The Industrious Gospel

One of the themes of the Book of Mormon is that embracing the gospel motivates us to be hard working and more industrious in our temporal affairs.  When Nephi started his city after leaving Laman and Lemuel, he wrote, “I, Nephi, did cause my people to be industrious, and to labor with their hands” (2 Nephi 5:17).  This was in direct contrast to the Lamanites who were described in the same chapter as “an idle people” (v24).  Later when so many Lamanites converted because of the efforts of the sons of Mosiah, Mormon wrote that “they began to be a very industrious people…. Rather than spend their days in idleness they would labor abundantly with their hands” (Alma 23:18, 24:18).  The gospel had not only made them repent of sins, but also motivated to accomplish more temporally and to work hard.  Similarly, after Alma’s people escaped from King Noah and founded their own city, “They pitched their tents, and began to till the ground, and began to build buildings; yea, they were industrious, and did labor exceedingly” (Mosiah 23:5).  They broke away from the lazy, idolatrous atmosphere that was propagated by King Noah and his priests and became a hardworking and righteous people.  All three of these stories illustrate the fact that as we are truly converted to the Lord and repent of our sins, we will be internally motivated to work harder and make the most out of our lives.