September 2013 Visiting Teaching Message

06 October

Visiting Teaching MessagesThe Visiting Teaching Message for September 2013 is on Self-Reliance, and focuses on being temporally and spiritually self-reliant.

Being self-reliant in and of itself is a good thing. We should desire to be a little more self-reliant and not be dependent on individuals or government programs to provide for us. However it’s when the desire to be so self– reliant makes you think it’s all up to you, and you don’t need God’s provision or help you run the risk of being under His condemnation.

One of the things the Mormon Church prides itself on is its food storage program. Church leaders counsel members to have an ample supply of food, water and other necessities. Ideally members are to begin by working on a three month supply of food storage items, then a year and then three years if possible.

Items are to be rotated regularly, and members must have a generous supply to feed and see to the needs each family member. The reason they feel they must store all this food and supplies is in case of disaster, any disaster. Mormons believe that one day they will have to live off of the food they stored away. They believe God has given them this special foreknowledge that no one else has, and they are ready and willing to do all they can to follow this command.

As a Mormon I wondered what would happen to all my food storage if my area was hit by a tornado, floods or if my house was destroyed by fire. I would lose all the money I invested in my food storage. I wonder how many Mormons have thought of that?

When it comes to spiritual self-reliance they believe this happens by being obedient to Mormon doctrine, partaking of the sacrament, “living the covenants” and remaining worthy of a temple recommend.

Again they are relying on their own works. They have no concept of what it means to rest in Jesus and trust in Him to meet our spiritual and temporally needs. As I thought about what I wanted to say in this article two verses stood out in my mind, they were:

Matthew 6:8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

Matthew 6:26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

God is very much aware of our needs. He’s more than willing to help if we just go to Him, and ask.

In Christ, Melissa Grimes

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