39 Why do ye adorn yourselves with that which hath no life, and yet suffer the hungry, and the needy, and the naked, and the sick and the afflicted to pass by you, and notice them not?
A characteristic of unrighteous people which is highlighted throughout the Book of Mormon is callousness toward people in need. This is often associated with an excessive attachment to material possessions and symbols of wealth.
In this passage, Moroni points out the irony of obsessing about our possessions while ignoring the needs of living people around us, many of whom lack the basic necessities of life. To clothe ourselves with “that which hath no life” while ignoring people who are naked is to be entirely confused about what is really important in life.
When the Savior listed the acts of service which will serve us well at the Final Judgment, one of those was to clothe the naked (Matthew 25:36). Today, I will share my clothing with those who are in need. As I do so, I will bear in mind, as Moroni reminds us, that people are far more important than things and that serving others is far more valuable than acquiring worldly possessions.