Reading 1: Brigham Young said, “The worst fear that I have
about this people is that they will get rich in this country, forget God and
His people, wax fat, and kick themselves out of the Church and go to hell. This
people will stand mobbing, robbing, poverty, and all manner of persecution, and
be true. But my greater fear for them is that they cannot stand wealth; and yet
they have to be tried with riches, for they will become the richest people on
this earth.” (quoted by Dallin H Oaks, Pure In Heart, p81)
Reading 2: Elder Dallin H. Oaks has written: "In
descending order of intensity, materialism may be an obsession, a
preoccupation, or merely a strong interest. Whatever its degree, an interest
becomes materialism when it is intense enough to override priorities that
should be paramount. From the emphasis
given to this subject in the scriptures, it appears that materialism has been
one of the greatest challenges to the children of God in all ages of time.
Greed, the ugly face of materialism in action, has been one of Satan's most
effective weapons in corrupting men and turning their hearts from God."
(Pure in Heart, pp73-74)
Reading 3: President Joseph F. Smith has said: "The
rich man may enter into the kingdom of heaven as freely as the poor, if he will
bring his heart and affections into subjection to the law of God and to the
principle of truth; if he will place his affections upon God, his heart upon
the truth, and his soul upon the accomplishment of God's purposes, and not fix
his affections and his hopes upon the things of the world." (Gospel
Doctrine, p260)
Reading 4: Mark 10:17-30
Matthew 4:18-19
Mark 10:23-30
Reading 5: 1 Timothy
6: 10
Reading 6: Mormon 8:36-39
Reading 7: Mark 10:23-30
Reading 8: Mark 12:41-44
Reading 9: Luke
10:25-28
Reading 10: Alma 22:15-18
Reading 11: Speaking
of the rich young man, President Joseph F. Smith said: “The difficulty with the
young man [was that] he had great possessions, and he preferred to rely upon
his wealth rather than forsake all and follow Christ. … No man can obtain the
gift of eternal life unless he is willing to sacrifice all earthly things in
order to obtain it” (Gospel Doctrine, 5th ed. [1939], 261).
Reading 12 – Elder Carlos H. Amado has written, “The spiritual
motivation within us, which is private and sacred, is the essence of who we
really are. It determines the reward we will receive from him who knows and
sees all. The world measures success by material achievements, academic titles,
social status, and athletic accomplishments--all of which, when placed as one's
top priority, can be in opposition to God and disqualify us for the promised
glory.
Elder Spencer W. Kimball described this as idol worship:
"Modern idols or false gods can take such forms as clothes, homes,
businesses, machines, automobiles, pleasure boats, and numerous other material
deflectors from the path to godhood. ..."
"Intangible things make just as ready gods. Degrees and
letters and titles can become idols. Many young men decide to attend college
when they should be on missions first. ... Some neglect Church service through
their college years, feeling to give preference to the secular training and
ignoring the spiritual covenants they have made.
"Many people build and furnish a home and buy the
automobile first--and then find they `cannot afford' to pay tithing. Whom do
they worship? Certainly not the Lord of heaven and earth, for we serve whom we
love and give first consideration to the object of our affection and
desires" (The Miracle of Forgiveness, Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1969, pp.
40-41).”
(Elder Carlos H. Amado, "Learning to Live for Eternal
Life," Ensign, Aug 1995, 38)
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