Work is the means of accomplishment; it is the opposite of idleness. We cannot be self-reliant without being willing to work. Work is physical, mental, or spiritual effort. The Lord has commanded us to work, for work is the source of happiness, self-esteem, and prosperity. Work also builds and refines character. There may be times when a person's capacity to work is not sufficient to meet needs, in which case assistance may be received from the family or the Church. When possible, those who receive welfare assistance should be given opportunities to work for what they receive, for work helps sustain dignity and productivity. Work contributed by those receiving assistance is also essential to the proper functioning of Church welfare operations.

"As a boy I saw how all, young and old, worked and worked hard. We knew that we were taming the Arizona desert. But had I been wiser then, I would have realized that we were taming ourselves, too. Honest toil in subduing sagebrush, taming deserts, channeling rivers, helps to take the wildness out of man's environment but also out of him. The disdain for work among some today may merely signal the return of harshness and wildness—perhaps not to our landscape but to some people. The dignity and self-esteem that honest work produces are essential to happiness" (Spencer W. Kimball, "Listen to the Prophets," Ensign, May 1978, 78).