"To become self-reliant, we must work. Work is physical, mental, or spiritual effort. The Lord has commanded us to work (see Genesis 3:17-19; D&C 42:42; 56:17). Work is important for our happiness, self-respect, and prosperity" (Providing in the Lord's Way: A Leader's Guide to Welfare [welfare handbook, 2004], 3).

"Though I murmured as a young man at times with chores, I have acquired in this passage of time a hardened view of the spiritual necessity of work. Even if work were not an economic necessity, it is a spiritual necessity" (Neal A. Maxwell, "Insights from My Life," Ensign, Aug. 2000, 7).

"I believe in the gospel of work. There is no substitute under the heavens for productive labor. It is the process by which dreams become reality. It is the process by which idle visions become dynamic achievements. We are all inherently lazy. We would rather play than work. We would rather loaf than work. A little play and a little loafing are good—that is one of the reasons you are here. But it is work that spells the difference in the life of a man or woman. It is stretching our minds and utilizing the skills of our hands that lifts us from the stagnation of mediocrity" (Gordon B. Hinckley, Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley [1997], 705).

"If we ponder just what it is that will rise with us in the resurrection, it seems clear that our intelligence will rise with us, meaning not simply our IQ, but also our capacity to receive and apply truth. Our talents, attributes, and skills will rise with us; certainly also our capacity to learn, our degree of self-discipline, and our capacity to work. Our precise form of work here may have no counterpart there, but the capacity to work will never be obsolete" (Neal A. Maxwell, The Neal A. Maxwell Quote Book [1997], 364).

"Without hard work, nothing grows but weeds. There must be labor, incessant and constant, if there is to be a harvest" (Gordon B. Hinckley, "Farewell to a Prophet," Ensign, July 1994, 37).

"There is great dignity and worth in any honest occupation. Do not use the word menial for any labor that improves the world or the people who live in it.

"There is no shame in any honorable work" (Boyd K. Packer, "The Gospel—The Foundation for Our Career," Ensign, May 1982, 84).

"We are attempting to get our people not to be satisfied to take charity, if it is possible for them to earn their own living, and even to be ready and willing to make some sacrifice, even though they might be offered a little more in charity than they could earn themselves; we do want them to earn what they receive" (Heber J. Grant, Gospel Standards, comp. G. Homer Durham [1941], 124).

"The love for work needs to be reenthroned in our lives. Every family should have a plan for work that touches the lives of each family member so that this eternal principle will be ingrained in their lives" (M. Russell Ballard, "Providing for Our Needs," Ensign, May 1981, 86).

"It is interesting that the first recorded instruction given to Adam after the Fall, dealt with the eternal principle of work. The Lord said: 'In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread' (Gen. 3:19). Our Heavenly Father loves us so completely that he has given us a commandment to work. This is one of the keys to eternal life. He knows that we will learn more, grow more, achieve more, serve more, and benefit more from a life of industry than from a life of ease" (Howard W. Hunter, "Prepare for Honorable Employment," Ensign, Nov. 1975, 122).

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