When we first came on our mission, we really had no
idea what a call to serve in Self-Reliance meant. Now that we have rounded the ¾ mark of our
mission time spent here in France, Belgium and Switzerland, we can truly say
that we are 100% converts to the initiative. We can also say with conviction
that the concept of Self-Reliance is a principle of salvation. The initiative
is inspired and must surely be the “Noah’s ark for our day.” The Lord is in charge, and He knows what is
needed for his people to prepare them for the Second Coming. Doctrine and
Covenants 104:15 “ And is my purpose to provide for my saints for all things
are mine.”
The Self-Reliance Initiative through
its many facets and courses teaches spiritual as well as temporal self-reliance.
To the Lord, all things are spiritual;
they are at no time separate and are interdependent. President Uchtdorf explains that they are like
two sides of a coin that cannot be pulled apart. At first I had a hard time
with the term “spiritual self-reliance” because it seemed to imply that we
could do it all ourselves without the Savior.
But now I understand that it means that we have our own strong and
lasting relationship with the Lord without relying on other human beings for
the foundation of our faith. Our faith is in Christ and we realize that we are
totally dependent on His power and grace. Becoming self-reliant makes us more
like Him, the supreme example of self-reliance who wants us to have the peace,
hope and sense of progress that come from working on and achieving our
self-reliance goals. This is in direct opposition to what the adversary wants
for us; dependence, slavery and misery.
Elder Ballard’s conference address in last April’s 2017
General Conference entitled “Return and Receive” states that those who are most
successful in this life and most prepared for the next are those with a strong vision of where they
are headed and tactical goals to keep them focused. He reminds us that God, the Father has given
us the perfect example of goal setting and planning. His goal is “to bring to pass the immortality
and eternal life of man [and woman], and His means to achieve it is the plan of
salvation."
Self-Reliance courses have an
impressive goal setting component with regular evaluations of where we are,
where we are headed, how we are planning to get there, and then, the crucial
element of “returning and reporting” is featured.
We have planted many seeds on our mission but don’t always get
to see the fruits of our labors. Last
week we were blessed to see the fruits. Last March we had participated in a
ward council meeting where members who could benefit from a Self-Reliance
devotional were identified and invited. We went with the Bishop of the Nancy
ward to find and invite three inactive families to church and our Self-Reliance
fireside. All three families came to
church the next day, stayed for the ward luncheon, and participated in the fireside
that we presented. Better still, one couple signed up for a self-reliance group
and then completed the course. We were privileged
to return for the ceremony months later where participants received their
certificates of completion. We were very
moved by the testimony of this same brother who said the course brought him and
his wife closer together, got them coming to church again, and helped them
learn to pay their tithing among other important goals. We are grateful to have come full circle,
sharing this thrilling moment with visible, unforgettably delicious fruit!
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Self-Reliance Certificate Awarding Ceremony Jessy bearing his testimony about his Self-Reliance experience  Jessy's wife receiving her certificate  Jessy paying his tithing   |
