Often, members of the church associate self-reliance with food storage, so teenagers often think it has nothing to do with them. However, the commandment to become self-reliant involves far more than just food, and the time to become self-reliant is while you’re young. If you can achieve this as a teenager, your adult life will be far more successful and productive.
Self-reliance in your own life means to take responsibility for those things you should be in charge of. If you joined the church without your family, you have probably already taken responsibility for living the gospel. After all, your non-LDS parents are probably not going to remind you to pray or to do your seminary homework. It’s likely they won’t enforce the Word of Wisdom unless it was already part of your life.
Even if you did join the church with your family, you should begin to take responsibility for these things yourself. The gospel is individual and you are accountable for your own choices. You’re unable to blame your parents if you don’t stop swearing, for instance.
Make a list of the parts of the gospel and of your life you should be in charge of yourself. You should be getting yourself up for seminary, doing your chores without reminders, taking on additional chores whenever possible without being asked, and reading your scriptures, for instance. Taking responsibility for your own life gives you more control over it.
When you do your chores without being asked, your parents soon learn to trust you to do them. They won’t nag because they’ll know that if one day, when things aren’t going well, you are late, that you will still get to them that day.
When you read your scriptures and pray each day without reminder, your Heavenly Father learns to trust you. What a wonderful gift it is to be a person your Heavenly Father can count on.
“We must not be nearly dependable, but always dependable. Let us be faithful in the little things, as well as the big ones. Can I be depended upon to fill every assignment, whether it be for a two-and-a-half minute talk, home teaching, a visit to the sick, or a call as a stake or full-time missionary?
Remember, “… there are many called, but few are chosen. And why are they not chosen?
“Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world, and aspire to the honors of men, …” (D&C 121:34–35), and they are not dependable.The Lord speaks of the chosen few, and he means those who are fully dependable. Let us determine now to be some of those few.” N. Eldon Tanner, “Dependability,” Ensign, Apr 1974, 2
When your parents, teachers, and friends can depend on you, it is a marvelous thing, something that will nearly guarantee you a successful life. When your Father in Heaven can depend on you, you are guaranteed a successful eternity. Be sure, also, that you can depend on yourself to do the right thing. Being able to depend on yourself gives you peace of mind.
Begin today, however young you are, to be self-reliant. When you are on your own someday, food storage will never be a challenge, because self-reliance will be a habit.
The late Terrie Lynn Bittner—beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend—was the author of two homeschooling books and numerous articles, including several that appeared in Latter-day Saint magazines. She became a member of the Church at the age of 17 and began sharing her faith online in 1992.
