Alma 4:6

In Alma 4:6 it says . . . The people of the church began to wax proud, because of their exceeding riches, and they're fine silks, and they're fine twined linen, and because of their many flocks and herds, and their gold and their silver, and all manner of precious things which they had obtained by their industry. . .

This last phrase is significant: (which they had obtained by their industry. . . ). It is so easy to believe that we by our own doing have created the life we are living.

My husband and I had to study the book Bridges out of Poverty when we were working in a church welfare program in southeast Michigan. We learned in our training to define poverty as "the lack of skills, knowledge and resources to become self-reliant".

Those three words (skills, knowledge and resources) are keys that can keep us humble. They come to us so often as gifts from the adults in our lives.

I used to think of myself as self-made. Now I am better at thinking of all the people in my life who helped me along the way.

When I think of my parents, they taught by example but also by mentoring and teaching me how to do things - often things I hated at the time. Case-in-point - I hated working in our vegetable garden. Waiting was a never-ending job. It was dirty, buggy, and hot.

My other Nemesis was sewing. You had to be so precise with everything you did. I made so many mistakes and spent more time ripping out seams and starting again.

but today I garden and I so. I am an expert at following directions when assembling anything! I eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables and am healthy as can be. All gifts from my mother.

Dad was the ultimate DIY guy. We laughed at his original way to fix things. But fix them he did. When you have a lot of money you hire people to make your repairs. When money is scarce you learn how to do things yourself.

I will tackle any home repair not because dad taught me all his techniques. Rather he taught me we can do anything if we set our mind to it.

Another group I think of are all those families who allowed me to babysit for them. It wasn't until I was a parent that I realized what it means to entrust your children into the hands of a teenager for an evening. It means a lot to have adults in your life who trust you that much. I learned to be trustworthy. No future employer would ever have to worry that I was not doing my job when they weren't looking.

My teachers at school were also supportive. I was introduced to books in my elementary school and a whole world opened to me. There at school I was encouraged to do my best and I excelled. I loved school work. I saw it as fun.

These teachers trusted me, encouraged me, believed in me and I thrived under their tutelage.

I also had an extended family who did the same for me. With so many cheering me on, I learned I could succeed. Doors were opened for me, money was made available and I was college bound.

There are so many to whom I owe so much. Yes, I worked really hard to succeed but I had so much support.

These Nephites forgot to look back and see the tapestry of their lives. They saw themselves as a single bright thread when in fact none of us are.