Lesson 1: Spiritual And Temporal Well-being

Objective

Each participant will commit to begin improving his or her spiritual and temporal well-being.

Materials for This Lesson

In the Service of Your God DVD (54645)

Statement from the Church Handbook of Instructions

Invite a participant to read the following statement:

“Taking individual responsibility for spiritual well-being and temporal welfare has always been part of gospel living. . . .

“Principles for improving spiritual well-being include:

“Having faith in Jesus Christ. . . .

“Receiving the saving ordinances. . . .

“Praying daily and studying the gospel. . . .

“Obeying God’s commandments. . . .

“Loving God and loving and serving others. . .

“Strengthening the family by praying together, studying the scriptures together, and loving and caring for one another.

“Attending Church meetings. . . .

“Sharing the gospel with friends and relatives. . . .

“Identifying and submitting deceased ancestors’ names for temple ordinances. . . .

“Principles for improving temporal welfare include caring for the poor and needy and becoming self-reliant individually and as families” (Church Handbook of Instructions, Book 2: Priesthood and Auxiliary Leaders [1998], 255).

Ask participants: How do the principles of welfare help us become more like our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ?

Key Points: Defining the Essence of Welfare

Help participants understand the following principles, and discuss them as necessary. Explain that these principles are the essence of Church welfare:

1. All things belong to the Lord (see D&C 104:14).

2. All things are spiritual unto the Lord (see D&C 29:34–35).

3. Temporal well-being includes food, clothing, shelter, health, education, work, and emotional strength.

4. Spiritual well-being includes worshiping God, studying the gospel, strengthening the family, receiving ordinances, and giving service (see Church Handbook of Instructions, Book 2, 255).

5. Spiritual and temporal well-being result from doing the will of the Lord as revealed through His prophets.

Video Presentation: Elijah and the Widow of Zarephath

Show "Elijah and the Widow of Zarephath" (part of the DVD In the Service of Your God), if available or read or tell the story of Elijah and the widow of Zarephath, found in 1 Kings 17:2–24 (see also Jeffrey R. Holland, in Conference Report, Apr. 1996, 38–39; or Ensign, May 1996, 29).

Ask participants: What can we learn from this widow’s example? What did she do to save herself and her son spiritually and temporally? What has our modern prophet counseled us to do to improve our spiritual and temporal well-being? (Answers may include: pay a full tithe; give generous fast offerings; get our houses in order; be modest in expenditures; avoid debt; pay off financial obligations, including mortgages; save a little; put aside food storage; and reach out a helping hand to others. [See Conference Report, Oct. 1998, 69–72; or Ensign, Nov. 1998, 52–54. See also Conference Report, Oct. 2001, 89–90; or Ensign, Nov. 2001, 73–74 .])

Additional Teachings from Church Leaders

Share the following statements with participants as desired:

“Our primary purpose was to set up, in so far as it might be possible, a system under which the curse of idleness would be done away with, the evils of a dole abolished, and independence, industry, thrift and self respect be once more established amongst our people. The aim of the Church is to help the people to help themselves” (First Presidency, in Conference Report, Oct. 1936, 4).

“To every man and woman . . . in this Church who pays an honest tithing, be it large or small, I express gratitude for the faith that is in your hearts. . . . I express appreciation to those who pay a fast offering. This costs the giver nothing other than going without two meals a month. It becomes the backbone of our welfare program” (Gordon B. Hinckley, in Conference Report, Oct. 2001, 90; or Ensign, Nov. 2001, 74).

“Let us have some food set aside that would sustain us for a time in case of need. But let us not panic or go to extremes. Let us be prudent in every respect” (Gordon B. Hinckley, in Conference Report, Oct. 2001, 89; or Ensign, Nov. 2001, 73).

“Too many in the Church have failed to avoid unnecessary debt. They have little, if any, financial reserve. The solution is to budget, to live within our means, and to save some for the future” (Thomas S. Monson, “Guiding Principles of Personal and Family Welfare,” Ensign, Sept. 1986, 3).

“The purpose of the welfare program is to care for the poor and the needy and make the members of the Church, by their obedience to gospel principles, strong and self-reliant” (James E. Faust, in Conference Report, April 1986, 24; or Ensign, May 1986, 20).

Practice

Invite participants to evaluate personally how well they are following the counsel the prophet and other Church leaders have given about spiritual and temporal well-being. Invite them to select one or two areas in which they could improve and make and implement specific plans to begin improving immediately.

Testify that the blessings of following the prophet’s counsel are both spiritual and temporal.