Final answer:
The false statement is that their religion required them to perform work for the disadvantaged.
Step-by-step explanation:
The false statement about why most reformers in the 1830s and 1840s took on the type of work they did is: Their religion required that they perform work for the disadvantaged.
While it is true that their religion stressed a dedication to making the world a better place in which to live, and they believed that society and the individual could be perfected, and they believed that practical solutions could be found for most problems of the day, it is not true that their religion specifically required them to perform work for the disadvantaged.
Instead, reformers were motivated by their religious beliefs, moral convictions, and a desire to create a more just and equitable society.