Wealth

Out of 672 adages and reflections in the books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, 65 are primarily about wealth. Those passages teach several general principles. In the Book of Mormon, the prophet Jacob teaches those same principles but within a specific context. As a spiritual leader, he feels compelled to correct some of his people who have let their newfound wealth go to their heads, and as a result have been mistreating less fortunate people.

Let’s look at some of those principles, with examples from the Old Testament wisdom literature. Afterwards, we’ll explore how Jacob’s admonition relies on them.

1. Money confers privileges (at least temporarily).

• “The rich man’s wealth is his strong city: the destruction of the poor is their poverty” (Proverbs 10:15).
• “Wealth maketh many friends; but the poor is separated from his neighbour” (Proverbs 19:4).

2. Some things are more important than money.

• “Better is little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble therewith” (Proverbs 15:16).
• “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold” (Proverbs 22:1).

3. Money doesn’t last, and you can’t take it with you to the next life.

• “Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom. Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven” (Proverbs 23:4-5).
• “I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 2:11).

4. Be generous, and that generosity will pay dividends.

• “There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty” (Proverbs 11:24).
• “Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days” (Ecclesiastes 11:1).

5. We are all children of God, however rich or poor we may be.

• “The rich and poor meet together: the Lord is the maker of them all” (Proverbs 22:2).

Now let’s see how Jacob teaches these principles to his people as he encourages them to change their behavior:

The hand of providence hath smiled upon you most pleasingly, that you have obtained many riches [Principle 1]; and because some of you have obtained more abundantly than that of your brethren ye are lifted up in the pride of your hearts, and wear stiff necks and high heads because of the costliness of your apparel, and persecute your brethren because ye suppose that ye are better than they. …

Think of your brethren like unto yourselves [Principle 5], and be familiar with all and free with your substance, that they may be rich like unto you [Principle 4].

But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God [Principle 2].

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 [Principle 4].

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?

Do ye not suppose that such things are abominable unto him who created all flesh? And the one being is as precious in his sight as the other [Principle 5]. And all flesh is of the dust [Principle 3]; and for the selfsame end hath he created them, that they should keep his commandments and glorify him forever.

Jacob 2:13-21

Today I will keep money and wealth in perspective. I will remember that wealth is fleeting and that righteousness, reputation, and relationships are more durable. I will be generous, remembering that all people are of infinite worth to God.