Self-Reliance

What Does the Book of Mormon Say About Inequality? Series

The Book of Mormon contains some surprising insights concerning economic inequality.  This series explores several topics addressed by the LDS scripture and its insights for today.

This article part of a chapter on the teachings of the Book of Mormon concerning inequality, organized in order to deconstruct the prosperity gospel and other modern bad ideas.  If you haven't already, take a look at the introduction to this chapter which explains what I mean by 'prosperity gospel', otherwise enjoy and feel free to join in the discussion.


Modern discussions about poverty, inequality, welfare programs, and charitable giving often contain a concept which can come to dominate the conversation - self-reliance, or its religious equivalent provident living.  These terms describe the ability to provide for oneself, to be independent, and self-sufficient.  The goal of self-reliance is central to most government and non-profit programs that provide some sort of aid to people in need, including several of the programs that I work for.

Unlike some elements of the prosperity gospel and related modern ideas which we have talked about, Self-Reliance is not necessarily against the teachings of the Book of Mormon.  Being self-sufficient, both in temporal and spiritual matters, is an important spiritual virtue, sometimes referred to in the book as being "industrious", and helping others to become this way is an act of charity.  And of course, the self-sufficiency of a population is also integral of economic growth in a capitalist society, and in ensuring a small and efficient government.

However, there are times when the idea of self-reliance can be misapplied - leading to misunderstandings about the gospel according to the Book of Mormon, or even direct priestcraft (twisting the gospel to become rich or famous, or to justify inequality).

So let's take a look at how the Book of Mormon complements and contrasts the modern concept of Self-Reliance.

Industriousness

Although 'Self-Reliance' and 'Provident Living' are terms which are common in modern Christianity - especially among Mormons who run a website about the topic - these words do not specifically appear in the Book of Mormon.  One close concept however is the idea that the Lord's people should be 'industrious' - that they should work hard, especially in collaboration with others.

The term 'industrious' occurs only in 2 Nephi 5:17, Mosiah 23:5, Alma 23:18, and Ether 10:22.  In each usage the context is remarkably similar.  They all describe a righteous group of people with a good leader and who are working to begin a society anew.  The word is associated with hard work, collaboration, leadership, and covenant-keeping people.

For me the message is clear, God expects his people to work hard and to work well together.  Hard work and collaboration are part of what it means to be a righteous people; and hard work, and the trade and specialization that comes about because of collaboration, are also qualities that lead to wealth generation.  We looked at this process more closely in the article on Origins of Wealth. 

Being industrious has both a spiritual and temporal component - it relates to spiritual health and maturity, and it also can lead to economic growth.

As a spiritual issue, the passages above make it clear that work ethic and collaboration were certainly a part of the general consciousness of what it means to be a righteous person; however it doesn't seem like this spiritual characteristic has a lot of priority because in all the many sermons addressing wickedness and iniquity, industriousness, hard work, and self-reliance are not mentioned.  Priority instead is clearly placed on iniquities such as persecuting neighbors, economic inequality, priestcrafts, secret combinations, treatment of the poor, keeping the commandments, etc.

As a temporal issue, the passages above make it seem like authors Mormon and Moroni saw the connection between industriousness and wealth gain; however - and I want this to be very clear - never in the entire Book of Mormon is hard work suggested as a cure to poverty and inequality.  Never are the poor told that they simply need to work harder, and be more industrious.  Instead, in all of the dozens of instances and sermons addressing inequality the people are told over and over to put away their iniquities, persecutions, and priestcrafts, and to help those less fortunate.

When civil leaders are involved in addressing inequality and pride cycles, they too focus their efforts on punishing iniquities, fighting against secret combinations and secessionist movements, and establishing laws promoting equity and justice.  All of these items were covered in detail in the section on the historical narrative. 

Dependence and Independence

Another concept in the Book of Mormon that is similar to provident living or self-reliance are the general teachings regarding dependence and independence.

In some situations, the Book of Mormon is critical of individuals who are economically dependent on others.  At times, several groups including the Lamanites, dissenter groups, and the Gadianton Robbers, make their living off of stealing, robbing, and plundering, rather than through hard work and industry.  For example King Laman and his people, one of the iniquitous kings in the early stages of the Book of Mormon:

Mosiah 9:12 Now they were a lazy and an idolatrous people; therefore they were desirous to bring us into bondage, that they might glut themselves with the labors of our hands; yea, that they might feast themselves upon the flocks of our fields.

13 Therefore it came to pass that king Laman began to stir up his people that they should contend with my people; therefore there began to be wars and contentions in the land.

It should be noted however that the above passage was written directly by Zeniff of the Nephites, who was not a fan of the Lamanites.  Describing a whole people as 'lazy' and 'idolatrous' was probably not accurate, and likely a way to justify the hatred and warfare with the Lamanites.

Among God's people, civic and religious leaders were expected to provide for themselves, in addition to their volunteer service.  This included King Benjamin (Mosiah 2), King Mosiah (Mosiah 6), and the priests of Alma the Elder (Mosiah 18, although the priests still relied on the people for their support, they just were not to be paid for their service, but people were to give willingly to them).  They worked so as not to be a burden to their people, highlighting the importance of religious and civil leaders not using their positions to enrich themselves - which would be robbery and priestcraft.

However, this is the extent that the virtue of independence is extolled in the Book of Mormon.  A far more frequently discussed and important virtue is that of dependence.  In spiritual matters, the people of God are to rely on him - all those who rely on their own self are described as 'idolatrous'.  In war, every time a people rely on their own strength, rather than God, they lose badly.

In economic matters, the people are instructed to rely on each other in the church.  This isn't that they are not to rely on God, but that God would provide his assistance through other people.  The gospel and the church are organized in a way to knit hearts together, and to bring about the atonement of Jesus Christ, including economic justice, through collective service.  This is one of the reasons why when poverty is addressed in the Book of Mormon the rich are instructed to give to the poor; and the poor are never told to simply work harder.

We will explore this topic more in the article on The Gospel and the Free Lunch.

King Benjamin explains the importance of dependency best in his Mosiah 2-6 sermon.  Mosiah 4:

16 And also, ye yourselves will succor those that stand in need of your succor; ye will administer of your substance unto him that standeth in need; and ye will not suffer that the beggar putteth up his petition to you in vain, and turn him out to perish.

17 Perhaps thou shalt say: The man has brought upon himself his misery; therefore I will stay my hand, and will not give unto him of my food, nor impart unto him of my substance that he may not suffer, for his punishments are just—

18 But I say unto you, O man, whosoever doeth this the same hath great cause to repent...

19 For behold, are we not all beggars? Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have, for both food and raiment, and for gold, and for silver, and for all the riches which we have of every kind?

20 And behold, even at this time, ye have been calling on his name, and begging for a remission of your sins. And has he suffered that ye have begged in vain? Nay; he has poured out his Spirit upon you, and has caused that your hearts should be filled with joy, and has caused that your mouths should be stopped that ye could not find utterance, so exceedingly great was your joy.

21 And now, if God, who has created you, on whom you are dependent for your lives and for all that ye have and are, doth grant unto you whatsoever ye ask that is right, in faith, believing that ye shall receive, O then, how ye ought to impart of the substance that ye have one to another.

22 And if ye judge the man who putteth up his petition to you for your substance that he perish not, and condemn him, how much more just will be your condemnation for withholding your substance, which doth not belong to you but to God, to whom also your life belongeth; and yet ye put up no petition, nor repent of the thing which thou hast done.

23 I say unto you, wo be unto that man, for his substance shall perish with him; and now, I say these things unto those who are rich as pertaining to the things of this world.

Systematic Inequality

So why don't the Nephites try to cure poverty by helping the poor to be more industrious and independent? 

Economically speaking, helping a population work hard and become self-reliant should be able to raise the standard of living for everyone, and thereby affect those in poverty - but this is never suggested in the book.  The reason is actually the same reason that it is not today.  Inequality ultimately is systematic, and not simply the result of variable hard work; and until the systematic problems are removed hard work will not cure poverty.

Religious and civil leaders in the Book of Mormon correctly identify that their inequality came not because work ethic was unequal, but because of systematic problems.

The entire historical narrative of the Book of Mormon is devoted to pointing out how iniquities (actions which cause inequities) are evil and cause serious social consequences, and therefore the primary focus of religious and civil leaders; that pride and envy leads to justifying inequality, social strife, and persecuting the poor, including not acting to correct poverty and inequality; that Nehor, Korihor, and all of the dissenter groups taught an ideology that justified and perpetuated inequality, referred to as priestcraft; and that dissenters, false priests, and secret combinations were devoted towards enriching themselves by persecuting the poor and robbing the public.

Economic inequality in the Book of Mormon is systemic, and thus require systematic solutions.  Telling the poor to work harder, and to be more independent, is not an ultimate solution because work ethic is not the origin of the inequality.

The Book of Mormon is a very interesting study because we live in a similar world today.  Economic inequality is not rooted in work ethic, it is rooted in systematic problems.  Our next chapter will be devoted to identifying the solutions Book of Mormon religious and civil leaders put forward to address inequality,and thus there will be a potential for a comparison to today.


Provident Living, Self-Reliance, and Priestcraft


Earlier in this article I mentioned the potential of the positive concepts of Provident Living and Self-Reliance being misunderstood and misused, becoming a priestcraft.

As you know from the earlier article on the topic, priestcraft occurs when the Gospel of Jesus Christ is twisted to make oneself become rich and or famous.  It can also refer to an ideology that justifies systematic inequality, because believing that inequality is justified eliminates the spiritual commandment to help the poor, or as Jacob says to "make them rich like unto yourself".  It eliminates the guilt that comes from being unequal, thereby allowing the possibility for one to be rich in a religious society that normally sees the rich as morally corrupt.

In the Book of Mormon, dissenters like the Zoramites, secret combinations, and other groups find ways to twist the Gospel into ideologies which persecute the poor, and allow them to enjoy their wealth without religious influence (or government influence, hence the dissenting part).  Korihor specifically teaches an ideology that people should be able to become rich according to their work and genius - which was a ploy to excuse inequality, remove guilt from withholding resources to the poor, and allow people like him to become rich.


Unfortunately, the concepts of Provident Living and Self-Reliance in the modern day have the potential to be misused to justify withholding resources from the poor, or inequality in general.

To be clear - helping people to become independent and learn the spiritual principle of being industrious is charity.  A society that finds ways to help its members work hard and collaborate is a righteous one, as well as economically wise.

However, to whatever extent these principles are pushed in order for people to be required to contribute less to the poor - or to whatever extent such principles are promoted in order to explain away the poverty of the poor without having to address systemic problems - is priestcraft.

It is priestcraft for the wealthy to use the belief that everyone else should be self-reliant to justify themselves giving less.

It is priestcraft to use the principle of self-reliance to justify cutting programs in order to enable a new tax cut for the wealthy.

It is priestcraft to use self-reliance as a pedestal with which to judge others, justifying that one is better because others have not mastered self-reliance.  Not to mention in complete error, because not being self-reliant is not nearly as spiritually evil as withholding resources from the poor.

The difference between Provident Living, Self-Reliance, and other similar principles being a virtue or a priestcraft is the motivation.

Should religious leaders promote Self-Reliance?  Absolutely.  So long as the motivation is charity, and helping people become spiritually mature.

Should government leaders promote work ethic, industriousness, and independence?  Absolutely - to do so is both economically wise, and requires a smaller more efficient government, which everyone wants.  But if the motivation is to hide the real reasons why inequality existed in the first place - the secret combinations, iniquities, and priestcrafts - then its not so great.

Should independent people be concerned with helping their families, friends, and neighbors to become self-reliant?  Absolutely.  So long as the motivation is not to puff oneself up with pride, to judge other people, to justify their poverty and your riches, or to justify some ideology that will withhold resources from the poor.

When in doubt, remember that the primary focus of the Book of Mormon is tearing down inequality, iniquities, pride, envyings, strifes, priestcrafts, and secret combinations.  Industriousness, independence, and work ethic are secondary priorities.  In other words, not being prideful, judgmental, iniquitous, and supporting ideologies and organizations which cause inequalities and persecute the poor, is far more important than ensuring people work hard.  This is evidenced by an entire book devoted towards the rich overcoming these problems, with never a mention that the poor should work harder.

Not once.