Did you know that there were requirements and expectations to be met by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints before they could move to Jackson County, Missouri (Zion) in the 1830’s? They were to:
• Be debt-free
• Have the means to purchase land in Missouri upon arrival
• Consecrate their property to the bishop upon arrival
• Bring enough food and clothing with them to last one year
• Be called to go to Missouri by the Church leaders in Ohio
• Have recommends from Church leaders in Ohio attesting to their worthiness and good standing in the Church
• Present those recommends to Church leaders in Missouri
In other words, they were to be temporally and spiritually self-reliant. Those who met those requirements and expectations would help to build the settlements in Missouri and prepare to build a temple instead of draining strained resources. They would be a benefit instead of a burden to the Church and to the community. Those who went on their own without meeting the requirements had quite the opposite effect.
Being temporally and spiritually self-reliant allows us, like them, to build and contribute rather than take and drain resources. Perhaps that purpose can be kept in mind as you continue your efforts to be self-reliant.
Source: A Commentary on the Doctrine and Covenants, Volume 3 by Stephen E. Robinson and H. Dean Garrett
