Dream: (summary: New city, new job, out home teaching but companion not cooperating. No map or phone number. Trying to get back home .. but not sure how.)
We are actually all in this same situation. We have moved here on earth to a new life, a new home, with new careers/employment. We have to rely on others to help us. We do have our family with us, but how are we to keep them safe, and get them and us back to our true 'home' safely?
We are actually all in this same situation. We have moved here on earth to a new life, a new home, with new careers/employment. We have to rely on others to help us. We do have our family with us, but how are we to keep them safe, and get them and us back to our true 'home' safely?
The other night I woke from a dream. I got up and wrote it down as best I could remember:
We are actually all in this same situation. We have moved here on earth to a new life, a new home, with new careers/employment. We have to rely on others to help us. We do have our family with us, but how are we to keep them safe, and get them and us back to our true 'home' safely?
Topic 1 – The concept of Self-Reliance
The churches definition: “Self-reliance is a simple concept that encourages each of us to take responsibility for our own needs—physical, emotional, spiritual, social, and economic.” 1
"We become self-reliant," explains Julie Beck, then president of the Church's organization for women, "through obtaining sufficient knowledge, education, and literacy; by managing money and resources wisely, being spiritually strong, preparing for emergencies and eventualities; and by having physical health and social and emotional well-being."
Church leader Elder Robert D. Hales outlines ways we can become self-reliant:
The Lord's concept of self-reliance for us is much like what we would expect for our own children. He loves us and knows our capabilities and limitations, but expects us to wisely do for ourselves AND for others what we can do ourselves. If we are to grow up to become like him, we must first submit to his will. We must repent and strive to obey all the commandments. We must seek the guidance of the Spirit through prayer and scripture study. As his children, we should willingly strive to do what we can to repay him in whatever small way we can for all that he has and will give us. Only then will we start to be like him.
President Romney taught: “Now, I wish to 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. “The key to making self-reliance spiritual is in using the freedom to comply with God’s commandments. The scriptures are very clear in their command that it is the duty of those who have, to give to those who are in need. “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.2
So what is the our way back home?
The lds.org website summarizes: ”We can become self-reliant by (1) taking advantage of educational opportunities; (2) practising sound principles of nutrition and hygiene; (3) preparing for and obtaining suitable employment; (4) storing a supply of food and clothing to the extent the law allows; (5) managing our resources wisely, including paying tithes and offerings and avoiding debt; and (6) developing spiritual, emotional, and social strength.3
Which brings us to my Topic 2: Tithing
I find it interesting to compare how the Lord administers his tithing program as contrasted with how our world governments try to administer their tax programs. The Canadian Tax Code for example is available online for your reading pleasure .. 248 sections in PDF format at only 11.475 GB to start with.4 Then there are the larger volumes of current forms and regularly revised Canadian Revenue Agency publications, themselves interpreting just how we are to calculate how much to pay to our governments. Repeat that for the Provincial and Municipal governments. Quite a library collection for your office!
The Lord's definition: “A tenth part of a person’s annual increase given to the Lord through the Church, used to build churches and temples, to sustain missionary work, and to build the kingdom of God on earth.”5 That is pretty much it.
In the world, we pay for complex computer programs or hire accountants to calculate and submit forms and documents to determine how much to pay as taxes. We must file annually or face jail time. If we pay too little, we must pay the deficiency or face fines and interest. Taxes we may owe are deducted with each paycheck and if we end up paying too much, the government will happily refund back the overpayment to us at the end of the year (without interest of course).
In the church, we are left to ourselves to determine just how much that tenth part should be. They do not send us a bill or threaten to send us to jail if we do not pay up. We are simply asked, “Do you consider yourself to be a full time tithe payer?” This question is asked annually at tithing settlement and as part of the temple recommend interview. Our honest reply is accepted as our response.
And after we have mastered paying our tithing, is all done? Have we paid up our debt? No. Think of tithing as just the interest portion of the real debt, just the minimum amount that we are being asked to pay now. The principal amount is still unpaid (by us) .. it actually has been or can be paid for us by our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Mosiah 2:22-24 puts it this way: “And behold, all that he requires of you is to keep his commandments; and he has promised you that if ye would keep his commandments ye should prosper in the land; and he never doth vary from that which he hath said; therefore, if ye do keep his commandments he doth bless you and prosper you. And now, in the first place, he hath created you, and granted unto you your lives, for which ye are indebted unto him. And secondly, he doth require that ye should do as he hath commanded you; for which if ye do, he doth immediately bless you; and therefore he hath paid you. And ye are still indebted unto him, and are, and will be, forever and ever; therefore, of what have ye to boast?
Tithing is just an exercise for us to practice being self-reliant like our Father and in serving others like He does. Like our own children, we practice using our Fathers money.
We need to be self-reliant in what we can.
We need to be faithful in obeying the commandments and paying our tithing.
We are much like children – God's children – who are just learning to get around.
We should show our gratitude in being willing to do whatever we can.
Jacob, Nephi's little brother, just before he bids farewell to his people and to us in the Book of Mormon, speaks eight simple words that are great advise for most any situation. Jacob’s plea was “O be wise; what can I say more?” (Jacob 6:12). He couldn’t think of anything else to say to warn, to urge, to inspire, to motivate. And so he, simply and profoundly, said, “O be wise; what can I say more?”
Through obedience to the commandments, our life here can be a dream and not a nightmare.
May we be so wise. Amen
1 http://www.lds.org/topic/self-reliance/
2 “The Celestial Nature of Self-Reliance”, 1984 President Marion G. Romney (1897–1988) reprinted in Ensign March 2009
3 http://www.lds.org/topic/self-reliance/self-reliance-resources.html
4 http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/I-3.3/index.html
5 http://www.lds.org/scriptures/gs/tithes-tithing
- In my dream, I had moved to a large new city, possibly NYC, with my family.
- We had a new apartment in the city. Shauna and Adrien were there with me.
- I also had a new job and remember driving to work starting at 6am and ending at 9pm that first day. Typical. However I had no recollection as to what I did for that day at work.
- Later that night, I found myself out home teaching with a new home teaching companion to a less active family – a middle aged couple with an unusual number of family members coming and going .. either visiting or still living at home.
- My new companion kept visiting and talking with various family members in other rooms, and I recall being anxious to finish the visit.
- The father himself was late for another appointment and I got the feeling that he also wanted us to wrap up and go. It must have been a good dentist to be open after midnight.
- Eventually I was asked to say a prayer, which I did .. but only after some confusion as he asked “Brother Dan Davies” to say the prayer. Apparently my companions name was Dan and the Father had mixed our names up.
- During the prayer in my dream there was a sound system with a microphone and loud feedback and every little noise was amplified and echoed back as I tried to pray. Some of the children found this very funny and their comments and laughter were also picked up and amplified.
- At the final Amen I was finally ready to leave, but my companion had disappeared again. The Father was trying to go to his appointment and the Mother was trying to start a family meal for all the family who kept popping in and I kept trying to find my companion so that we could drive back to my new apartment.
- I remember a sick realization that I had no idea of how to get back to my family, no phone number to call, no address. I had to rely on my hometeaching companion to remember to come and help me get home.
- I awoke, realizing suddenly that it was just a dream, but remember the feeling of panic that I needed to get home but had no way, on my own, to get there.
We are actually all in this same situation. We have moved here on earth to a new life, a new home, with new careers/employment. We have to rely on others to help us. We do have our family with us, but how are we to keep them safe, and get them and us back to our true 'home' safely?
Topic 1 – The concept of Self-Reliance
The churches definition: “Self-reliance is a simple concept that encourages each of us to take responsibility for our own needs—physical, emotional, spiritual, social, and economic.” 1
"We become self-reliant," explains Julie Beck, then president of the Church's organization for women, "through obtaining sufficient knowledge, education, and literacy; by managing money and resources wisely, being spiritually strong, preparing for emergencies and eventualities; and by having physical health and social and emotional well-being."
Church leader Elder Robert D. Hales outlines ways we can become self-reliant:
- Be ready for rainy-day emergencies
- Avoid excessive debt; be content with what we have
- Use the resources of the earth wisely; don´t be wasteful
- Prepare for the future by making spending and savings plans
- Keep a family or personal budget
- Teach children wise spending habits and help them save for the future
- Obtain an education or vocational training
- Find gainful employment
The Lord's concept of self-reliance for us is much like what we would expect for our own children. He loves us and knows our capabilities and limitations, but expects us to wisely do for ourselves AND for others what we can do ourselves. If we are to grow up to become like him, we must first submit to his will. We must repent and strive to obey all the commandments. We must seek the guidance of the Spirit through prayer and scripture study. As his children, we should willingly strive to do what we can to repay him in whatever small way we can for all that he has and will give us. Only then will we start to be like him.
President Romney taught: “Now, I wish to 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. “The key to making self-reliance spiritual is in using the freedom to comply with God’s commandments. The scriptures are very clear in their command that it is the duty of those who have, to give to those who are in need. “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.2
So what is the our way back home?
The lds.org website summarizes: ”We can become self-reliant by (1) taking advantage of educational opportunities; (2) practising sound principles of nutrition and hygiene; (3) preparing for and obtaining suitable employment; (4) storing a supply of food and clothing to the extent the law allows; (5) managing our resources wisely, including paying tithes and offerings and avoiding debt; and (6) developing spiritual, emotional, and social strength.3
Which brings us to my Topic 2: Tithing
I find it interesting to compare how the Lord administers his tithing program as contrasted with how our world governments try to administer their tax programs. The Canadian Tax Code for example is available online for your reading pleasure .. 248 sections in PDF format at only 11.475 GB to start with.4 Then there are the larger volumes of current forms and regularly revised Canadian Revenue Agency publications, themselves interpreting just how we are to calculate how much to pay to our governments. Repeat that for the Provincial and Municipal governments. Quite a library collection for your office!
The Lord's definition: “A tenth part of a person’s annual increase given to the Lord through the Church, used to build churches and temples, to sustain missionary work, and to build the kingdom of God on earth.”5 That is pretty much it.
In the world, we pay for complex computer programs or hire accountants to calculate and submit forms and documents to determine how much to pay as taxes. We must file annually or face jail time. If we pay too little, we must pay the deficiency or face fines and interest. Taxes we may owe are deducted with each paycheck and if we end up paying too much, the government will happily refund back the overpayment to us at the end of the year (without interest of course).
In the church, we are left to ourselves to determine just how much that tenth part should be. They do not send us a bill or threaten to send us to jail if we do not pay up. We are simply asked, “Do you consider yourself to be a full time tithe payer?” This question is asked annually at tithing settlement and as part of the temple recommend interview. Our honest reply is accepted as our response.
And after we have mastered paying our tithing, is all done? Have we paid up our debt? No. Think of tithing as just the interest portion of the real debt, just the minimum amount that we are being asked to pay now. The principal amount is still unpaid (by us) .. it actually has been or can be paid for us by our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Mosiah 2:22-24 puts it this way: “And behold, all that he requires of you is to keep his commandments; and he has promised you that if ye would keep his commandments ye should prosper in the land; and he never doth vary from that which he hath said; therefore, if ye do keep his commandments he doth bless you and prosper you. And now, in the first place, he hath created you, and granted unto you your lives, for which ye are indebted unto him. And secondly, he doth require that ye should do as he hath commanded you; for which if ye do, he doth immediately bless you; and therefore he hath paid you. And ye are still indebted unto him, and are, and will be, forever and ever; therefore, of what have ye to boast?
Tithing is just an exercise for us to practice being self-reliant like our Father and in serving others like He does. Like our own children, we practice using our Fathers money.
We need to be self-reliant in what we can.
We need to be faithful in obeying the commandments and paying our tithing.
We are much like children – God's children – who are just learning to get around.
We should show our gratitude in being willing to do whatever we can.
Jacob, Nephi's little brother, just before he bids farewell to his people and to us in the Book of Mormon, speaks eight simple words that are great advise for most any situation. Jacob’s plea was “O be wise; what can I say more?” (Jacob 6:12). He couldn’t think of anything else to say to warn, to urge, to inspire, to motivate. And so he, simply and profoundly, said, “O be wise; what can I say more?”
Through obedience to the commandments, our life here can be a dream and not a nightmare.
May we be so wise. Amen
1 http://www.lds.org/topic/self-reliance/
2 “The Celestial Nature of Self-Reliance”, 1984 President Marion G. Romney (1897–1988) reprinted in Ensign March 2009
3 http://www.lds.org/topic/self-reliance/self-reliance-resources.html
4 http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/I-3.3/index.html
5 http://www.lds.org/scriptures/gs/tithes-tithing
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