What is Self-Reliance?

To most people self-reliance means standing on your own two feet.  Want to buy a house? Save up the down payment – don’t ask family members to help. My idea of self-reliance is a little deeper than that. It more closely follows the teachings of my church.  I am a proud member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  This is how my church defines self-reliance and I think it is a great way to look at it:

• Learn to love work and avoid idleness
• Acquire a spirit of self-sacrifice
• Accept personal responsibility for spiritual strength
• Accept personal responsibility for health, education, employment, finances, food, and other life-sustaining necessities
• Pray for faith and courage to meet challenges that come
• Strengthen others who need assistance

And finally, being self-reliant allows you to be a leader for others who have not yet started their journey. As a leader you can coach and teach others to start on a journey of their own.  Improve your life through your own journey to self-reliance and you can improve your community and your country as well!

Today, we live in a global society. Many of the things we purchase for life-sustaining necessities are imported from other countries. That isn’t how our great-grandparents lived. Perhaps, we can relearn some of the forgotten skills they had and reduce the need for such a heavy dependence on others. 

Self-reliance doesn’t just mean temporal self-reliance. The scriptures provide the opportunity to make bad men good and good men better. Your spiritual strength will shape what you do and how you act. Let it guide you to make improvements in your community where ever you live.