BEING SELF-SUFFICIENT

In the Doctrine and Covenants, Section 42, the laws governing the consecration of properties are set forth for the members of the Church. D&C 42:42 states, "Thou shalt not be idle; for he that is idle shall not eat the bread nor wear the garments of the laborer."

A friend related the following story in a Sacrament Meeting. "I was working at the front door of the Tropicana Hotel in Las Vegas." This man's occupation was a heavy- duty equipment operator. He continuted, "There was this black cat that roamed the parking lots and was very proficient at hunting for its own food. It looked like a miniature black panther as it stalked its prey. It had beautiful shiny fur and a powerful neck that was very thick and strong. I had seen it jump several feet into the air and pull down a pigeon as it tried to fly away. Some of the parking attendants were intrigued by this impressive animal and tried to coax it to them without any success. This cat was very self-sufficient and independent and would not come near people. Not being satisfied with the cat's rejection, some of the guys started bringing cat food to work and would leave it out for the cat to find. Well, to make a long story short, the cat eventually started eating the free and easy food. It started eating on the sly at first, but then gradually began eating the food whenever it was put out. Finally the cat resorted to just hanging around the front door of the hotel and crying and begging for food. The cat soon lost its beautiful shiny fur and its powerful body. It became just a pitiful looking alley cat." (Story related by Charles Leavitt.)

The moral of this story is very obvious and certainly speaks volumes concerning our need to provide for ourselves even when it is difficult to do so. The wisdom of our leaders encouraging us to engage in provident living; (i.e., food storage, money reserves, free from debt, etc.), provides us with much more than resources in times of emergency. Wouldn't you agree?

Love, Kathi