As we’ve been reading the Book of Mormon together, we’ve seen that the Nephites (the people who chose to follow God and so went with the prophet Nephi) had prospered since separating from their wicked family members, the Lamanites, who followed a rebellious young man named Laman, the brother of the prophet Nephi. Since this time, Nephi has died, a new man has been appointed king, and Nephi’s younger brother Jacob has become the leader of the church, assisted by the youngest brother, Joseph.
The Nephites had grown numerous over the years, and had been blessed for their worthiness. Some had now grown prosperous because they were fortunate enough to find gold and ore and other valuables. Instead of thanking God, and using their excess to help those who had been less successful, they took all credit for their finds and their wealth and even looked down on those who had not been as fortunate. We discussed this in the previous article on pride. Jacob called his people together to chastise them for this:
19 And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches, if ye seek them; and ye will seek them for the intent to do good—to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted.
20 And now, my brethren, I have spoken unto you concerning pride; and those of you which have afflicted your neighbor, and persecuted him because ye were proud in your hearts, of the things which God hath given you, what say ye of it? (Jacob 2)
The subject of how to treat the poor ties directly in with Jacob’s warnings about pride. It’s much easier to neglect the poor if you believe it is their own fault they’re poor—that they’re poor due to wickedness, laziness, or whatever excuse you have in mind. Later in the Book of Mormon, other prophets will also warn people that often the wealthy have wealth because they had opportunities for learning because of their wealth. Had they not been wealthy, they might well have been different. It was their advantages that put them in place for their wealth.
“I am concerned about some of our prosperous people who are beginning to criticize the poor for being poor. Some of our own church members believe that only shiftless, lazy people remain poor in this prosperous day and age and that welfare is necessary only to sustain those who are not competent enough to work. They simply do not realize the unexpected problems and expenses that can suddenly come to any one of us. On one occasion the Church came to my aid when I was sick and helpless to help myself, and I was truly grateful that it did.” Theodore M. Burton, “A Disease Called Pride,” Ensign, Mar 1971, 26
Notice that Jacob suggested we should seek after wealth “for the intent to do good.” In other words, while being wealthy is not, in itself a sin, wanting to be wealthy so you can be “better than other people,” or to have a fancy home, an expensive car, or other worldly goods is wrong. The only reason to seek wealth is to have more to spend helping others. This can take enormous self-control. Brigham Young once said his greatest fear was that his people would become wealthy. While many may start that way, it’s difficult to maintain over time. Once a person has a taste of nice things, it can be tempting to add just one more nice thing, and then another nice thing, and soon you’re making your annual donation to the Heart Fund and that’s it, not willing to sacrifice too much of your own comfort.
One way to avoid this challenge is to For instance, we live in a tiny cottage in a modest neighborhood. We do have a few things we spend a bit more money on, such as computers, since we both make our livings on the computer, but in general our material possessions are very modest. Self-employment means our income fluctuates, and we try not to raise our way of living when things are going well. I would like us to stay comfortable with a modest lifestyle. It’s much easier to stay with the status quo than to “downgrade” to a simpler life.
When life hands you a more luxurious income, ask yourself, “What good can I do with this money?” This will keep you in line with Jacob’s admonition to seek wealth, if you really want it, only to help others.
The late Terrie Lynn Bittner—beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend—was the author of two homeschooling books and numerous articles, including several that appeared in Latter-day Saint magazines. She became a member of the Church at the age of 17 and began sharing her faith online in 1992.
