Overview

As discussed in the previous units, the principle of "stewardship" is defined as the "responsibility to…take care of those things with which are blessed from God, including families, neighbors, and even temporal blessings." So far, you have learned about your "stewardship" responsibilities in relation to your time-management, your education within PathwayConnect, as well as your role as someone committed to "learning by faith.” In this unit, you will learn about your role as a steward over your current and future "temporal blessings.”

Temporal Blessings

A "temporal blessing" is any blessing from God that helps sustain earthly life. Where you live, the clothes you wear, the transportation you have access to, as well as the food you put on your table are all considered to be your "temporal blessings" and are therefore within your realm of responsibility or stewardship.

As with any "stewardship" you have, it is important that you recognize and remember where your temporal blessings come from. As President John Taylor explained:

“If we have life, or health, or possessions; if we have children, and friends and homes, if we have the light of truth, the blessings of the everlasting gospel, the revelations of God, the holy priesthood, with all its blessings and government and rule, all these and every true enjoyment that we possess comes from God. We do not always realize this, but it is nevertheless true that to God we are indebted for every good and perfect gift [see James 1:17]…

All that we possess is a gift of God. We should acknowledge Him in all things. We sometimes talk about men having this right and the other right. We have no rights, only such as God gives us. And I will tell you what He will show to the Latter-day Saints. He will yet prove to them that the gold and silver are His, and the cattle upon a thousand hills, and that He gives to whom He will, and withholds from whom he pleases. He will yet show you this is a matter of fact. Our safety and happiness and our wealth depend upon our obedience to God and His laws, and our exaltation in time and eternity depends upon the same thing” [See Teachings of John Taylor].

Since everything you possess is actually a gift from your Heavenly Father, you have a great responsibility to take care of those blessings you have been given and to magnify them to the best of your ability throughout your lifetime. This unit will provide you with the toolkit to do so by focusing on five distinct steps you can take to ensure the best financial stewardship possible over your temporal blessings.

The Five Steps to Better Financial Stewardship:

Become unified in your approach to finances
Understand the importance of paying honest tithes and generous fast offerings
Learn to protect yourself from financial hardship by avoiding and eliminating debt
Learn to save and invest in your future
Learn to use a budget

Ponder and Record

As you work your way through this unit, please consider the following questions and record some of your thoughts in your Learning Journal:

What "temporal blessings" am I currently a steward over?
How am I doing in my role as a steward over those temporal blessings I possess?
What personal sacrifices am I prepared to make in order to become the best steward over my temporal blessings?