Self-Reliance

“Self-reliance is the ability, commitment, and effort to provide the spiritual and temporal necessities of life for self and family.”

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches the principle that we each need to be working towards being self-reliant. President Thomas S. Monson has counseled, “[Self-reliance] is an essential element in our spiritual as well as our temporal well-being."

The purpose of becoming spiritually and temporally self-reliant is to become better able to serve the Lord and care for others (see John 15:8). The Savior invites us all to act, to stand independent, and to become as He is. He will help us. He has promised: “It is my purpose to provide for my saints, for all things are mine. But it must needs be done in mine own way” (D&C 104:15–16). His way includes learning and living the principles of self-reliance.

Accepting and living the following principles of self-reliance will help us receive the spiritual and temporal blessings promised by the Lord.

Exercise Faith in Jesus Christ. The Lord has all power. He can and will work great tender mercies among those who trust Him in all things. As we exercise faith in Jesus Christ, He can do miracles.
Be Obedient. Obedience to God’s laws, principles, and promptings leads to spiritual and temporal blessings.
Act. Individual accountability and action activate blessings.
Serve and be united. Service and unity build Zion—this is the way of the Lord. Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said, “Only when we are self-reliant can we truly emulate the Savior in serving and blessing others” (“A Gospel Vision of Welfare: Faith in Action,” in Basic Principles of Welfare and Self-Reliance [booklet, 2009], 2).

We encourage everyone to develop self-reliance skills. The Church provides many practical tools and programs to this end. These programs cross a broad spectrum of real world tools to assist with education, addiction recovery, placement services, personal finances/debt avoidance and much more. Please explore these tools to determine if any of them could be helpful to you in your efforts to become more self-reliant.