Disclaimer: This is not official policy for the whole church. That said, I wanted to pass on something interesting that is happening in my stake. They are talking about holding seminars on how to become self employed. The church has called someone to serve a mission to conduct these seminars. Isn't it interesting that, at least in my stake, the church is putting effort into helping people to become self employed?
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If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animated contest of freedom, go from us in peace. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen! - Samuel Adams
There are some advantages to being self employed. One being that as the boss it is your choice to work on Sundays or not which is especially appealling. It seems like more and more people have no problem with working on Sundays. Another appealing aspect is that you have some control over you hours. This can be especially appealing for sisters with children. Single sisters can often find this beneficial as they can work around children's schooling or in many cases work from home. Married couples who need the money but don't want to throw their kids into daycare can also benefit.
There are some drawbacks though. Insurance tends to be more expensive than when you buy it in a larger group. Also, your social security contributions are double what you would normally pay as you are paying both the employee and employer portion which is fustrating for those under 40 because the odds of actually collecting anything are almost zero. So there are drawbacks. You also have to be self disciplined to force yourself to put in the effort needed to make a business work. Also, at the end of the day, you are responsible for your job and it is almost impossible to turn it off in your head. Believe me, you will think about it morning, noon, and night.
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Jason (Formerly salesortonscom)
As I walk through this earth, nothing can stop, the Duke of Mirth!
So not only skills-development but actually becoming self-employed? I wonder who they are targeting...? I mean, doctors and stuff? Maybe the CO Saints suddenly need a lot more lawyers... It's easy to be self-employed when yer a lawyer. Not so easy for a teacher or police officer... Hmm....
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Life is tough but it's tougher if you're stupid. -John Wayne
Actually, Coco, it is not that easy as an attorney. Contrary to the public view, hanging out your own shingle is a crap shoot. I did it for 2.5 years. Trying to get clients to pay is a royal pain and then they expect miracles. I mean if you are caught selling drugs with a gun as a convicted felon, not a lot I can do. There is a lot of competition, and you just hope you get the right case or two. I know a lot of solo attorneys who have struggled for years.
The overhead is a killer. In 1999, the last year I practiced solo, health insurance was $650 a month, rent was $150 a month, plus dues, education costs and fees, licensing fees, forget malpractice insurance. No paid vacation, no sick leave, no steady paycheck, you see the absolute worst in people, you are constantly thinking about what you need to do, thinking about cases in the shower, how you will cover costs, hammered on taxes (I put a third of everything I made into an account for taxes, that's right 33% of my income.)
Unlike doctors and dentists where many have some insurance to pay for the visit, almost no one has legal insurance. If you get a case and it goes to trial, it could be years before a payout. I am helping someone on a personal injury case on the side right now and trying to get to the point of settlement has taken almost a year, and if the client does not agree to it, it would go to trial and could be another year or two at best.
I would be interested in what the church has to say on this matter and what is going on. What I need to have is to open my own gun shop and range, maybe the Lord will let me do that in the Millenium. Most likely no hunting, but shooting is a lot of fun!
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Lo, there I see my mother, my sisters, my brothers Lo, there I see the line of my people back to the beginning Lo, they call to me, they bid me take my place among them In the halls of Valhalla, where the brave may live...forever
Wouldn't morse code be trinary? (dot, dash, pause?)
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"The promptings of the Holy Ghost will always be sufficient for our needs if we keep to the covenant path. Our path is uphill most days, but the help we receive for the climb is literally divine." --Elaine S. Dalton
You have a point, hiccups. There are really three things that convey information in morse code: the dot, the dash, and the pause. Eliminate any of them and you really can't transmit anything in morse code. But the concept is still pretty much the same as binary: you have a limited number of things that you can transmit, thereby making it easier on the other end to interpret.
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If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animated contest of freedom, go from us in peace. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen! - Samuel Adams
It's easy to be self-employed when yer a lawyer. Not so easy for a teacher or police officer... Hmm....
Oh, man. Sorry... that was just reeeeealy funny. 
