Self Reliance

I bet you thought I had forgotten you this week, but have no fear. I have only spent my blog time with a cousin who just discovered me. What a delight it is to find someone who is interested in the family I have been searching for decades!
Onward to a short bit about our lesson this week. Laurie Erickson spoke about self reliance, using a couple talks by N. Romney ( not the presidential candidate, but yes, his family), one being The Celestial Nature of Self Reliance.
http://www.lds.org/ensign/1984/06/the-celestial-nature-of-self-reliance?lang=eng
http://www.lds.org/ensign/1981/04/principles-of-temporal-salvation?lang=eng
Along with these wonderful words of council, was an active discussion about what it means to be self reliant. There is physical self reliance and spiritual reliance. Each part is essential to our success here and in the world to come.  We can prepare ourselves by getting an education of whatever kind we will need, manage our money wisely, have sufficient food stored in case of an emergency, etc.
There is a positive upward movement when we look at the things involved in becoming self reliant. We first of all have the agency to choose how and if we will prepare. If we choose the self reliance path, we will try to live the laws of God and nature, which spurs the desire to learn and grow which hopefully brings us joy, leading to charity, the pure love of Christ. If we strive to strengthen our spiritual self reliance through these steps, we can garner the best in our lives. A silly question is, would you like the best the Lord has to offer or are you happy to settle for the bargain basement gift?  No answer from me on that one but I think we can all take time to ponder our choices and actions to see where we are headed. Thank goodness we can make corrections all along our way. In making good choices, we gain emotional peace ( what a gift that is!!) and become confident, leading to a stronger self esteem.
In closing for our earthly journey, we can be of good cheer because:

“For it is expedient that I, the Lord, should make every man accountable, as a steward over earthly blessings, which I have made and prepared for my creatures.”

“For the earth is full, and there is enough and to spare; yea, I prepared all things, and have given unto the children of men to be agents unto themselves.” (D&C 104:13, 17; emphasis added.)

Your obsessed family history nut bloggess,

Janice