"Let us work for what we need. Let us be self-reliant and independent. Salvation can be obtained on no other principle. Salvation is an individual matter, and we must work out our salvation, in temporal as well as spiritual things." --Marion G. Romney, Ensign Nov. 1976So many thoughts, not sure where to start.
We talk a decent amount about politics at our house (shocking on my part, since I used to have a hard time remembering to watch the news, quite predictable on Jeremy's part). I am grateful for the things I am learning and becoming passionate about. I can finally tell, with surprising clarity, the difference between a democrat and a republican. And I can say with certainty why I am one over the other. It only took me 27 years to figure out.
Anyhow, much of my background on anything (including politics) always goes back to the principles of Welfare that simply put are an essential part of who I am and how I think. I was a Welfare missionary (for the church) and then taught the Welfare sisters for a year at the MTC. The doctrines of self reliance and caring for the poor and needy have tender (and permanent) places in my heart.
It scares me (big time) when I see the world (and specifically the American Government) overriding and flat out rejecting principles that have been revealed through modern prophets to be the Lord's way of taking care of the needs of his children. The Lord, in fact, is very clear about how He would have it done:
I, the Lord, stretched out the heavens, and built the earth, my very handiwork; and all things therein are mine.
And it is my purpose to provide for my saints, for all things are mine.
Those are some strong words. It is clear that the Lord wants us to have the things we need, to be provided for. He has created this earth, and he has enabled us to be "agents unto [our]sevles." In other words, he wants us to be self reliant. To use the blessings and talents and opportunities the Lord has given to us to take care of ourselves and our families. Spencer W. Kimball has said,
"No true Latter-day Saint, while physically or emotionally able will voluntarily shift the burden of his own or his family's well-being to someone else. So long as he can, under the inspiration of the Lord, and with his own labors, he will supply himself and his family with the spiritual and temporal necessities of life."But becoming self-reliant through hard physical, mental, and spiritual effort is not meant to bless our families alone. The Lord is equally clear that we have what we have in order to share. That the poor shall be exalted.
It is not the government's job to take care of our neighbors, it's our job. As individual agents. It's not our job to judge how or why someone has come to "have not", but to live up to the doctrine taught by the First Presidency in 1936 when the Church's welfare system was established:
"Our primary purpose was to set up, in so far as it might be possible, a system under which the curse of idleness would be done away with, the evils of the dole abolished, and independence, industry, thrift, and self respect be once more established amongst our people. The aim of the Church is to help the people help themselves. Work is to be re-enthroned as the ruling principle in the lives of our Church membership."That's a very different purpose than what might be heard today in the government sector about the aims of welfare. Giving without helping someone to be reestablish independence isn't really giving at all. It is demeaning and destructive. Not only to those who have received the dole, but to each of us who may come to think that we are no longer responsible to help our neighbors since it has been forced upon the rich.
What a terrible calamity for the welfare of our nation.
I'll be honest, when I say I'm not sure what to do about it. Politically, I mean. I'm not sure how to reverse the tide of false welfare doctrine. But I know that 1. we need to have a sure knowledge of the "Lord's Way," (for a fantastic place to start, go here) and 2. we need to actively live those principles, and 3. we need to do whatever necessary for our voices to be heard. Even if in the long run it doesn't make a difference. We must defend and uphold the Lord's way of providing for his children.
I feel like I didn't even scratch the surface here (although if you've made it to the end of this post, I'm sure you feel like I said plenty).
But, thoughts? What are we going to do about it?
5 comments:
Here is an idea...Step 1)Vote out every single person Republican or Democrat who voted in favor of H.R. 3590 (Health-care reform bill). Step 2)Vote in people like Mike Lee( http://www.mikelee2010.com/ ) Step 3) Read the Constitution. Step 4) Read the Federalist Papers so you get a basic grasp of what was meant. Step 5) Read a book on Economics Step 6) Realize that you need to live providently so that you can take care of yourself and others... I don't think that in the day of judgment an accounting of our voting record for social programs or the showing of our 1040's as evidence of having paid for them will be worth much (nor perhaps if we voted against such things). I think we will be asked if we went over to our neighbor's home and took care of him when he was in need.
Carly, this is why we're friends. This has been on my mind a lot lately. Well, maybe not the political end of it (though it has come up a time or two). Rather, what should I do? I feel like I have every responsibility to take care of those less fortunate than I. Especially as I have been blessed so abundantly. I don't know the specifics of what I should do, but I've boiled it down to a very basic idea.
1) Become self-reliant ASAP. That means no more debt. (If possible, ever. We'll see how the housing market is, though when we grow out of this place. This is the only acceptable possible future debt, though.) That means getting out of debt ASAP. Even if it means living like a pauper now in order to pay off our mortgage fast.
2) Contribute to charity now. We are required to give so long as we are able. And I think able means, at all possible. Even a widow's mite. I don't think that means, "Oh, I barely have enough money to feed myself with my $200/month grocery budget and going out to eat and a movie a few times a month. I can't afford to give to charity." If you don't give when you're poor, chances are you won't give when you're rich, no matter how grand your intentions are.
But then the question is, what to give to. Which is an entire blog post in and of itself. And probably even more. So I won't leave a huge novel in your comments. :D
Carly Jane, how beautiful is Raymond? I love, love his red hair and chubby cheeks. I also love to keep updated via your blog. You are so kind.
I don't read Jeremy's blog- it may be better kept that way :)- but please allow me to comment at least this little bit (and feel free to pass it on to Jeremy)
of the Seventy Robert Wood, delivered at the April 2006 General Conference and published in the Ensign:
“Have we who have taken upon us the name of Christ slipped unknowingly into patterns of slander, evil speaking, and bitter stereotyping? Have personal or partisan or business or religious differences been translated into a kind of demonizing of those of different views? Do we pause to understand the seemingly different positions of others and seek, where possible, common ground?”
I'll be in Cedar City this week. I would love to swing by and say hi-let me know- :)
I agree, Tianna, if you don't when you're poor, you won't when you're rich. I mostly feel inclined to give through fast offerings and LDS Humanities. In both cases I know where the money is going and I feel good about it.
Jill-- We would LOVE for you to come see us! I'll text you that later, just so you know for sure. I guess this post could have come off more "demonizing" of the other side than I meant it to. I am certain Obama (in particular) has people's best interest at heart. I really really think he's doing what he thinks is right and will do the most good. I just see a big gap between how he's doing it and what the result will be. I look at the way the Church's welfare system is set up (a system in which I have personally seen amazing results in helping people become self-reliant again) and the government's system (in which I have personally seen the way in which it does not encourage or foster self reliance) and I am troubled. And I only see the gap widening. And I feel the need to do something about it politically. Almost exclusively I am talking about welfare systems here and not other political platforms or ideologies. And, well, I still hold my ground that the best way to do it, even as a nation, will always be based on the principles the Church welfare system runs on... no matter how good intentioned our current government system is.
I think that the stark reality of how deeply the American people don't understand any true principles of welfare was on the evening news every night during Hurrican Katrina (definitely a tragic event) as face after face, raised fist after raised fist, blamed the federal government for "not taking care of them" Living where I do, amonst people who our government purposely set out to make "totally dependent upon the federal government" (and accomplished it) I hadn't realized that dependence upon the government was a nation-wide epidemic, not just in my back yard.
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