One of the founding principles of the gospel is the Law of the Harvest, and yet we so often have the audacity to be frustrated when we "aren't getting anything from the church." The church and culture could do better, sure, but there is always more we can do. We are the only variable we have control over.
The gospel is for /investing/. This doesn't mean just invest time though. You can invest time and it will return, sure, but it won't give you what you look for in religion. For the peace and the spirit and the guidance and life and vibrance offered, you have to invest emotions, and you have to invest soul.
We sometimes think too hard on the "lose his life for my sake" scripture, thinking that the gospel is to fundamentally remake us because we're flawed sinners and all that. Too much of this rhetoric is misleading. The savior does not expect nor ask us to stop being... Us. God wants us to take what you are, and channel it into the gospel. Invest, oneself. Not invest something that is not you, and not destroy oneself and invest the rubble that is left over, and not invest empty time and works, but invest what you are.
The more developed a person is, the more they will have to invest, but the act of investment will be harder. One has to search for the proper niches of the gospel for oneself, which bring the most nourishment, but this searching is a difficult, energy and time consuming process. Lots of people kind of avoid developing themselves, using the church as a substitute, clinging to church principles and in case of conflict between those and their identity, the church supersedes. For example, not doing a thing because it is the wrong thing for a Mormon/missionary/parent/etc to do, and not because its a wrong thing based on wrong or under-nourishing principles. There is little growth, because there is no reconciling process. The gospel forge works as we take all that we are and bring it to bear and in line with the best principles. Avoiding and ignoring the question, acting as if we aren't what we are, will not do a lot for us. If we want the highest quality returns, we will have to do difficult work.
Investing with intent of returns is not wrong. God wouldn't promise blessings otherwise. God wants us to have, stuff. Spiritual stuff, temporal stuff, etc. Gifts. We get stuff, through the investment principle of the law of the harvest. The point of doctrine is to teach what kind of investments will yield maximum spiritual returns.
Sometimes it helps to use some focus gimmick in order to channel into the gospel, and that's fine. If I'm obsessed with the "mysteries" there's nothing wrong with putting in some kolob research. If I love art, then finding or creating art in the gospel, that is good. If I love social dynamics, I'll profit lots more from studying relationships in the Book of Mormon than someone who likes native american history. Find the parts that work. Its about multiplying talents, not about bashing yourself into caring about family history. For those parts that don't work for us... Well, there's the forge. Look for how to reconcile these things.
There are many archetypal roles in the gospel framework. Teancum was an assassin. Moroni was a political agitator, and didn't really seem to possess any mystic qualities. Paul focused on calling people out. Hugh Nibley just studied old things. There are common gospel components- home teaching, loving people, listening to councel, Word of Wisdom, etc, but there is also a great deal of leeway, even in how one carries each of these things out. Nowhere is it written home teachers have to once-a-month share an Ensign message. Style your home teaching after your own identity's pattern, and then, when you have invested properly, watch for fruit.
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