Pearl of Great Price Friday

Scripture of the Day:

Moses 4:23-25

23 And unto Adam, I, the Lord God, said: Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the fruit of the tree of which I commanded thee, saying—Thou shalt not eat of it,^acursed shall be the ground for thy sake; in ^bsorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life.

24 Thorns also, and thistles shall it bring forth to thee, and thou shalt eat the herb of the field.

25 By the ^asweat of thy ^bface shalt thou eat bread, until thou shalt return unto the ground—for thou shalt surely die—for out of it wast thou taken: for ^cdust thou wast, and unto dust shalt thou return.

Historical Background:

This is Moses' account of the Garden of Eden and the Fall of Adam. Moses, in these verses, shares what the Lord said to Adam regarding the impact of having partaken of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

Gospel Principles Outlined:

1) It is necessary for us to work in order to provide for the necessities of life.

2) Work is a commandment.

3) Work is not intended to be easy.

4) Hard work will hep connect us more to God and the world around us.

5) Fathers should make every effort to be a primary provider for their families.

What I Learned Today:

It is interesting to see what a blessing the command to work really is to those who live by its principles. Also, if you look at the rising generation and the way that our society operates now, the principle of work is under assault. More and more people are looking for the get rich quick scheme and the life of luxury. We must instead focus on being provident providers and do the best to develop and hone our talents to provide the most good in this world. This is not about a life of luxury; it is about becoming like the Savior.

Additional Resources:

"Work and Personal Responsibility" from Gospel Principles Manual

"Principles for Any Economy" by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

"I Believe" by President Gordon B. Hinckley

Things I Will Implement:

I have some great opportunities with my current business situation, but I am not taking full advantage of them. I need to do a better job of building on my strengths and working harder in order to be successful in building the kingdom and providing for my family.