Principles of Self-Reliance

[Excerpts from our Talk during the Adult Session of Urdaneta Stake Conference, 13 August 2023]

Elder Padilla and I are so delighted to be with you here at the conference today. It is a privilege to speak as Senior Service Missionaries for the Welfare and Self-Reliance Services and talk about a very important topic both temporally and spiritually. 

At 15 years old, 25 years ago, Elder Padilla and I met in a Seminary Stake Class. We actively attended youth conferences and other church activities, he went on a mission at 19, and we were married in the temple. As young newlyweds, and with a husband who hasn't finished college at that time, we had no money. But we had each other, we had our love, and we had the gospel. We learned that we didn't need a lot of money to be happy, and didn't need a lot of money or to wait for retirement to serve.

In the early stage of our marriage about 18 years ago, while I was pregnant with our first child and struggling to make ends meet, we served as volunteers in the Employment Resource Center (ERC).

Looking back to our experiences throughout the years, we realize the great love of our Heavenly Father. We saw the hands of the Lord work in our young family back then up to this day. We have witnessed a lot of miracles and are grateful for the overwhelming blessings.

Today, we would like to share with you Principles of Self-Reliance that help us progress in our covenant path.

Principles of FAITH and TRUST

Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Life is hard, but we can do hard things. With the help of the Lord we can do anything He wants us to do—even paying off our debt.

Prophet Russell M Nelson said: "I assure you that our Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, love you. They are intimately aware of your circumstances, your goodness, your needs, and your prayers for help."

Principle of Covenant Making and Covenant Keeping

Leaving full-time employment  while raising our young growing family was not an easy decision for us 15 years ago. But we presented our plans to our Heavenly Father. He knew the desires of our heart to prioritize our family and spend more time together. We made covenants with Him.

We then had the inspiration to start a business and earn money working from home online. We were led to the right people in the ESL industry and now we are expanding our business to the IT industry, AI and Robotics.

We read in Jacob 2:18-19:

But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the ­kingdom of God.

And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches, if ye seek them; and ye will seek them for the intent to do good.

Service, being anxiously engaged in a good cause

Before Anatolin was called to serve as a young bishop in Tarlac 3rd Ward, with our limited resources, we were travelling weekly to the Manila Philippines Temple to serve as temple workers. Every Friday, we would wake up at 2AM, travel by bus and reach Ortigas at around 4, then we would walk from Ortigas and reach the temple before it opens at 5AM. We did that weekly for 4 years before we moved to Baguio City.

Let me share these questions we often ask ourselves:

Will we choose to waste our money and resources upon temporary pleasures, or will we choose to serve and help build the kingdom of God?

Will we choose to act on impulse and burden ourselves with debt, or choose to live prudently so that money becomes a tool for family joy and service and not the cause of stress and worry?

I have a testimony that when we seek Him first, He gives us exactly what we need. We can trust Him.

Brothers and sisters, the gospel of Jesus Christ will truly bless our lives and our family. We enjoy serving in our callings because of the gospel-based business principles that we have learned and applied from the Start and Growing My Business and other Welfare Self-reliance Services programs.

I know that as we continue our journey in the covenant path and follow the counsels of our Area Presidency, in the Area Plan: “Come unto Christ, I will go, and I will serve, we will face and experience challenges, trials and adversaries. 

President Russell M. Nelson said:

“I did not say that making covenants makes life easy. In fact, expect opposition”. 

The pandemic and lockdown taught us many important lessons about life, especially the importance of being prepared. I hope that we did not forget the lessons from it.

In Doctrine and Covenants 38:30, we read;

“If ye are prepared ye shall not fear.”

But the question is, what preparations do we need to do in times of uncertainties or unprecedented events?

Let me add 2 principles to what Sister Padilla has shared.

First, the principle and importance of education.

President Gordon B. Hinckley once said:

“Education is the key which will unlock the door of opportunity for you.”

There are many jobs today that didn't exist before, like online and virtual jobs at home. And there are many jobs that no longer exist today because of technological advancements.

Let us teach our spouse and children during our family councils to love and value education and learning, to cope with the challenges ahead of us.

Second and the last, the principle of simplifying our lives.

Sister Patricia Holland said in a devotional with the young adults:

“As I look back at my life, and if I could live any part of it over again, I would do one thing differently — very differently: Simplify!” 

“It seems to me that everything is better when it is simplified — our food, our clothing, our furnishings and our schedules.”

In conclusion, Elder L. Tom Perry once said:

“In our search to obtain relief from the stresses of life, may we earnestly seek ways to simplify our lives.”

Brothers and sisters, may we pattern our lives with that of our Masters. Even our Savior Jesus Christ who lived simply, is my prayeri n the name of Jesus Christ, amen.