Self Reliance

One of the things that the Church is always emphasizing is the idea of self reliance.  Caring for ourselves physically and being prepared in case of physical illness, taking care of our social and monetary needs and being prepared for problems in that realm, and getting a good education to overall help with this self reliance has been a hallmark of the Church for many generations.

Sometimes, we forget what it means to be self reliant.
It doesn't mean that we go live in the woods and avoid contact with others.  We don't become mystic monks who live off the energy of the universe rather than food from external sources.  We are still reliant on the structures of society for stuff.  But we try to position ourselves so we can help others while making sure our own needs and responsibilities are met.

Now let's get to spiritual self reliance.  Here's where people lose sight of what it means to be self reliant.  I have seen people refuse to accept spiritual connection to others because they want to be spiritually self reliant.  That's like refusing food that someone else has prepared as a way to be physically self reliant.  It's counterproductive.  We need to be connecting with others around us.  Most importantly, we need the Savior, always.  That's like needing food.  Being physically self reliant does not me we tear ourselves away from the need for food, but rather that we find ways to fill the need for food.  We need to find more avenues to fill ourselves with the love and atonement of the Savior to be truly spiritually self reliant.  Limiting ourselves to only a few spiritually filling activities is like limiting our food sources -- it does not make us more independent but rather makes us more susceptible to disaster.  To prepare for hard times, we should better develop avenues to the spirit.  Whenever possible, we should be regularly attending church meetings, watching general conference, taking time to ponder, reading uplifting books (especially the scriptures), serving others, allowing others to serve us, sincerely praying, and other more creative ways to fill our spiritual needs.

Also, just as it is important for parents to provide food for their children, they should be providing spiritual sustenance for them.  Self reliance does not just mean providing for your self, but also for those over whom you have responsibility.  Again, it's not about being disconnected, but making sure there are avenues for nourishment (both physically and spiritually).  Being more connected actually is often safer and helps us be more self reliant.