Please read: Becoming Provident Providers Temporally and Spiritually" by Elder Robert D. Hales in May 2009 Ensign
taught by Alison Jaehne in Relief Society May 24, 2009
What is a provident provider? It sounds redundant, like a giving giver or a mothering mother. The definition of provident provider ? A provider is obviously one who provides. When we think of the root word 'provide' we think it means 'to pay the living expenses of.' But it does have more meanings. To provide is to make preparations to meet a need, to supply something for sustenance or support. Here is what I found interesting: In the Latin origin of the word, 'providere' means pro- forward and videre- to see. To see forward. Before the translation, the word provide literally means to see ahead. The definition of provident means to make provisions for the future, being prudent, frugal, and saving. Provision comes from the same root word as provide; it is the act of providing, the fact or state of being prepared beforehand, a stock of needed materials or supplies. 'Provident' is being careful in the management of money and resources; it means having or showing awareness of and preparation for the future.
What do we know about the future from the prophets and the scriptures? It will be difficult. We will be tested. Wars. Calamities. Diseases. I personally think that this swine flu scare is a loving warning from Heavenly Father to help us to be prepared for future events. It is highly possible that something could happen that could keep us in our homes for weeks at a time. Are we ready? I received an email from a preparedness advocate that said we need to prepare for a real flu epidemic. It would be risky to go out in public. We need enough toilet paper for all the flu victims in our family and garbage bags to carry out the infected waste. The hospitals would be overloaded and only the sickest would be there and they would get even sicker there. Our homes might need to be like mini hospitals with clean and sick areas. We need enough diapers and cleaning supplies to keep it sanitary and gloves and masks to keep from getting sick. Here is where I put in a plug for Visiting Teaching and Home Teaching: What if our only contact with the church for a time is through VT and HT? Do we know and love the people we VT? The VT and HT program is a wonderful communication system. In about nine phone calls down the levels of leadership, the prophet himself could get a message into each of our homes in a very short period of time. He calls the Twelve, who call the area reps, who call the stake presidents, who call the bishops, who call councilors who call the ward presidents who call the VT and HT supervisors who call the visiting teacher and home teachers who already call and visit our homes once a month. This is hypothetical, but it could happen. Even Salt Lake City had a tornado. I watched a TV program about a family with 18 kids in Arkansas who in January, suffered a devastating 5 day ice storm which knocked out their electricity for about three weeks. At the peak of the damage, 600,000 homes were without power. Many homes and businesses were without power for a month! Are we prepared to live without electricity? We need to be prepared and self-reliant temporally and spiritually.
At the opening of this century, President Joseph F. Smith explained the importance of temporal salvation and its relationship to spiritual salvation: “You must continue to bear in mind that the temporal and spiritual are blended. They are not separate. One cannot be carried on without the other, so long as we are here in mortality. … The Latter-day Saints believe not only in the gospel of spiritual salvation, but also in the gospel of temporal salvation. We have to look after the cattle, … the gardens and the farms, … and other necessary things for the maintenance of ourselves and our families in the earth. … We do not feel that it is possible for men to be really good and faithful Christian people unless they can also be good, faithful, honest and industrious people. Therefore, we preach the gospel of industry, the gospel of economy, the gospel of sobriety.” (Gospel Doctrine, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1939, p. 208)
I wanted to point out that we have complete control over our spiritual state but as women, we don't always have complete control over our abilities as a temporal provider: In the words of the Lord: “Women have claim on their husbands for their maintenance, until their husbands are taken...All children have claim upon their parents for their maintenance until they are of age.” (D&C 85:2, 4.) We are usually dependent on our husbands for the money they make and spend. It is a team effort. We are part of the team, however strong or weak that is. Are we doing our part? Do we encourage lavish spending, especially on ourselves and our homes? Are we learning how to do more with less? Do we know how to cook with food storage and make it delicious? Do we pray for our team and offer encouragement and support or do we complain that there is not enough? Regardless of how much money our spouse makes or how he spends the family money, we are responsible to be stewards over our earthly blessings, in whatever condition we are in. While our free agency applies to all facets of life, with respect for temporal affairs the Lord makes this specific elaboration: “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) (Marion G. Romney, “Principles of Temporal Salvation,” Ensign, Apr 1981)
"All of us are responsible to provide for ourselves and our families in both temporal and spiritual ways. To provide providently, we must practice the principles of provident living: 1) joyfully living within our means, [the joyful part is a spiritual condition] 2) being content with what we have, [spiritual] 3) avoiding excessive debt, [temporal] and 4) diligently saving and preparing for rainy-day emergencies.[temporal] When we live providently, we can provide for ourselves and our families and also follow the Savior’s example to serve and bless others." (Elder Hales) The spiritual principles of being a provident provider are completely within our control. If there is a time when we might need help temporally, we can still be a giant spiritually and help those who help us. What are the principles we are teaching our children by our example?
"Brothers and sisters, as did President Monson, our children are growing up in times of economic uncertainty. Just as our grandparents and great-grandparents learned vital lessons through economic adversity, what we learn now, in our present circumstances, can bless us and our posterity for generations to come." What economic lessons have we learned from our grandparents? Waste not want not. Be grateful for every morsel of food you have. etc.
"Today I speak to all whose freedom to choose has been diminished by the effects of ill-advised choices of the past. I speak specifically of choices that have led to excessive debt and addictions to food, drugs, pornography, [He puts debt and all addictions together in a category of excess behavior] and other patterns of thought and action that diminish one’s sense of self-worth. All of these excesses affect us individually and undermine our family relationships. Of course some debt incurred for education, a modest home, or a basic automobile may be necessary to provide for a family. Unfortunately however, additional debt is incurred when we cannot control our wants and addictive impulses. And for both debt and addiction, the hopeful solution is the same—we must turn to the Lord and follow His commandments. We must want more than anything else to change our lives so that we can break the cycle of debt and our uncontrolled wants. I pray that in the next few minutes, and throughout this conference, you will be filled with hope in our Savior, Jesus Christ, and find hope in the doctrines of His restored gospel. Our challenges, including those we create by our own decisions, are part of our test in mortality. Let me assure you that your situation is not beyond the reach of our Savior. Through Him, every struggle can be for our experience and our good (see D&C 122:7). Each temptation we overcome is to strengthen us, not destroy us. The Lord will never allow us to suffer beyond what we can endure (see 1 Corinthians 10:13). We must remember that the adversary knows us extremely well. He knows where, when, and how to tempt us. If we are obedient to the promptings of the Holy Ghost, we can learn to recognize the adversary’s enticements. Before we yield to temptation, we must learn to say with unflinching resolve, “Get thee behind me, Satan” (Matthew 16:23). Our success is never measured by how strongly we are tempted but by how faithfully we respond. We must ask for help from our Heavenly Father and seek strength through the Atonement of His Son, Jesus Christ. In both temporal and spiritual things, obtaining this divine assistance enables us to become provident providers for ourselves and others." (Elder Hales)
Elder Hales gives two lessons in provident living that could help us to overcome the patterns of debt and addiction to temporal, worldly things. One lesson he learned when he and his wife were poor. He encouraged her to buy a pretty dress. When she saw the price tag, she quickly walked out of the store. The words she said, "We can't afford it," went straight to his heart as words of love. She must have said it in a loving way! The other lesson he learned was when they had more money and he wanted to buy her an expensive coat. Being a loving and dedicated Relief Society President at the time, she said, "Where would I wear it?" Then she taught Elder Hales a valuable lesson, she looked into his eyes and sweetly asked, "Are you buying this for me or for you?" In other words, she was asking, "Is the purpose of this gift to show me that you love me or to show me that you are a good provider or to prove something to the world?" Elder Hales pondered his motives and realized he was thinking less about her and their family and more about himself. What are our true motives in wanting to buy and own worldly things? What is our motivation for anything we do? Even in teaching this lesson, what are my motives? Am I trying to impress you with my knowledge and my good looks and my wit? ha ha. Or am I focused on being a righteous vehicle through which the Spirit can convey the right message to you? The Lord knows, and we will be held accountable for the conditions of our hearts.
"The world tells us that those who have more worldly possessions are somehow better than everyone else. Is that true? The Lord says he is no respecter of persons and we are guilty of evil thoughts if we respect a man in fine clothing and treat him better than a man in rags. (James 2:1-9) Let every man esteem his brother as himself...I say unto you be one, and if ye are not one ye are not mine. (D&C 38:25-27) ...Perhaps we can best state these mutual responsibilities in this manner: The immediate family is obligated to help each other; the extended family has the opportunity to help each other. And when our vision of Christlike love matures, we will joyfully take advantage of the opportunities to help others temporally and spiritually... In addition to help for the needy among us, it is important to remember that all of us have need of the welfare program and one fundamental reason is because our Father is trying to teach us many important eternal truths—the most fundamental of which is love or charity. There is growth incalculable to the human soul when it steps outside of itself and concerns itself with others. Since that is the major work of our Father in Heaven—to work joyously for the advancement and progression of others—how could we think to receive all that he has unless we implement deeply into our own lives his motivations of love, thereby truly becoming his sons and daughters?" (Marion G. Romney, “Principles of Temporal Salvation,” Ensign, Apr 1981) This wonderful talk by Marion G. Romney explains how we are responsible to take care of our families and must turn to them for help before we turn to the Bishop.
I know that these principles are true. I felt the joy of hard work and of self-reliance as well as the joy of giving. I have felt truly blessed in my life as I strive to live by these principles. I say this in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
