Industry and diligence

Labor Day (Monday) was truly a day of labor for my husband and I.  I did a deep clean of the house, including vacuuming under and behind the furniture.  My husband worked on the wire harness of my car, worked on the yard, and worked on epoxying the gaps of one of our back porch posts.  We took some time to go shopping for a new rug and to get more supplies for further epoxying efforts.  Essentially, we wore ourselves out.

What? You say Labor Day is to celebrate worker's unions, not to actually work?  How did I miss this?!

Joking aside, I've been studying principles of industry and diligence recently, and I thought I'd share with you some of the cool scriptures I distilled from digging around the Topical Guide.  I appreciate these scriptures because far too often, I start projects and then don't finish.  (Heck, I have a folder on my hard drive full of posts for this blog that I started and didn't finish!)   I have to be very careful what projects I start and be willing to work on them.  The following scriptures I would compare to a nice swift kick in the pants in the loving-est way from Mom when we don't feel like going to school or doing our homework.

Industry

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)

Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness; (D&C 58:27)

Set in order your houses; keep slothfulness and uncleanness far from you. (D&C 90:18)

And again, thou shalt not be proud in thy heart; let all thy garments be plain, and their beauty the beauty of the work of thine own hands; (D&C 42:40)

For they have been faithful over many things, and have done well inasmuch as they have not sinned. (D&C 70:17)

They that remain, and are pure in heart, shall return, and come to their inheritances, they and their children, with songs of everlasting joy, to build up the waste places of Zion— (D&C 101:18)

And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations. (Isaiah 61:4)

Diligence

Thou shalt be diligent in preserving what thou hast, that thou mayest be a wise steward; for it is the free gift of the Lord thy God, and thou art his steward. (D&C 136:27)

The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute. (Proverbs 12:24)

The slothful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting: but the substance of a diligent man is precious. (Proverbs 12:27)

He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich. (Proverbs 10:4)

The way of the slothful man is as an hedge of thorns: but the way of the righteous is made plain. (Proverbs 15:19)

And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order. (Mosiah 4:27)

Do not run faster or labor more than you have strength and means provided to enable you to translate; but be diligent unto the end. (D&C 10:4)

And now, my beloved son, notwithstanding their hardness, let us labor diligently; for if we should cease to labor, we should be brought under condemnation; for we have a labor to perform whilst in this tabernacle of clay, that we may conquer the enemy of all righteousness, and rest our souls in the kingdom of God. (Moroni 9:6)

Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall (2 Peter 1:10)

And let all things be done in cleanliness before me. (D&C 42:41)  (Doing all things with cleanness certainly adds a level of care that requires diligence, yes?)

Let every man be diligent in all things. And the idler shall not have place in the church, except he repent and mend his ways. (D&C 75:29)

Wherefore, now let every man learn his duty, and to act in the office in which he is appointed, in all diligence. (D&C 107:99)

My servant Newel K. Whitney also, a bishop of my church, hath need to be chastened, and set in order his family, and see that they are more diligent and concerned at home, and pray always, or they shall be removed out of their place. (D&C 93:50)

Diligent in the word of God

For behold, it came to pass after my father had made an end of speaking the words of his dream, and also of exhorting them to all diligence, he spake unto them concerning the Jews— (1 Nephi 10:2)  

 (Laman and Lemuel seem to have had lacked diligence too, along with their other problems..)

28 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the pointers which were in the ball, that they did work according to the faith and diligence and heed which we did give unto them.

 29 And there was also written upon them a new writing, which was plain to be read, which did give us understanding concerning the ways of the Lord; and it was written and changed from time to time, according to the faith and diligence which we gave unto it. And thus we see that by small means the Lord can bring about great things. (1 Nephi 16:28-29)

And Ammon did preach unto the people of king Lamoni; and it came to pass that he did teach them all things concerning things pertaining to righteousness. And he did exhort them daily, with all diligence; and they gave heed unto his word, and they were zealous for keeping the commandments of God. (Alma 21:23)

And because of your diligence and your faith and your patience with the word in nourishing it, that it may take root in you, behold, by and by ye shall pluck the fruit thereof, which is most precious…and ye shall feast upon this fruit even until ye are filled, that ye hunger not, neither shall ye thirst. (Alma 32:42)

Yea, and there was continual peace among them, and exceedingly great prosperity in the church because of their heed and diligence which they gave unto the word of God, which was declared unto them…(Alma 49:30)

Diligent protection

And it came to pass that when Moroni saw this, and also saw that the Lamanites were coming into the borders of the land, he was exceedingly wroth because of the stubbornness of those people whom he had labored with so much diligence to preserve.. (Alma 51:14)

Rewards for diligence

All victory and glory is brought to pass unto you through your diligence, faithfulness, and prayers of faith. (D&C 103:36)

And they shall also be crowned with blessings from above, yea, and with commandments not a few, and with revelations in their time—they that are faithful and diligent before me. (D&C 59:4)

And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come. (D&C 130:19)

14 Nevertheless, in your temporal things you shall be equal, and this not grudgingly, otherwise the abundance of the manifestations of the Spirit shall be withheld.

 15 Now, this commandment I give unto my servants for their benefit while they remain, for a manifestation of my blessings upon their heads, and for a reward of their diligence and for their security; (D&C 70:14-15)

Being equal in temporal things is the reward given to the Lord’s servants’ diligence.

And again, verily thus saith the Lord: Let the work of my temple, and all the works which I have appointed unto you, be continued on and not cease; and let your diligence, and your perseverance, and patience, and your works be redoubled, and you shall in nowise lose your reward, saith the Lord of Hosts. And if they persecute you, so persecuted they the prophets and righteous men that were before you. For all this there is a reward in heaven. (D&C 127:4)

 There's nothing like the feeling of satisfaction you get at the end of the day when you have been diligent at whatever work you did.  I know I felt pretty satisfied at the end of my "Labor Day."  Will you share with me a time when you felt the blessings of your diligence?