Gospel Principles
Unit 7: Perfecting Our Lives
Chapter 27: Work and Personal Responsibility
Concept 5: God Condemns Idleness and Gain Obtained from Evil or Idle Practices.
"The Lord is not pleased with those who are lazy or idle. He said, "The idler shall not have place in the church, except he repent and mend his ways." (D&C 75:29). He also commanded, "Thou shalt not be >idle; for he that is idle shall not eat the bread nor wear the garments of the laborer." (D&C 42:42).
From the earliest days of the Church, the prophets have taught Later-day Saints to be independent and self-sustaining and to avoid idleness. True Later-day Saints will not voluntarily shift from themselves the burden of their own support. So long as they are able they will supply themselves and their families with the necessities of life.
As far as they are able all Church members should accept the responsibility to care for their relatives who are unable to provide for themselves.
God condemns receiving gain from evil and idle pursuits. Elder Spencer W. Kimball said, "I feel strongly that men who accept wages or salary and do not give [fair] time, energy, devotion, and service are receiving money that is not clean. "He also said that money obtained by evil or idle practices, such as theft, gambling, (including lotteries, graft, illegal drugs, oppression of the poor, and the like is unclean money.)
Elder Kimball defined the difference between honorable work and evil work: "Clean money is that [pay] received for a full day's honest work. It is that reasonable pay for faithful service. It is that fair profit from the sale of goods, commodities, or service. It is that income received from transactions where all parties profit. Filthy lucre is...money...obtained through theft and robbery,...gambling,...sinful operations,...bribery, and from exploitation." (in Conference Report, Oct. 1953, P 52)
Discussion
Think about the effects of idleness in your community. What are the effects of idleness on an individual or family?
How can idleness lead people into sinful practices?"