Gospel Principles
Unit 7: Perfecting Our Lives
Chapter 27: Work and Personal Responsibility
Comments and Resources

'President Heber J. Grant stated: "Work is to be re-enthroned as the ruling principle of the lives of our Church membership."  (in Conference Report, Oct. 1936, p. 3).

"Let us realize that the privilege to work is a gift, that the power to work is a blessing, that the love of work is success."  (David O. McKay, quoted in Franklin D. Richards, "The Gospel of Work,"  Impovement Era, Dec. 1969, p. 103).  

"[Diligence is] determination, perservance, application to duty, zeal, industry, and heed to counsel.  Continuing diligence in church service is a mark of testimony, conversion, and spiritual stability"  (Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p. 197). 

During the study of this topic, we will learn that the Lord expects all men to work for what they receive, that he does not approve of idleness, and that we must work to gain eternal life.

Resources
Gospel Principles, chapter 27.
Truth Restored, chapters 7, 11, 12.

Scriptures :
Jacob 1:7  Wherefore we labored diligently among our people, that we might persuade them to come unto Christ, and partake of the goodness of God, that they might enter into his rest, lest by any means he should swear in his wrath they should not enter in, as in the provocation in the days of temptation while the children of Israel were in the wilderness. 

Mosiah 1:11  And moreover, I shall give this people a name, that thereby they may be distinguished above all the people which the Lord God hath brought out of the land of Jerusalem; and this I do because they have been a diligent people in keeping the commandments of the Lord. 


Alma 18:7-10
  7 Now it was the practice of these Lamanites to stand by the waters of Sebus to scatter the flocks of the people, that thereby they might drive away many that were scattered unto their own land, it being a practice of plunder among them. 
  8 And it came to pass that king Lamoni inquired of his servants, saying: Where is this man that has such great power? 
  9 And they said unto him: Behold, he is feeding thy horses. Now the king had commanded his servants, previous to the time of the watering of their flocks, that they should prepare his horses and chariots, and conduct him forth to the land of Nephi; for there had been a great feast appointed at the land of Nephi, by the father of Lamoni, who was king over all the land. 
  10 Now when king Lamoni heard that Ammon was preparing his horses and his chariots he was more astonished, because of the faithfulness of Ammon, saying: Surely there has not been any servant among all my servants that has been so faithful as this man; for even he doth remember all my commandments to execute them. 

Helaman 10:4  Blessed art thou, Nephi, for those things which thou hast done; for I have beheld how thou hast with unwearyingness declared the word, which I have given unto thee, unto this people. And thou hast not feared them, and hast not sought thine own life, but hast sought my will, and to keep my commandments. 

D&C 4; 24:7-9, 75:3-5; 106
D&C 4  <http://Scriptures.lds.org/en/dc/4>  Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet to his father, Joseph Smith, Sen., at Harmony, Pennsylvania, February 1829. HC 1: 28. 
1-4, Valiant service saves the Lord s ministers; 5-6, Godly attributes qualify them for the ministry; 7, Things of God must be sought after. 

D&C 24:7-9
  7 For thou shalt devote all thy service in Zion; and in this thou shalt have strength. 
  8 Be patient in afflictions, for thou shalt have many; but endure them, for, lo, I am with thee, even unto the end of thy days. 
  9 And in temporal labors thou shalt not have strength, for this is not thy calling. Attend to thy calling and thou shalt have wherewith to magnify thine office, and to expound all Scriptures , and continue in laying on of the hands and confirming the churches. 

D&C 75  <http://Scriptures.lds.org/en/dc/75>
Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, at Amherst, Ohio, January 25, 1832. HC 1: 242 245. The occasion was that of a conference previously appointed. At this conference Joseph Smith was sustained and ordained President of the High Priesthood. Certain elders, who had encountered difficulty in bringing men to an understanding of their message, desired to learn more in detail as to their immediate duties. This revelation followed. 1-5, Faithful elders who preach the gospel will gain eternal life; 6-12, Pray to receive the Comforter, which teaches all things; 13-22, Elders shall sit in judgment on those who reject their message; 23-36, Families of missionaries are to receive help from the Church. 



Matthew 25:15-46 <http://Scriptures.lds.org/en/matt/25/15-46#15> Parable of the talents

2 Thessalonians 3:13  But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing. 


Topical Guide: <http://Scriptures.lds.org/en/tg/contents> 
                        Trustworthiness
                        Valiant
                        Valiantly
                        Work
                        Work, Value of



Concept 1: Work Is an Eternal Principle

'Our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have shown us by their examples and teachings that work is important in heaven and on earth.  God worked to create the heavens and the earth.  He causes the seas to gather in one place and the dry land to appear.  He caused grass, herbs, and trees to grow on the land.  He created the sun, the moon, and the stars.  He created every living thing in the sea or on the land.  Then he placed Adam and Eve on the earth to take care of it and to govern the other creatures. 

(Genesis 1:1-28
"1. IN the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
2. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness [was] upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
3. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
4. And God saw the light, that [it was] good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
5. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
6. And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.
7. And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which [were] under the firmament from the waters which [were] above the firmament: and it was so.
8. And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.
9. And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry [land] appear: and it was so.
10. And God called the dry [land] Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that [it was] good.
11. And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, [and] the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed [is] in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
12. And the earth brought forth grass, [and] herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed [was] in itself, after his kind: and God saw that [it was] good.
13. And the evening and the morning were the third day.
14. And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:
15. And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.
16. And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: [he made] the stars also.
17. And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,
18. And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that [it was] good.
19. And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.
20. And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl [that] may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.
21. And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that [it was] good.
22. And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.
23. And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.
24. And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.
25. And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that [it was] good.
26. And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
27. So God created man in his [own] image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
28. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.").

Jesus said, "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work" (John 5:17).  He also said, "I work the works of him that sent me" (John 9:4).

Discussion 
John 9:4 "I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work."

Why is work an eternal principle?
Who set the example of work?'



Concept 2: We Are Commanded to Work

'Work has been the way of life on earth since Adam and Eve left the Garden of Eden.  The Lord said to Adam, "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread" (Genesis 3:19).  Adam and Eve worked in the fields so they could provide for their own needs and the needs of their children (Moses 5:1 "And it came to pass that after I, the Lord God, had driven them out, that Adam began to till the earth, and to have dominion over all the beast of the field, and to eat his bread by the sweat of his brow, as I the Lord had commanded him.  And Eve, also, his wife, did labor with him.).  

The Lord said to the people of Israel, "Six days shalt thou labor" (Exodus 20:9).  

In the early days of the restored Church, the Lord told the Latter-day Saints, "Now, I, the Lord, am not well pleased with the inhabitants of Zion, for there are idlers among them". (D&C 68:31).

In this century, a prophet of God has said, "Work is to be reenthroned as the ruling principle of the lives of our Church membership" (Heber J. Grant, in Conference Report, Oct 1936, p 3.).

Discussion

What would happen if people did not work?'



Concept 3: Family Responsibility

'Parents work together to provide for the physical, spiritual, and emotional well-being of their family.  They should never expect anyone to take care of this responsibility for them.  The Apostle Paul wrote, "If any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith" (1 Timothy 5:8).

Couples should seek inspiration from the Lord and follow the counsel of the prophets when establishing individual responsibilities.  Creating a home where principles of the gospel are taught daily and where love and order abound is as important as providing the basic necessities of food and clothing.

Children should do their part in the work of the family.  It is necessary for children to have work assignments to fit their abilities.  They need to be praised for their successes.  Good work attitudes, habits, and skills are learned through successful experiences in the home.  

Sometimes people encounter hardships when trying to provide for their families.  Chronic illness, the lost of a spouse, or the addition of an elderly parent can add to the responsibilities in a home.  Our Heavenly Father remembers the families in these situations and gives them the strength to carry out their duties.  He will always bless them if they ask him in faith.

Discussion

List the responsibilities of maintaining a home.  Let members decide what they can do to share in the work.'


Concept 4: We Can Enjoy Our Work

'To some people work is a drudgery.  To others it is an exciting part of life.  One way to enjoy life's fullest benefits is to learn to love work.

Not all of us can choose the kind of work we do.  Some of us labor for long hours for the bare necessities.  It is difficult to enjoy such work.  Yet the happiest people have learned to enjoy their work, whatever it is.

We can help one another in our work.  The heaviest load becomes lighter when someone shares it.

Our attitude toward work is very important.  The following story shows how one man saw beyond his daily labor.  A traveler passed a stone quarry and saw three men working.  He asked each man what he was doing.  Each man's answer revealed a different attitude toward the same job.  "I'm cutting stone" the first man answered.  The second replied, "I am earning three gold pieces per day."  The third man smiled and said, "I am helping build a house of God."

In any honest work we can serve God.  King Benjamin, a Nephite prophet, said, "When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God" (Mosiah 2:17).  If our work provides only enough for necessities for ourselves of our families, we are still helping some of God's children.

Discussion

How does our attitude affect our work?
How can we improve our attitude?'



Concept 5: God Condemns Idleness and Gain Obtained from Evil or Idle Practices.

'The Lord is not pleased with those who are lazy or idle.  He said, "The idler shall not have place in the church, except he repent and mend his ways" (D&C 75:29).  He also commanded, "Thou shalt not be idle; for he that is idle shall not eat the bread nor wear the garments of the laborer" (D&C 42:42).

From the earliest days of the Church, the prophets have taught Later-day Saints to be independent and self-sustaining and to avoid idleness.  True Later-day Saints will not voluntarily shift from themselves the burden of their own support.  So long as they are able they will supply themselves and their families with the necessities of life.

As far as they are able all Church members should accept the responsibility to care for their relatives who are unable to provide for themselves.

God condemns receiving gain from evil and idle pursuits.  Elder Spencer W. Kimball said, "I feel strongly that men who accept wages or salary and do not give [fair] time, energy, devotion, and service are receiving money that is not clean."  He also said that money obtained by evil or idle practices, such as theft, gambling, (including lotteries, graft, illegal drugs, oppression of the poor, and the like is unclean money.

Elder Kimball defined the difference between honorable work and evil work: "Clean money is that [pay] received for a full day's honest work.  It is that reasonable pay for faithful service.  It is that fair profit from the sale of goods, commodities, or service.  It is that income received from transactions where all parties profit.  Filthy lucre is...money...obtained through theft and robbery,...gambling,...sinful operations,...bribery, and from exploitation"  (in Conference Report, Oct. 1953, P 52).

Discussion

Think about the effects of idleness in your community.  What are the effects of idleness on an individual or family? 
How can idleness lead people into sinful practices?'



Concept 6: Work, Rest, and Relaxation

'We should each find the proper balance between work, rest, and relaxation.  There is an old saying:  "Doing nothing is the hardest work of all, because one can never stop to rest."   Without work, rest and relaxation have no meaning.

Not only is it pleasant and necessary to rest, but we are commanded to rest on the Sabbath day (Exodus 20:10 "But the seventh day [is] the sabbath of the LORD thy God: [in it] thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that [is] within thy gates:"; 
D&C 59:9-12 "9. And that thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world, thou shalt go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day; 
10. For verily this is a day appointed unto you to rest from your labors, and to pay thy devotions unto the Most High; 
11. Nevertheless thy vows shall be offered up in righteousness on all days and at all times; 
12. But remember that on this, the Lord's day, thou shalt offer thine oblations and thy sacraments unto the Most High, confessing thy sins unto thy brethren, and before the Lord.").  
This day of rest after each six days of labor brings refreshment for the days that follow.  The Lord also promises the fullness of the earth" to those who observe the Sabbath day (D&C 59:16-20 "16. Verily I say, that inasmuch as ye do this, the fulness of the earth is yours, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and that which climbeth upon the trees and walketh upon the earth; 
17. Yea, and the herb, and the good things which come of the earth, whether for food or for raiment, or for houses, or for barns, or for orchards, or for gardens, or for vineyards;  
18. Yea, all things which come of the earth, in the season thereof, are made for the benefit and the use of man, both to please the eye and to gladden the heart; 
19. Yea, for food and for raiment, for taste and for smell, to strengthen the body and to enliven the soul.  
20. And it pleaseth God that he hath given all these things unto man; for unto this end were they made to be used, with judgment, not to excess, neither by extortion."; see also chapter 24, "The Sabbath Day".)  

On other days of the week we should schedule some time when we can visit with family, friends, and relatives.  We may spend time to improve our talents and enjoy our hobbies, recreation, or other activities that will refresh us.

Discussion

Why is it important to rest and relax from work?
Why is it important to keep a balance in life between work, play, rest and education?'



Concept 7: The Blessings of Work

'God revealed to Adam, "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread (Genesis 3:19).  In addition to being a temporal law, this was a law for the salvation of Adam's soul.  There is no real division between spiritual, mental, and physical work.  Work is essential to each of us for growth, character development, and many satisfactions that the idle never know.

"The happiest man is he who has toiled hard and successfully in his life work.  The work may be done in a thousand different ways; with the brain or the hands, in the study, the field, or the workshop; if it is honest work, honestly done and well worth doing, that is all we have a right to ask"  (Theodore Roosevelt, A Nation of Pioneers, quoted by Richard L. Evans, Improvement Era, Nov. 1963, p. 984).  President David O. McKay said, "Let us realize that the privilege to work is a gift, that the power to work is a blessing, that the love of work is success" (quoted by Franklin D. Richards, "The Gospel of Work," Improvement Era, Dec. 1969, p. 103).

"Men are, that they might have joy" (2 Nephi 2:25).  Work is a key to full joy in the plan of God.  If we are righteous, we will return to live with our Heavenly Father, and we will have work to do.  As we become like him, our work will become like his work.  His work is "to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man" (Moses 1:39).

Discussion

List the blessings that come from work.
Discuss the blessings that we enjoy because of honest labor.

Additional Scriptures 

Moses 4:23-25 (Adam told that he would work all his life for his food)
  23 And unto Adam, I, the Lord God, said: Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the fruit of the tree of which I commanded thee, saying Thou shalt not eat of it, cursed shall be the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life. 
  24 Thorns also, and thistles shall it bring forth to thee, and thou shalt eat the herb of the field. 
  25 By the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, until thou shalt return unto the ground for thou shalt surely die for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou wast, and unto dust shalt thou return. 


D&C 56:16-17 (God warns the rich and poor against greed, envy and laziness)
  16 Wo unto you rich men, that will not give your substance to the poor, for your riches will canker your souls; and this shall be your lamentation in the day of visitation, and of judgment, and of indignation: The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and my soul is not saved! 
  17 Wo unto you poor men, whose hearts are not broken, whose spirits are not contrite, and whose bellies are not satisfied, and whose hands are not stayed from laying hold upon other men s goods, whose eyes are full of greediness, and who will not labor with your own hands! 


D&C 58:26-29 (men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause)
  26 For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward. 
  27 Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness; 
  28 For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward. 
  29 But he that doeth not anything until he is commanded, and receiveth a commandment with doubtful heart, and keepeth it with slothfulness, the same is damned. 


Matthew 25:14-30  (parable of the talents)


Ephesians 4:28 (steal no more but rather labor)
28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. 

1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 (work with your own hands)
 11 And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; 
 12 That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing. 


2 Nephi 5:17 (Nephi taught his people to work and be industrious).'
17 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did cause my people to be industrious, and to labor with their hands. 


-----------------
Moroni 10:4-5
"4. And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. 
5. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things."

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