Provident Living Overview

This material has been collected by the Golden Stake Employment Committee to support active Provident Living.

A family or individual well versed in provident living ‘Life Skills' enables the Employment training program to be more effective. The loss of a job is one of the more stressfull (and common) challenges to a family and its relationships.

This initial outline proposes an active, preemptive move to place families in a more secure position when unemployment arrives. The employment market has changed drastically in the last generation. The era of the ‘Gold Watch' at the end of 35 years of faithful service is gone.

The envisioned format is to provide reference material to the Wards, where the Bishop can assess the local needs and assign topics to promote provident living skills.These materials, typically formatted to 1 or 2 pages are suitable for instructor study and reference; where appropriate selected articles can be utilized as hand out material.

Need an assessment of the use of internet and copyright material

Leaders Introductory Letter

Bishops / Branch Presidents,

The Stake Employment Committee during it's course of providing training in resume writing, interviewing skills and networking leads, has noticed a recurring theme.

Most of our clients have been caught off guard in their ability to weather the initial and ongoing condition of unemployment.   Obviously this is a stressful time in a family or individual's life when it does come.   Those who have followed the counsel to become self reliant have a better response to this significant challenge.

Self reliance is a ‘Life Skill', often encouraged but seldom formally addressed in school or in practical church classes. Classes in Family History and in Teacher Development have comprehensive ‘how to' training; while Life Skills (other than food storage) are relaxed to simple encouragement.

Material has been assembled by the Employment program to address the ‘how to' of seeking employment or advancement. We use these in our weekly Stake Employment Night. Our observations have also identified Life Skills that enhance the effectiveness of the Employment program. Among them are budgeting, money management, credit cards and retirement planning. Basic to this is the recognition and resolution of wants and needs in an increasingly materialistic world and setting appropriate priorities for provident living.   These topics and others related may be found appropriate for Ward level activities such as firesides, seminars and 5 th Sunday classes presented by ward members having the background and practical experience in provident living.

If your unit would benefit from the material that has been assembled please contact us.

Golden Stake Employment Committee

Additional Topics For Development

A detailed ‘how to' outline of a 2 hour ward fireside previously presented by Evergreen Ward consisting of three half hour rotating classes.

Refinement of the attached materials for formatting and in some cases editing down to 2 page limit to facilitate printing and handout distribution.

Reallocation of articles into more appropriate topic categories.

Review and comment by Regional Employment center for appropriateness and the calling's boundries.

A pilot program in one of the wards to test the materials and the receptiveness of members.

Need for feedback from the units that utilize the material, relating presentation format, time needed, topic/articles found useful, and suggestions for additional topics.

Following topics have been partially developed – see seperate files for each:

•  Money Management.doc

•  Credit Cards.doc

•  Planning.doc

•  Retirement.doc