Responsibility

Responsibility is important for a variety of different reasons. God has given us all gifts and talents that can be developed with time and effort. Our talents and abilities are meant to be used for good, and when we follow God’s direction, we can uphold the responsibility we have been given to use our gifts to bless the lives of others. God desires that we take care of His other children. The talents people possess may vary, but the responsibility to do good does not. With our gifts, we have a responsibility to help others and do as much good as we can.

Responsibility is a necessary part of agency, or the ability to choose. Being able to choose is a gift, something we fought for before we came to earth because we knew how valuable it would be. With each choice we make, however, comes the responsibility for the consequences we have caused. When we live the gospel the way God asks us to, we can be responsible for our actions more easily. Satan will often tempt us with the idea that we can do anything we want without any responsibility to be held accountable for our actions. Lynn G. Robbins discusses this idea further in his talk “Be 100 Percent Responsible.”

God has given us responsibilities that come with our knowledge. He trusts us with the responsibility to live the gospel and continue to improve our relationship with Him. He also asks us to share our joy and knowledge of Jesus Christ with other people. Additionally, we are responsible for taking care of those in our stewardship—for example, family members and those we serve in our callings. While responsibility can seem overwhelming, God has promised to help us with all we have to do and reassures us that He will help us when we fall.