A.
The Dangers of Being Wealthy
1.
“For the love of money is the root of all evil”
Of all the statements about money, the Apostle Paul’s
condemnation of the pursuit of wealth is one of the most famous and succinct—“for
the love of money is the root of all evil.”
That phrase is taken from this longer passage in 1 Timothy: “But they that will be rich fall into
temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown
men in destruction and perdition. For
the love of money is the root of all evil; which while some coveted after, they
have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”[1]Intuitively, many sense
this to be the case, even if they are slow to confess it, and even if they have
given no or little thought as to how and why money is so corrupting.
Certain human vices are closely related to the pursuit of
money—greed, envy and covetousness; and others to the unrighteous possession of
money—possessiveness, stinginess and miserliness. Yet there are even more vices to which men
may be subject because they have been corrupted by the pursuit or possession of
money. Money can change people for the
worse, even the best of people—money messes with people. Without stretching it
too far, it is easy to see how many of the wealthy might be described as
arrogant, boastful, self-important; as patronizing, condescending, and
dismissive; as selfish, spoiled, self-serving, narcissistic, self-absorbed; as
proud and vain; and, as domineering, controlling, and uncompromising. Of course, not all the rich are so
afflicted, but at least enough of them are, so that we are not shocked when
finding many of these traits in the wealthy.
It is almost as though many of the “traits” are just part and parcel of
being wealthy. There are of course differences
depending upon whether we are talking about those with “new wealth,”
“second-generation wealth,” “old wealth;” or, those who “make their own money,”
“inherit money,” get it through dumb luck, or acquire money incidentally.
2.
Misplaced Priorities—Seek Ye First the Kingdom
of God
One of the greatest dangers posed by wealth is that it
distorts priorities. The scriptures are
unequivocally clear about what men should put first in their lives. “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and
his righteousness: and all these things shall be added unto you.”[2] Men are to focus their eyes upon what
matters the most, putting spiritual goals and objectives ahead of temporal ones,
the service of God ahead of the pursuit of wealth. Men are admonished to keep the commandment;
care for the poor and needy; be true disciples by following Christ; and, when
called upon, consecrate to the Lord’s service all that He might require.[3] Those who do so will have “treasures in
heaven,” not corruptible by rust and moth, not vulnerable to theft. The things of the world—and many of them are
unavoidable due to men’s mortality—must always, and in all ways, be subordinate
to what matters most. Certainly each of
us has many things that one would freely acknowledge are “part of the
world”—things not intrinsically bad—and, each of them may have place in our
lives, but only if that place is subordinate the first priority.
But those who are wealthy are almost invariably prone to
invert the priorities. The things of
the world matter the most. They care
more about money, glory, power, control, status, learning—indeed, whatever else
one can describe as being something of value in this world—than they do about
the kingdom of God. What was so
terrible about what the young rich man did—apparently disqualifying him from
eternal life--was precisely such an inversion of priorities—caring more about
his possessions—which were great—than about being a true disciple. Hence, we read in the scriptures about our
“treasures” being where our heart is.
That scripture is significant in that it should be used as guide to keep
us from deceiving ourselves about what we really care about. Such temporal treasures are described in the
scriptures as “perishable,”[4] as akin to “idols” of our
own making, fashioned after the image of the world,[5] and as items that we can’t
take with us in the life to come.[6]
Does this mean that “having” and “enjoying” wealth is
morally justifiable, as long as one can honestly say that seeking the kingdom
of God is one’s primary priority?
Indeed, is wealth one of those things that might be “added” unto one, if
one is otherwise righteous?
3.
Becoming an All-Consuming Passion
For some men, obtaining more wealth becomes an all-consuming
passion. It is not enough to be
wealthy—to have more than one could possibly need for oneself and one’s
family. Wealth no longer is viewed as a
means to obtain other goals—such as knowledge, refinement, pleasure, power,
prestige—it becomes the goal in and of itself.
The most extreme forms of this addiction is that of the crazy miser—one
thinks of “Silas Mariner”-- but there are surely modern-day versions of the
same phenomenon—business men who cannot control their obsession with the making
of money, even deal equally important as the last, even though they have more
than enough for themselves and their families.
This, of course, falls within the class of “misplaced priorities,” representing appetites that can never be
satisfied Solomon with his countless
wives and concubines and endless wealth would seem to a biblical example. On occasion, it is called a “canker” upon
the soul.[7] Like many forms of iniquity, the lust for
wealth may be quietly seductive, starting almost innocently—it is as though it
is hardly there at all; yet with each acquisition, it claims a greater share of
one’s heart, until with time, and enough seduction, the pursuit of wealth may
become uncontrollable.
4.
Pulling Men Away from God
Another peril facing the rich is that they do not seek
God. Often whatever faith they may have
had gets swallowed up in the pursuit of wealth. They rely upon the arm of flesh (not the arm
of God), and see no need to be submissive, meek and humble. They are prone to yielding to the pleasures
of the flesh, because they are so accessible.
They are not grateful for their abundance, certainly not to God, secure
in the conceit that they alone have “earned” their wealth. They err from the faith as it says in 1
Timothy 6: 10.
5.
Using Corrupt Practices to Obtain Wealth
Whenever men become fixated with making money, they leave
themselves vulnerable to the temptation of doing whatever it takes to become
wealthy. And what one man does—however
dishonorable or questionable—soon becomes an acceptable standard for others to
follow. Competition drives men to
employ the same or similar tactics.
These pressures are especially strong when men are impatient, wanting
wealth immediately or at all costs. Many,
in their “haste” to amass wealth,[8] engage in corrupt and
wicked practices: the scriptures say that they are full of violence, speak
lies, and are deceitful.[9] They abuse the poor without remorse:
“grind[ing] the faces of the poor, ”[10] oppressing the poor,[11] and persecuting the meek.[12]
Often the riches of the wealthy are earned on the backs of
the poor, who receive little of the value created through their labor. Instead, the wealthy justify themselves,
taking the lion’s share of the value, on the grounds that value creation is
attributable largely to their assumption of risk, the employment of capital,
and their brains, talent, vision, and entrepreneurial spirit. There is nothing wrong—indeed, it is
prudent—to take all reasonable steps to control production costs, including
squeezing labor expenses, to be competitive.
Most of the value created does not accrue to the benefit of the
laborers, but instead to the stakeholders.
6.
Greed, Envy and Covetness
Greed, envy and covetness—three terms used in the
scriptures—describe somewhat related states of mind, each a sin in the eyes of
God. Each is a companion to the other,
in that one possessing greed, or envy, or covetousness, can never have
enough—one has a need that can never be satisfied. As Isaiah says, “Yea, they are greedy dogs
which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand:
they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.”[13] Often the pursuit of wealth is driven by
these unbridled feelings. Doubtlessly,
this is part of the reason that the Apostle Paul says: “But they that will be
rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts,
which drown men in destruction and perdition.
For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted
after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many
sorrows.”[14] The love of money leads to many temptations
and sometimes to the loss of faith.
(i)
Covetousness
One “covets” something when one wants something very badly,
usually something that is owed or held by another. Within the Ten Commandments, God has
commanded that men should not covet what others have. “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house,
though shalt not covet thy heighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his
maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.”[15] Definitionally, “covetness” consists of two
elements: a wanting (or greed), coupled with a wanting of something of
another. It is especially poisonous, in
that it corrupts and ruins men’s relationships with others, often causing them
to envy, despise or hate others and to connive to take what a neighbor holds,
possesses or owns. Though already
richly blessed of the Lord, David covets Uriah’s wife, Bathsheba, having seen
her washing from the roof of the king’s house, and finding her “very beautiful
to look upon.”[16] Consumed with his lust of her, he takes what
is not his to take, and then conspires to have Uriah placed in the “forefront
of the hottest battle,” and his support withdrawn, “that he may be smitten, and
die.”[17] Those who covet what another has often do
them harm to advance their greed. “And
they covet fields, and take them by violence; and houses, and take them away:
so they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage.”[18] Paul calls covetousness a form of
idolatry—the worship of a false god.[19]
(j)
Envy
The term “envy” is so closely akin to “covetousness,” that
most of us, at least without some concentrated thought, would be hard pressed
to explain how the one differs from the other.
One short definition of envy reads: “A sad or angry feeling of wanting
what another person has.” As in the
sentence, “I couldn’t hid my envy of her success.” Both envy and covetousness deal with strong
emotions. One attempt to distinguish the
two terms states: “Envy is a resentful
desire of something possessed by another or others (but not limited to material
possessions), while covetousness is the immoderate desire for the possession of
something, especially wealth.”[20] Envy is a feeling of dislike, hatred or
resentment towards another because of what that other person has, while
covetousness is a desire to possess something.
We think of “covetousness” in terms of desiring material possessions,
while “envy” may arise out of disliking or hating or resenting another for
either their possession of material things or their development or possession
of skills, attributes, or talents. One
thinks of “coveting” physical things that one might actually be capable of
acquiring. At best the distinctions are
very subtle and are frequently disregarded by many in normal discourse and
usage. Certainly, many who are envious
are at the same time covetous (one dislikes another because of what he
possesses (i.e., “envy”), and at the same time, one wants for himself that
which another possesses (i.e., “covetousness”).
Envy is a sin of which men should repent. “Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not
in the rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife
and envying.”[21] Envy is a part of our carnality and a work
of the flesh, and is close to strife and contention.[22] Those guilty of envy will not inherit the
kingdom of God.[23] “Wo unto you poor men, whose hearts are not
broken, whose spirits are not contrite, and whose bellies are not satisfied,
and whose hands are not stayed from laying hold upon other men’s goods, whose
eyes are full of greediness, and who will not labor with your own hands.”[24]
(k)
Greed
Of the three terms, “greed” is the most generic, meaning an
intense, usually unrighteous, desire to have or possess more of something, such
as “he is greedy for power or for money.”
It may grow out of envy, but it need not do so. Those who are “covetous” are invariably
“greedy” for that which is wanted. Greed is not never portrayed favorably in the
scriptures: “Who being past feeling
have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with
greediness.”[25] “Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy
of filthy lucre,; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous.”[26] “Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never
have enough.”[27]
7.
“Pride and arrogance… do I hate.”[28]
Quickly wealth corrupts, poisoning men’s relationships with
others. Possessing wealth causes men to
think they are better than others, and out of these feelings of superiority
comes pride, vanity, arrogance, and condescension. The scriptures are full of rich imagery,
describing the evils that grow out of pride: “thine heart be lifted up, and
thou forget the Lord;”[29] “only by pride cometh
contention;”[30]
“those that walk in pride he is able to abase;”[31] “all the proud … shall be
stubble;”[32]
“whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased;”[33] “men shall be lovers of
their own selves … proud;”[34] “lifted up in the pride
of their eyes;”[35]
and “wise, and the learned, and the rich, that are puffed up in the pride.”[36] Images associated with height and size are
used to illustrate pride: those who are
proud are “exalted,” “lifted up,” “lofty,” and “puffed up;” while, by way of
contrast, the humble are described by the depths and smallness: “sit down in the lowest room;”[37] and “come down in the
depths of humility.”[38]
Initially, it may be that the proud draw their sense of
superiority for the wealth of their possessions—i.e., by having more than others[39] but over time the rich,
through the use of their wealth, develop more subtle ways of distinguishing
themselves from the poor: going to the finest schools, developing refined
tastes, travelling the world, dressing fashionably, and acquiring expensive habits. All things the poor cannot afford, creating an
even greater gulf, temporally, between the rich and the poor. The rich are prone to look down upon the
poor—why—because they have possessions, things, and attributes—that the poor do
not have and never will have. The
scriptures speak of the rich “despising,” “persecuting,” “ruling over;” the
poor, and of being “puffed up,” “high-minded,” being “wise in his own
conceit.” All behaviors and attitudes
designed to reinforce the elevated status of the rich and to keep the poor in
their place. The prophet Jacob says: “And the hand of
providence hath smiled upon you most pleasingly, that you have obtained many
riches; 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.”[40]
For the most part, except in periods of unusual social revolt,
the poor submit quietly to their inferior status in the social order, accepting
the right of the rich to govern and rule and exercise dominion over them, and
evidencing their acceptance by being submissive, meek, and humble.
These feelings bespeak of a curious, and twisted, irony,
because the advantages secured by the wealthy are usually based upon the cheap
labor of the poor. Yet, in short order,
the wealthy come to despise the very people responsible for their comfort, ease
and advantages.
8.
“To Be
Seen of Men”
It is not enough for the rich to have more than others, and
to feel superior, they also want their status to be acknowledged publicly. Vanity can take many forms—and one form of
vanity is the desire “to be seen of men.”
One wishes others to notice what one does—which is dressed up as some
kind of “piety” or “good doing”--and to receive the acclaim of one’s
fellowmen. Jesus is extremely critical
of those who gives alms to the poor for this purpose. The good they do is not motivated by a desire
to help others, but instead by a lust for men’s acclaim. They
should expect no reward in heaven for their feigned generosity, for they have
already had the reward they wished for upon earth. All such persons Jesus condemns as “hypocrites”—those
pretending to help the poor, when in fact their hearts are not fixed upon
helping the poor, but instead upon earning the praise of men.[41] “Take heed that ye do not your alms before
men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in
heaven. Therefore when thou doest thine
alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the
synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their
reward.”[42]
B.
Relationship of Obedience to Wealth
There is another complicating factor at play that forces
many, whether or not they consciously wish to consider it, to struggle with
what is the “right” balance between spiritual goals and material success. Part of the reason for the challenge is that
those most obedient to God’s commandments often find themselves blessed
temporally. They enjoy better health;
have more control over their lives; become better educated; are hard-working
and industrious; and, care for themselves and their families. Their blessings often include opportunities
in the work place that others do not enjoy.
And, depending upon their scope of interest, many of them, if so
inclined, earn substantial wages or enjoy success in business, allowing them to
accumulate substantial wealth—often almost in spite of themselves.
The correlation between obedience and prosperity is not
accidental. One of the constant themes
in the Book of Mormon is that obedience almost always leads to prosperity. “For the Lord God hath said that inasmuch as
ye shall keep my commandments yet shall prosper in the land; and inasmuch as ye
will not keep my commandments ye shall be cut off from my presence.”[43] Even the law of tithing as set forth in Old
Testament times carries a promise that those paying faithful tithes will enjoy
great blessing: “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be
meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, said the Lord of hosts, if I
will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that
there shall not be room enough to receive it.
And will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy
the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the
time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts.”[44]
Spiritual blessings are certainly the most important, and
one would hope they would be showered down on the obedient; but it appears that
the obedient are also the recipients of temporal blessings. “But our kings and our leaders were mighty
men in the faith of the Lord; and they taught the people the ways of the
Lord….And we multiplied exceedingly, and spread upon the face of the land, and
became exceedingly rich in gold, and in silver, and in precious things, and in
fine workmanship of wood, in buildings, and in machinery, and also in iron and
copper, and brass and steel….”[45]
These temporal blessings come as gifts from God, rewarding
men for their obedience to God’s commandments, and for which they should be
grateful. For this reason alone, it is
hard for many to think of the abundance received through God’s grace as being
either a challenge or test from God or as some form of temptation or evil. Why would God reward the obedient with gifts
that would either draw men away from God, turning them away from their faith, or
subject them to temptations that could easily keep them from receiving their
eternal salvation? “If ye then, being
evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your
Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?”[46] It is even harder for men to see how the
“prosperity” with which they are blessed might be considered “per se”
evil. They reason it is illogical to
think so. And, if one were blessed in
receiving the gift, is it such a stretch to say that men are not “entitled” to
keep the gift they have received.
Gratitude grows out of an appreciation to God for the rich blessings
received; should men in turn immediately give away that which gave rise to the
gratitude in the first place? Does it
make sense to think that the gift was given with the expectation that, after
its receipt, it should be gave away or shared with others? Some in the Church see in the abundance they
receive evidence of God’s love for them.
Some may even go so far as to think that the greater the abundance the greater
the evidence of God’s good pleasure.[47]
Yet, as we further consider, we should not be so startled by
the concept that “gifts” are given, not with the expectation that they will be
retained for personal benefit, but with the expectation that the recipient will
indeed share the “gift” with others.
The bestowal of the gift brings with it additional duties or
responsibilities—in this case, the obligation to be a faithful steward over the
bounty received from God. It is
precisely because of the recipient’s obedience that the Lord has greater
confidence in the recipient, or perhaps “enough” confidence, so as to entrust
the recipient with more than the recipient needs for his own purposes to held
as a steward for the benefit of others, including the poor and needy.
Moreover, is it not equally true that all gifts from God are
intended not only for our own benefit but also for the benefit of others. Certainly this is true of the spiritual
gifts from God. “But the manifestation
of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.”[48] And how are such spiritual gifts to be
used—for the unity of the Church and the edification and support of the
members, weak and strong. “But all
these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally
as he will. For as the body is one, and
hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one
body: so also is Christ. For by one
Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles,
whether we be bond or free, and have been all made to drink into one
Spirit. For the body is not one member,
but many.”[49]
It may seem strange
to think of the receipt of “abundance” as a way of testing further men’s
capacity for “goodness.” But is it
really? If the destiny of men is to
bridle their feelings and passions to the degree necessary, so that they can be
co-heirs with Christ, inheriting all that He hath, and preparing for an eternal
destiny, is it so odd to think of men being asked to learn and demonstrate their
capacity to be the good “steward.”
Without such internal discipline, how could one possibly entrust men,
even the best of men, with power or dominion of the riches of the earth. We are reminded that “many are called and
few are called,” because they do not learn that the powers of heaven can be
exercised only upon the principles of righteousness.[50] How else is it possible to teach the lessons
of “stewardship,” without seeing how men will handle the challenges of
“abundance?” Accordingly, men are tested
by prosperity: does it change their priorities; does prosperity itself become
the primary goal; do they find themselves using “corrupt” means to acquire
wealth; when they have wealthy, are they “unwilling” or “unable” to share what
they have with others less fortunate; do they fine “ease” too pleasurable; do
they become “prideful,” “vain,” and “greedy;” do they despise the poor? Do they forget the very lessons of obedience
that brought them wealth in the first place?
What begins innocently enough may not stay that way? It is as though part of the challenge of
“life,” forced upon us, is to make tough decisions between the secular and
sacred—precisely because they two are linked together.
[1]
1 Tim. 6: 9-10.
[2]
Matt. 6: 33.
[3]
See Matt: 19: 16-25.
[4]
See, for example,
[5] See, for example,
[6] See, for example,
[7]
See D&C 56: 16.
[8]
See Prov. 28: 20, 22: “But he that
maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent” and “He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil
eye.”
[9]
See Micah 6: 12.
[10]
See Isa. 3: 15.
[11]
See Hel. 4: 12.
[12]
See 2 Ne. 9:30.
[13]
Isa: 56: 11.
[14]
1 Tim. 6: 9-10.
[15]
Ex. 20: 17.
[16]
2 Sam. 11: 2.
[17]
2 Sam. 11: 15.
[18]
Micah 2: 2.
[19]
Col. 3: 5. “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth;
fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and
covetousness, which is idolatry:”
[20]
See the results of the “internet” search.
[21]
Rom. 13: 13.
[22]
See 1 Cor. 3: 3: “For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you
envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?”
[23]
See Gal. 5: 21: “Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of
the which I tell you before, as I have also toldyou in time past, that they
which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”
[24]
D&C 56: 17.
[25]
Eph. 4: 19.
[26]
1 Tim. 3: 3. See also 1 Tim. 3: 8.
[27]
Isa. 56: 11.
[28]
Prov. 8: 13.
[29]
Deut. 8: 14.
[30]
Prov. 13:10.
[31]
Dan. 4: 37.
[32]
Mal. 4: 1.
[33]
Matt. 23:12.
[34]
2 Tim. 3: 2.
[35]
2 Ne. 26: 20.
[36]
2 Ne. 28: 15.
[37]
Luke 14: 10.
[38]
2 Ne 9: 42.
[39]
Jacob 2: 13.
[40]
Jacob 2: 13.
[41]
See also Matt: 6: 5.
[42]
Matt. 6: 1-2.
[44]
Mal. 3: 10-11.
[45]
Jarom 1: 7-8.
[46]
Matt. 7: 11.
[47]
Indeed, one of the most famous sociological works ever written, Max Weber’s,
“The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism,” explores in part this
thesis.
[48]
1 Cor. 12: 7.
[49]
1 Cor. 12: 11-13.
[50]
See D&C 121: 34-37.
No comments:
Post a Comment