“Money in the lives of Latter-Day Saints should be used as a means of achieving eternal happiness…God will open the windows of heaven to us in these matters if we will but live close to Him and keep His commandments.” -Marvin J. Ashton

“Seek not for riches, but for wisdom; and behold, the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto you, and then shall you be made rich. Behold, he that hath eternal life is rich.” -D&C 11:7

Prosperity is a natural result of seeking the kingdom of God and living the gospel. After acquiring wealth, it’s critical to continue using it for the right purposes. In other words, we invest our profits back into building the kingdom.

Eternal happiness is found through the things that money cannot buy, such as relationships, service, and keeping the commandments. Material prosperity certainly makes life more comfortable and enjoyable, but it is not a prerequisite to enter the celestial kingdom. It is a means to the end of salvation, and not an end in and of itself.

We should always be asking ourselves, “What are the things that will bring me eternal, rather than temporal, happiness?” Or, as Robert D. Hales put it, “Whenever we want to experience or possess something that will impact us and our resources, we may want to ask ourselves, ‘Is the benefit temporary, or will it have eternal value and significance?’”

Interestingly enough, we’ve never been happier as a family than when we were buried in financial trouble. We grew stronger and became wiser. We increased our faith in God. We learned thrift and discipline at levels that couldn’t have been achieved in any other way. We increased our production through trial and error. We shed pride and embraced humility. We became better people and our family has never been closer.

In short, we became more attuned to things of an eternal, rather than a temporal, nature. We’ve become much more compassionate toward others, and more inclined to serve.

This is a common phenomenon — the loss of temporal security leading to an increase in spiritual faith and discipline.

However, this does not mean that money is not desirable, or that prosperity is wrong. When gained righteously and managed appropriately, it can be a powerful tool that enables us to serve and bless the lives of others. Of course, we can’t buy our way into heaven. But we can use our money for good works.

This ideal teaches us how to stay on the strait and narrow path after we are blessed with wealth. It teaches us to keep money in its proper perspective and to become wise stewards.

As L. Tom Perry explained:

“So often it is the order of things that is fundamental in the Lord’s instructions to us. The Lord is not telling us that we should not be prosperous. This would be inconsistent with the many records we have of Him blessing His people with prosperity. But He is telling us that we should seek prosperity only after we have sought and found Him. Then, because our hearts are right, because we love Him first and foremost, we will choose to invest the riches we obtain in building His kingdom.”

In other words, living this ideal leads to the “spiral” model of prosperity, where the more money we obtain the closer we get to heaven. This is opposed to the pride cycle, where we’re dragged down by inappropriate attitudes toward wealth.

When this ideal is lived consistently, proper perspective and wisdom can always be present and even deepened the richer we become. We don’t have to be “compelled to be humble” (see Alma 32: 16), as we were as we struggled with the consequences of pride and forgetfulness.

Through this ideal, we overcome addiction and “hunger and thirst after righteousness.”

“When we are addicted, we seek those worldly possessions or physical pleasures that seem to entice us. But as children of God, our deepest hunger and what we should be seeking is what the Lord alone can provide — His love, His sense of worth, His security, His confidence, His hope in the future, and assurance of His love, which brings us eternal joy. We must want, more than anything else, to do our Heavenly Father’s will and providently provide for ourselves and others.” -Robert D. Hales

The next ideal details the practicalities of how to use money to achieve eternal happiness.

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© Copyright 2009 by Stephen & Karina Palmer

Chapter 2, Part 3: Use Money to Achieve Eternal Happiness

What insights did you have this conference? Please share them by commenting below. We look forward to hearing from you.

Robert D. Hales, Becoming Provident Providers: Temporally and Spiritually

“Just as our grandparents and great-grandparents learned vital lessons through economic adversity, what we learn now, in our present circumstances, can bless us and our posterity for generations to come.

“Today I speak to all whose freedom to choose has been diminished by the effects of ill-advised choices of the past. I speak specifically of choices that have led to excessive debt and addictions to food, drugs, pornography, and other patterns of thought and action that diminish one’s sense of self-worth. All of these excesses affect us individually and undermine our family relationships. Of course some debt incurred for education, a modest home, or a basic automobile may be necessary to provide for a family. Unfortunately however, additional debt is incurred when we cannot control our wants and addictive impulses. And for both debt and addiction, the hopeful solution is the same—we must turn to the Lord and follow His commandments. We must want more than anything else to change our lives so that we can break the cycle of debt and our uncontrolled wants…

“… What is a provident provider?

“All of us are responsible to provide for ourselves and our families in both temporal and spiritual ways. To provide providently, we must practice the principles of provident living: joyfully living within our means, being content with what we have, avoiding excessive debt, and diligently saving and preparing for rainy-day emergencies. When we live providently, we can provide for ourselves and our families and also follow the Savior’s example to serve and bless others.

“Being provident providers, we must keep that most basic commandment, ‘Thou shalt not covet’ (Exodus 20:17). Our world is fraught with feelings of entitlement. Some of us feel embarrassed, ashamed, less worthwhile if our family does not have everything the neighbors have. As a result, we go into debt to buy things we can’t afford—and things we do not really need. Whenever we do this, we become poor temporally and spiritually. We give away some of our precious, priceless agency and put ourselves in self-imposed servitude. Money we could have used to care for ourselves and others must now be used to pay our debts. What remains is often only enough to meet our most basic physical needs. Living at the subsistence level, we become depressed, our self-worth is affected, and our relationships with family, friends, neighbors, and the Lord are weakened. We do not have the time, energy, or interest to seek spiritual things…

“…When faced with the choice to buy, consume, or engage in worldly things and activities, we all need to learn to say to one another, ‘We can’t afford it, even though we want it!’ or ‘We can afford it, but we don’t need it — and we really don’t even want it!’

“The foundation of provident living is the law of the tithe. The primary purpose of this law is to help us develop faith in our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. Tithing helps us overcome our desires for the things of this world and willingly make sacrifices for others. Tithing is the great equitable law, for no matter how rich or poor we are, all of us pay the same one-tenth of our increase annually (see D&C 119:4), and all of us receive blessings so great ‘that there shall not be room enough to receive [them]‘ (Malachi 3:10).

“In addition to our tithes, we should also be an example with the payment of fast offerings. A fast offering is at least the cost of the two consecutive meals from which we fast each month. By not eating these two meals, we draw close to the Lord in humility and prayer and also participate in anonymous giving to bless our brothers and sisters all over the world.

“Another important way we help our children learn to be provident providers is by establishing a family budget. We should regularly review our family income, savings, and spending plan in family council meetings. This will teach our children to recognize the difference between wants and needs and to plan ahead for meaningful use of family resources.”

Henry B. Eyring, Adversity

“I spoke recently to a young father who has lost his job in the recent economic crisis. He knows that hundreds of thousands of people with exactly his skills are looking desperately for work to feed their families. His quiet confidence led me to ask him what he had done to become so confident that he would find a way to support his family. He said he had examined his life to be sure that he had done all he could to be worthy of the Lord’s help. It was clear that his need and his faith in Jesus Christ were leading him to be obedient to God’s commandments when it is hard to do…

“That young man with whom I spoke recently was one who had done more than put away food and a little savings for the misfortune which living prophets had warned would come. He had begun to prepare his heart to be worthy of the Lord’s help which he knew he would in the near future need. When I asked his wife on the day he lost his job if she was worried, she said with cheerfulness in her voice, ‘No, we’ve just come from the bishop’s office. We are full-tithe payers.’ Now, it is still too early to tell, but I felt assured as they seemed to be assured: ‘Things will work out.’ Tragedy did not erode their faith; it tested it and strengthened it. And the feeling of peace the Lord has promised has already been delivered in the midst of the storm. Other miracles are sure to follow.”

Thomas S. Monson, Be of Good Cheer

“Since last we met together in a general conference six months ago, there have been continuing signs that circumstances in the world aren’t necessarily as we would wish. The global economy, which six months ago appeared to be sagging, seems to have taken a nosedive, and for many weeks now the financial outlook has been somewhat grim. In addition, the moral footings of society continue to slip, while those who attempt to safeguard those footings are often ridiculed and, at times, picketed and persecuted. Wars, natural disasters, and personal misfortunes continue to occur.

“It would be easy to become discouraged and cynical about the future — or even fearful of what might come — if we allowed ourselves to dwell only on that which is wrong in the world and in our lives. Today, however, I’d like us to turn our thoughts and our attitudes away from the troubles around us and to focus instead on our blessings as members of the Church. The Apostle Paul declared, ‘God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.’

“None of us makes it through this life without problems and challenges — and sometimes tragedies and misfortunes. After all, in large part we are here to learn and grow from such events in our lives. We know that there are times when we will suffer, when we will grieve, and when we will be saddened. However, we are told, ‘Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.’

“How might we have joy in our lives, despite all that we may face? Again from the scriptures: ‘Wherefore, be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you.’”

Steven E. Snow, Get On With Our Lives

“It would be nice if we could anticipate all the changes that would occur in a lifetime. Some changes we see coming. Certainly all Latter-day Saint young men are taught to prepare for a full-time mission, a life-changing experience. Every worthy young single adult understands the importance of choosing a spouse and being sealed in the holy temple. We know these changes are coming, and we can plan for them. But what about the changes which are thrust upon us rather unexpectedly? These are changes over which we seemingly have no control. Economic downturn, unemployment, debilitating sickness or injury, divorce, and death are examples of change we do not expect, anticipate, or welcome. How do we deal with such unexpected setbacks in life’s journey?

“The answer is the same. By listening to the prophets, keeping an eternal perspective, having faith, and being of good cheer, we can face life’s unexpected challenges and ‘get on with our lives.’”

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Highlights on Finance from the April 2009 General Conference

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