Personal Finance: Another Perspective

Guidelines For Helping Others

(and ourselves) Change

From Elder M. Russell Ballard’s talk, “O Be Wise, ” Ensign, Nov. 2006, p. 17.

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Note

It takes considerable humility (or pain) for someone to be willing to ask you for help, and especially to share with you their financial information

• They are opening up a part of themselves in a way that is frightening, difficult, and challenging

They come to you because they trust that you are honest, well-meaning, and non-judgmental, and that you will give them advice that is in their best interest

• Be careful not to violate that trust These slides are to help you as you try to help others

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Objective

A. Understand the principles of helping others

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A. Understand the Principles of Helping Others

What are the principles we should be concerned about as we strive to help others?• Elder M. Russell Ballard in his talk “O Be Wise”

gave good counsel that we can use as we strive to help others become more financially self-reliant (Ensign, Nov. 2006, p. 17).

• This PowerPoint is based on his counsel

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Principles of Helping Others (continued)

1. Focus on people and principles—not programs• The purpose of this class is to build people

• We must understand their personalities, strengths, concerns, their hopes and their dreams so that correct help and support can be given

• Our goal is to help lift, encourage, assist, teach, and love others

• Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God (D&C 18:10)

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Principles of Helping Others (continued)

2. Be innovative in your desire to help• We need to be creative in how we seek to help others

• We must seek the inspiration of the Spirit to give us guidance to solve problems in ways that will best help the people we serve

• Because of the gift of agency, we can think for ourselves

• We may come up with new and innovative ways to solve the problems put before us—if we listen to the Spirit

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Principles of Helping Others (continued)

3. Divide the work and delegate responsibility• Understand the difference between being

responsible for the work and doing it yourself

• Work with others to accomplish your goals

• Make assignments, delegate responsibility, and allow others to fulfill their stewardships

• Counsel, advise, persuade and motivate, but:

• Don’t take away their agency

• Don’t do the work for them

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Principles of Helping Others (continued)

4. Eliminate guilt—motivate with love• Motivate with love and sincere appreciation, not by

guilt

• Remember the prayer:

• “Lord, help me to be patient and loving with those who choose to sin differently than I choose to sin”

• Jason Payne stated:

• “Where judgment is present, trust cannot be established”

• Remember to do all things “in wisdom and order.” (Mosiah 4:27) But do it without guilt 8

Principles of Helping Others (continued)

5. Thoughtfully allocate your resources of time, income, and energy• There are always more things that need to be done

than we possibly have time• Seek the Spirit that you might work beyond your

natural abilities and do the most important things

• Be wise in protecting your health and your spiritual well being

• Stay balanced in all you do• Follow President Hinckley’s counsel:

“Do the very best you can” (“True to the Faith,” Ensign, Jun 1996, 2). 9

Principles of Helping Others (continued)

6. Have a pure motive• If you want to truly help others, you must do so for

the right reasons, and you must have the Spirit. Elder Henry B. Eyring said:

• If you want to receive the gifts of the Spirit, you have to want them for the right reasons. Your purposes must be the Lord’s purposes. To the degree your motives are selfish, you will find it difficult to receive those gifts of the Spirit that have been promised to you (“Gifts of the Spirit for Hard Times,” Ensign, Jun 2007,  18–24 ).

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Principles of Helping Others (continued)

7. Help and lead them to find the answers themselves• (this section is from the book of Bryan)• Your job is not to tell them what to do (even though

you likely know)• Your job is to help them, validate them, and to

express confidence in them and their ability to find the answers

• By doing this, you help them gain their own inspiration to find the answers to their challenges

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Principles of Helping Others (continued)

Our goal is to help others• Brothers and sisters, may we focus on the simple

ways we can serve in the kingdom of God, always striving to change lives, including our own. What is most important in our Church responsibilities is . . . whether or not individual people—ministered to one at a time just as the Savior did—have been lifted and encouraged and ultimately changed. Our task is to help others find the peace and the joy that only the gospel can give them. In seven words, Jesus summarized how we can accomplish this. He said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15) (M. Russell Ballard, “O Be Wise,” Ensign, Nov. 2006, 17).

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Review of Objectives

A. Do you understand the principles of helping others?

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