"And the inhabitants of Zion also shall remember their labors, inasmuch as they are appointed to labor, in all faithfulness; for the idler shall be had in remembrance before the Lord." (D&C 68:30.)
"A human weakness that draws sharp rebuke from the Lord is that of an idler who lives upon the labor of others," states the Church Educational System's Doctrine and Covenants Student Manual."One way in which the problem of idleness is spreading through society today is by a vast government welfare system that doles out money or products without requiring any labor in return. Elder David B. Haight warned against this evil:
" `What has this monstrous thing called government welfare done to the people? Today we have second- and third-generation welfare recipients. Millions have learned how to live off the government. Children are growing up without knowing the value and dignity of work. The government has succeeded in doing what the Church welfare program seeks to prevent. . . .
" `But Church members are not immune to the perils of the government dole. There is evidence that some of our people are receiving something for nothing from the government. The fact that this condition exists in the Church highlights the need of our members to be knowledgeable about Church welfare principles. President Kimball has stated [thatT no true Latter-day Saint, while physically or emotionally able, will voluntarily shift the burden of his own or his family's well-being to someone else.' "