But wo unto the rich, who are rich as to the things of the world. For because they are rich they despise the poor, and they persecute the meek, and their hearts are upon their treasures; wherefore, their treasure is their god. And behold, their treasure shall perish with them also. (2 Nephi 9:30)

This scripture in the Book of Mormon might suggest the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes incorrectly called the Mormon Church) opposes wealth. Since many good church members are financially well-off, this isn’t what the scripture means. It refers to letting the wealth become the center of a person’s world. As the scripture says, for some, wealth becomes their god.

When we value worldly things like money, prestige, or fame over spiritual things, we place worldly things before God. Our actions and how we spend the majority of our time and attention make it clear where our priorities lie. How important are our possessions to us? In the Bible, in the Book of Mark, we read of a rich young man who wanted Jesus to suggest something more he could do to live the gospel. Jesus suggested he sell his riches and give the money to the poor. The man wasn’t willing to take his religion that far, and Jesus commented on how hard it was to get into Heaven when you were rich—not because money keeps you out, but because the love of wealth might become more important to you than God.

Knowing how important money is to people, Jesus spoke of it often. He taught us to pay our tithing first—a full ten percent of our increase. He taught us to pay our taxes. He taught us to earn our money honestly, putting in a full day of work for a full day’s pay. And He taught us to share with those less fortunate.

The scripture from the Book of Mormon quoted above outlines one of the risks of wealth. In the Book of Mormon, we see a regular pattern of financial cycles. The people live the gospel and are blessed. With these blessings often came financial well-being. However, after a generation or two, the people would forget that the wealth was a gift from God and begin to take full credit for their wealth. We often hear people say, “I’m a self-made man.” A self-made man is one who has forgotten that God is our maker and the source of our blessings.

When people begin to take credit for their wealth, they feel they must be better than those who didn’t manage to become wealthy—they’re smarter, harder working, more deserving. This can sometimes lead to poor treatment of the poor, and a feeling that people are poor through their own poor choices.

When we look to the New Testament and Book of Mormon for examples of how Jesus Christ treated the poor, we realize we must not see poverty as a punishment, nor can we use it as an excuse for treating the poor badly. Instead, we must follow the Savior’s example and use our excess resources to help others.

“The more our hearts and minds are turned to assisting others less fortunate than we, the more we will avoid the spiritually cankering effects that result from greed, selfishness, and overindulgence. Our resources are a stewardship, not our possessions. I am confident that we will literally be called upon to make an accounting before God concerning how we have used them to bless lives and build the kingdom.” Joe J. Christensen, “Greed, Selfishness, and Overindulgence,” Ensign, May 1999, 9