Scripture Blog

This weblog is my personal online scripture journal. I try to read the scriptures each morning as I exercise on my cross-trainer. It has a great impact on my life and my testimony of the Savior and his restored church. The journal is really for my own benefit but I have set it up as a web log in hopes to benefit anyone else that may be interested. "For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost..." 1 Nephi 10:19

Friday, January 30, 2009

D&C 83

As part of the plan, the Lord made His will clear regarding responsibilities of spouses and the Church in regards to temporal matters saying -

"...in addition to the laws of the church concerning women and children, those who belong to the church, who have lost their husbands or fathers:
2 Women have claim on their husbands for their maintenance, until their husbands are taken..." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 83:1 - 2)

And -

"All children have claim upon their parents for their maintenance until they are of age." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 83:4)

Reading between the lines would also suggest the husbands and fathers have an obligation to provide for their wives and children. The Church or in other words, the saints then have an obligation such that -

"...after that, they have claim upon the church, or in other words upon the Lord's storehouse, if their parents have not wherewith to give them inheritances.
6 And the storehouse shall be kept by the consecrations of the church; and widows and orphans shall be provided for, as also the poor." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 83:5 - 6)

There seems to be an order of priority presented here by the Lord. The first obligation is upon the Father and family to be self reliant. Then it seems to fall upon the parents or family if their adult children are struggling in matters of self reliance and temporal needs. The last option is the consecrations of the Church. President Spencer W. Kimball said -

"The Church and its members are commanded by the Lord to be self-reliant and independent. (See D&C 78:13–14.)

The responsibility for each person’s social, emotional, spiritual, physical, or economic well-being rests first upon himself, second upon his family, and third upon the Church if he is a faithful member thereof.

No true Latter-day Saint, while physically or emotionally able will voluntarily shift the burden of his own or his family’s well-being to someone else. So long as he can, under the inspiration of the Lord and with his own labors, he will supply himself and his family with the spiritual and temporal necessities of life. (See
1 Timothy 5:8.)” (In Conference Report, Oct. 1977, p. 124; or Ensign, Nov. 1977, pp. 77–78.)