One definition of stewardship is “the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care.”
Doctrine and Covenants 72:3-4 helps to put into perspective the value of our earthly or temporal stewardships.
“…for it is required of the Lord, at the hand of every steward, to render an account of his stewardship, both in time and in eternity. For he who is faithful and wise in time is accounted worthy to inherit the mansions prepared for him of my Father.”
Brigham Young’s teachings conform with section 72. He rhetorically questioned “If you are without bread, how much wisdom can you boast, and of what real utility are your talents, if you cannot procure for yourselves and save against a day of scarcity those substances designed to sustain your natural lives?…If you cannot provide for your natural lives, how can you expect to have wisdom to obtain eternal lives?” (Journal of Discourses, vol. 8, p. 68.)
Those teachings and questions put preparedness and self-reliance into better perspective and give more importance to them than just being something nice to do or advisable or common sense. Preparedness and self-reliance actually prepare us to live with our Father in Heaven again. Shouldn’t that affect the priority you give them?
