s nature in terms of agency.  I will discuss the LDS perspective on environment affecting us which will give the necessary background to discuss God’s nature and Luther and Erasmus’s debate on agency.  While I discuss about being influenced by others, ponder this question: “If God is infinite then shouldn’t he in his infinite knowledge know how circumstances would influence us to be good and evil?”  Elder Ezra Taft Benson talked about environment affecting us to do good or evil when he stated that “environment influences behavior—the behavior of Babylon or of Enoch” (Benson).  Elder Benson also said other quotes that state how environment influences behavior and can basically persuade people to do good or evil.[1]  Since environment influences behavior, it is no surprise that Pres. James E. Faust would say that “standing in holy places will help us rise above the evil influences of our time and draw us closer to our Savior” (“Standing in Holy Places”).  I have set forth the Church of Jesus Christ’s doctrine that environment influences our behavior and can help cause people to do good things and bad things.  Now, the church teaches that God “is perfect, has all power, and knows all things” (“God the Father” 74).  If we take all these quotes together with the question posed earlier, then it would imply that God, who knows all things, would know the environment he is placing us in and how it will make us turn out.  We will use this current understanding of God being perfect to discuss how free agency plays a part in our lives.

Free will was a central debate between Erasmus and Luther, and their explanations relied on the fact of God as being infinite2.  Luther explained God more in terms we described above and reasoned that if God is the one that acts in us and causes us to do good then it is God’s fault if we are not doing good deeds.  He states this idea by saying that “if it be proved that our salvation is not of our own strength or counsel, but depends on the working of God alone . . . does it not evidently follow that when God is not present to work in us, everything we do is evil, and that we of necessity act in a way not availing unto our salvation?” (Luther).  This statement by Luther seems to agree with the current conclusion we have, that God is held responsible for what we do because he is that one that makes us act good.  Remember, we have stated one way he could influence us to be good is by our environment, but it can also be by some other power.  Now Erasmus believes that we can choose, but that God is the one that takes care of the bigger part.  He gave an example of a father helping and guiding a child through life, but only helping the child when the child wanted his help.3  He uses this example to show that we can choose our own course, but when we follow God’s course we must give glory to him.  He states this by saying although the child did something “he must not glory in his own strength since he owes everything to the father” (Erasmus).  Erasmus is basically saying that we do have a choice, but doesn’t really explain about how it fits in with a perfect, infinite God.  In fact, I believe this is partly what infuriated Martin Luther to write back such a response of saying that Erasmus failed “to define the limits within which we should think of the will as acting and as being acted upon” (Luther).  The Church of Jesus Christ takes a different approach to free will.  First off, it should be noted that in their scriptures the words “free agency” do not exist (Packer).  With this said, it then makes sense that the church believes that all actions have some sort of consequence, meaning that although we can choose what we do we cannot choose the consequence of our actions (“Standing in Holy Places”).  And we know from multiple scriptures that state God is infinite or that his understanding is infinite.4  Now James E. Talmage actually addresses the issue of foreknowledge in terms that define how much God is involved.  He said that although God, from his intelligence and reason, knows how the end will turn out, he does not cause it to happen but knows that the actions people will take will make that future happen.5  So basically the Church of Jesus Christ believes that we do have agency to choose and although God can see the end from the beginning he does not make it so that that will happen.  Now, with that said I will show some ideas from the scriptures that may present a slightly different view from the three already presented.

I propose that God is finite in some areas and that God does actually use environment to make people do things at times.  The scripture in 1 Corinthians 1:25 states, “Because that the foolishness of God is wiser than man; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”  The scripture could be understood to say God is finite and has some foolishness and weakness, but that it is much greater than any man’s.  The scriptures do describe God making people do things and killing people, which means God doesn’t allow us to control our lives all the time.  For example, in 2 Chronicles 20:20-24 a prophet told Judah that if they would believe in God and his prophets, God would save them from the armies coming at them.  They did as the prophet asked and so God turned the oncoming armies on each other and they killed each other.  If you think about the scripture, basically God controlled the oncoming armies to either make them kill each other or not kill each other since his prophet said they would only be saved if they believed in God and his prophets.  So if God can control what others do then who will be saved?

The issue of who will be saved seems to be the central issue of almost all religions and is very important to address.  I will address it here in terms of judgment because judgment of people’s deeds determines who will be saved6 and who won’t.  As addressed earlier, Luther basically believed God has already judged who will be saved and who won’t be because you can only be good in this life if God wills it.  Erasmus does not deny the power of God and says that we still are able to choose to go toward or away from Salvation.7  The Church of Jesus Christ holds the view of Erasmus to an extent, but addresses God’s knowledge by saying that although God may know the beginning from the end he does not force it to be so.  However, since I have proposed that God does cause certain things to transpire I think a further explanation is needed into judgment.  James E. Talmage has talked about judgment and how our environment will be taken into accountability for things we did.8   His statement on judgment makes me be led to believe that judgment of people will be very complicated.  So I propose that whether God is infinite or not does not matter because he will take the environmental actions into accountability, whether caused by him or by some other force.  So if God is finite, he will still take into accountability our environment and judge us fairly, even if something he didn’t foresee happening to us did happen.  So the church’s view and my view I proposed both fit together in the end when it comes to terms of judgment.  So it really doesn’t matter then whether God is infinite or not because judgment will work out for the best and thinking of God as finite would possibly lead to people not trying to do good, as Erasmus had argued.9  Basically thinking of God as finite is too difficult for us to understand with our limited understanding so we might as well just think of God as infinite.

My conclusion is that I believe as the Church of Jesus Christ believes in that God is infinite and all will be judged fairly.  The debate between Erasmus and Luther on free will and who will be saved brought me to ponder the issues that they discussed which helped me better understand my own view and my religion.  My understanding of God is clearer about how the nature of God is infinite while allowing us to have agency.  Thus we can attain salvation as our environment is taken into accountability for judgment.

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Notes       

[1]           Another example of when Elder Benson said environment influences behavior is when he said: “May I quote from a musician who for many years has observed the influence of music on behavior: ‘Satan knows that music hath charms to soothe or stir the savage beast. That music has power to create atmosphere has been known before the beginning of Hollywood. Atmosphere creates environment, and environment influences behavior—the behavior of Babylon or of Enoch’” (Benson).

2           I will use President Joseph Fielding Smith’s explanation of God to describe what the word infinite means when applied to God in this paper.  He described God in the following words: “He is omnipotent and omniscient; he has all power and all wisdom; and his perfections consist in the possession of all knowledge, all faith or power, all justice, all judgment, all mercy, all truth, and the fullness of all godly attributes. . . . we must believe in God as the possessor of the fullness of all these characteristics and attributes. I say also that he is an infinite and eternal being, and as an unchangeable being, he possesses these perfected powers and attributes from everlasting to everlasting, which means from eternity to eternity” (Smith).

3           Erasmus states his story about the child as follows: “A father raises his child, which is yet unable to walk, which fallen and which exerts himself, and shows him an apple, placed in front of him.  The boy likes to go and get it, but due to his weak bones would soon have fallen again, if the father had not supported him by his hand and guided his steps. Thus the child comes, led by the father, to the apple which the father places willingly into his hand, like a reward for his walking. The child could not have raised itself without the father's help; would not have seen the apple without the father's showing; would not have stepped forward without the father's helping his weak little steps; would not have reached the apple without the father's placing it into his hand. What can the child claim for himself! Yet, he did do something, but he must not glory in his own strength since he owes everything to the father” (Erasmus).

4           Some verses that say God is infinite or that his understanding is infinite are: Psalms 147:5; Alma 26:36; and Doctrine and Covenants 20:17, 28.

5           Elder James E. Talmage said talked about how God being able to see what the future holds is not because God forces people to make that future happen when he wrote: “By reason of that surpassing knowledge, God reads the future of child and children, of men individually and of men collectively as communities and nations; He knows what each will do under given conditions, and sees the end from the beginning.  His foreknowledge is based on intelligence and reason.  He foresees the future as a state which naturally and surely will be; not as one which must be because He has arbitrarily willed that it shall be” (Talmage 27).

6           I will use the words of Elder Dallin H. Oaks to describe how I am using the words saved and salvation in my paper.  It should be noted that as “Latter-day Saints use the words saved and salvation, there are at least six different meanings” (Oaks).  I will use his last description of saved and salvation in my paper which he describes in these words: “Finally, in another usage familiar and unique to Latter-day Saints, the words saved and salvation are also used to denote exaltation or eternal life (see Abr. 2:11). This is sometimes referred to as the “fulness of salvation” (Bruce R. McConkie, The Mortal Messiah, 4 vols. [1979–81], 1:242). . . . If we use the word salvation to mean “exaltation,” it is premature for any of us to say that we have been “saved” in mortality. That glorious status can only follow the final judgment of Him who is the Great Judge of the living and the dead” (Oaks).

7           Erasmus stated his argument on how men can turn toward or away from salvation in these words: “By freedom of the will we understand in this connection the power of the human will whereby man can apply to or turn away from that which leads unto eternal salvation” (Erasmus).

8           Elder James E. Talmage talked about how judgment will take into account many things, including environment, when he wrote: “In the judgment with which we shall be judged, all the conditions and circumstances of our lives shall be considered.  The inborn tendencies due to heredity, the effect of environment whether conductive to good or evil, the wholesome teachings of youth, or the absence of good instruction—these and all other contributory elements must be taken into account in rendering of a just verdict as to the soul’s guilt or innocence.  Nevertheless, the divine wisdom makes plain what will be the result with given conditions operating on known natures and dispositions of men, while every individual is free to choose good or evil with the limits of the many conditions existing and operative”  (Talmage 28).

9           Erasmus talks about thinking that we don’t need to try as a horrible doctrine to portray and would lead people to nothing.  He stated his view’s about Luther’s opinion of this in the following words: “What a loophole the publication of this opinion would open in godlessness among innumerable people? . . . How many weak ones would continue in their perpetual and laborious battle against their own flesh! What wicked fellow would henceforth try to better his conduct? Who could love with all his heart a God who fires a hell with eternal pain, in order to punish there poor mankind for his own evil deeds, as if God enjoyed human distress? Most people would react as they are sketched above” (Erasmus).

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Works Cited

Benson, Ezra Taft. “Satan's Thrust - Youth.” Ensign. Dec. 1971: 53.

Erasmus. On Free Will. Trans. Ernst F. Winter. Trans. of On Free Will. 1524.

Faust, James E. “Standing in Holy Places.” Ensign. May 2005: 62.

Faust, James E. “The Devil’s Throat.” Ensign. May 2003: 51.

Luther, Martin. The Enslaved Will. Trans. Ernst F. Winter. Trans. of  The Enslaved Will.

1525.

Oaks, Dallin H. “Have You Been Saved?” Ensign. May 1998. 55.

Packer, Boyd K. “Our Moral Environment.” Ensign. May 1992: 66.

Smith, Joseph Fielding. “The Most Important Knowledge.” Ensign. May 1971: 2.

Talmage, James E. Jesus the Christ. 1983. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1983.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “God the Father.”

True to the Faith: A Gospel Reference. Salt Lake City :

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2004: 74.

---. The Doctrine and Covenants of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. 

Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1989.

---. The Holy Bible. King James Version. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1989.

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PAST HERE WAS NOT PART OF THE PAPER BUT MY NOTES ( I will include sources to all documents I found interesting even if they didn't find it in the paper).  

David B. Haight, “Power of Evil,” Ensign, July 1973, 54

http://library.lds.org/nxt/gateway.dll/Magazines/Ensign/1973.htm/ensign%20july%201973.htm/power%20of%20evil%20.htm

James E. Faust, “The Devil’s Throat,” Ensign, May 2003, 51

http://library.lds.org/nxt/gateway.dll/Magazines/Ensign/2003.htm/ensign%20may%202003.htm/the%20devils%20throat.htm

James E. Faust, “The Enemy Within,” Ensign, Nov. 2000, 44

http://library.lds.org/nxt/gateway.dll/Magazines/Ensign/2000.htm/ensign%20november%202000.htm/the%20enemy%20within.htm

James E. Faust, “Them That Honour Me I Will Honour,” Ensign, May 2001, 45

http://library.lds.org/nxt/gateway.dll/Magazines/Ensign/2001.htm/ensign%20may%202001.htm/them%20that%20honour%20me%20i%20will%20honour.htm

James E. Faust, “Standing in Holy Places,” Ensign, May 2005, 62

http://library.lds.org/nxt/gateway.dll/Magazines/Ensign/2005.htm/ensign%20may%202005.htm/standing%20in%20holy%20places.htm

http://library.lds.org/nxt/gateway.dll/Magazines/Ensign/2004.htm/ensign%20may%202004.htm/how%20to%20live%20well%20amid%20increasing%20evil.htm

My thoughts on Gossip – written on April 23, 2006

            I am here to just give my brief thoughts on what gossip is as I have seen troubles with it around the world and in the wards I’ve been in.  I’ve been both a part of giving it and receiving it, so I decided to make a quick thought about it after reading some talks.  Note I added in all bolding and underlines.

            First let’s define what gossip is:

            Gossip as defined by the Merriam-Webster Online dictionary is (listing 4 of them): “a person who habitually reveals personal or sensational facts about others; rumor or report of intimate nature; a chatty talk; the subject matter of gossip.”

            That may not make as much sense so I will give some definitions from the talks that I have read.  “Too many people seem to think that it is only gossip if it is unsubstantiated rumor. But something may be completely true and still be no one else’s business. Truth does not justify gossip any more than need justifies theft. And to excuse gossip by saying that it is common knowledge is the same as justifying sin because “others are doing it.”” (Larry Hiller).

            Or as given in the New Era in the Q&A is “Many people think gossip is the spreading of falsehoods or rumors. Of course, that kind of behavior is absolutely wrong, no question about it. But gossip also involves telling people personal things about another when it really is none of their business. Whether the information is true or not is not the issue. If telling others will do harm, cause embarrassment, or give faulty perceptions, then you have an obligation to stop the gossip by not spreading it to others.” (New Era, 1997)

            Allright with that defined, we now know that gossip is both spreading of UNTRUE and TRUE things!  It is hurtful and wrong to spread, and is done for many different reasons.  I will give the classifications of many different types in gossipers with terms that are given to people that work in the money market.  You can read the entire talk given as a link below along with all of the other talks I used.  The seven described below are: ego tripper, counterfeiter, thief, confidence man, spendthrift, speculator, and embezzler. I will give highlights of each one and see if you match one or someone you know does :).  These are all quotes from his talk.

1) The “ego tripper” - Many of us have had the experience of being in a group where someone gives out an interesting piece of information about a person or a forthcoming event. As the discussion progresses, everyone tries to contribute something the others didn’t know. It becomes a matter of ego.

2) The “counterfeiter” - When he cannot gain legitimate information, this person simply makes it up. Of course, if his product is to pass as real currency, it must be realistic, so it often contains many elements of truth.

3) The “thief” - Some people take an inordinate interest in the lives and doings of others. They watch people carefully. They ask prying questions. (To put it in the vernacular, they snoop.) By simply piecing together their observations, they arrive at conclusions may or may not be true.

4) The “confidence man” - This person nurtures friendship and trust while subtly prying into the private affairs of others. He or she actively seeks information, often giving tidbits in return to foster an atmosphere of confidentiality.

5) The “Spendthrift” - These people are embarrassingly frank about their own lives. They give away information about themselves with an air of easy familiarity that can tempt their current confidant to reciprocate. The trouble is, these people are as careless with information about others as they are about themselves.

6) The “speculator” - Information speculators  . . . are very observant of people and organizations. A growing, dynamic Church where we have become accustomed to relatively frequent changes in organizations and programs, is a fertile field for such people. They love to speculate on callings at all levels.  If one of their candidates is called as a counselor, they nod again. And if they missed their guess on the other, well, a reason just has to be found—a falling out of friends, problems at home, a disagreement with the bishop, etc.  Such speculations always leave inspiration out of the process. They are based on events and relationships and personal influence.  By implication, politics and reason get the credit [for why a person was or wasn’t called].  Sometimes the subject of the speculation is hurt.

7) The “embezzler” - Private information about the life of another is not ours to use as we see fit, no matter how the information came to us. If the individual confided in us, that information is like money held in trust. Just because it is in our possession does not mean we can use it. … In the Church, all of us must guard against the temptation to become information embezzlers [giving out private/confidential information to another]. Those who have privileged information about proposed changes or callings, or who have sensitive information about the lives of others, must be especially watchful against the temptation to reveal that information inappropriately. This caution is not limited to bishops and other priesthood leaders, but extends to auxiliary leaders, to home teachers and visiting teachers, and indeed to everyone.

Hopefully we never become any of these and when we do we will quickly turn away and not sell information on the social market for ‘fame’.

The king :),

Brian Carver

N. Eldon Tanner, “Judge Not, That Ye Be Not Judged,” Ensign, July 1972, 34

http://library.lds.org/nxt/gateway.dll/Magazines/Ensign/1972.htm/ensign%20july%201972.htm/judge%20not%20that%20ye%20be%20not%20judged%20.htm

“Q&A: Questions and Answers,” New Era, Dec. 1997, 17

http://library.lds.org/nxt/gateway.dll/Magazines/NewEra/1997.htm/new%20era%20december%201997%20.htm/qampa%20questions%20and%20answers.htm

Larry Hiller, “Keeping Confidences,” Tambuli, June–July 1985, 13

http://library.lds.org/nxt/gateway.dll/Magazines/Liahona/1985.htm/tambuli%20junejuly%201985%20.htm/keeping%20confidences.htm

PS – Wouldn’t it be best if when talking to someone they said they heard the best things about us from so and so.  By talking the best about others and not gossiping we are showing CHARITY.  “Only by suspending judgment do we exhibit real charity. It is hard to understand why we are ready to condemn our neighbors and our friends on circumstantial evidence while we are all so determined to see that every criminal has a fair and open trial. Surely we can try to eliminate pride, passion, personal feeling, prejudice, and pettiness from our minds, and show charity to those around us.” (President N. Eldon Tanner)