Jacob 2:18-19; Morm. 8: 38; Mosiah 5:13; James 1:6-8; Lectures on Faith 6:7
“Our affections are often too highly placed upon the paltry perishable objects. Material treasures of earth are merely to provide us, as it were, room and board while we are here at school. It is for us to place gold, silver, houses, stocks, lands, cattle, and other earthly possessions in their proper place. Yes, this is but a place of temporary duration. We are here to learn the first lesson toward exaltation—obedience to the Lord’s gospel plan.” (Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, p. 26)
“We each have exactly 24 hours in a day and 168 hours in a week. If we use the bulk of those hours in the pursuit … of material things, there is little time left for relationships, ideas, service, observation, peaceful rest, true religion, and for other non-material things… . The only way we know to fight [materialism] is to try to understand it and to realize what it can do to you. You must then adopt an attitude that is opposite of materialism, an attitude that you actually own nothing, that everything belongs to God and that you are only a steward over anything that you might have, even over your children and over your own talents and potential. You will be judged by your stewardship, by how well you take care of and use the things that are loaned to you.” (Linda and Richard Eyre, Home Base, Nov. 1984, pp. 16-17)
“Some would never sell Jesus for thirty pieces, but they would not give Him their all either! Unfortunately, we tend to think of consecration only in terms of property and money. But there are so many ways of keeping back part. One might be giving of money and time and yet hold back a significant portion of himself… . One might accept a Church calling but have his heart more set on maintaining a certain role in the world… . Each of us is an innkeeper who decides if there is room for Jesus! Consecration is the only surrender which is also a victory. It brings release from … selfishness and emancipation from the dark prison of pride… . But is being consecrated and ‘swallowed up’ a threat to our individuality? No! Heavenly Father is only asking us to lose the old self in order to find the new and the real self. It is not a question of losing our identity, but of finding our true identity! … Consecration may not require giving up worldly possessions so much as being less possessed by them… . Brothers and sisters, whatever we embrace instead of Jesus and His work will keep us from qualifying to enter His kingdom and therefore from being embraced by Him.” (Neal A. Maxwell, Ensign, Nov. 1992, pp. 66-67)
“Every step in the direction of increasing one’s personal holdings is a step away from Zion, which is another way of saying, as the Lord has proclaimed in various ways, that one cannot serve two masters: to the degree in which he loves the one he will hate the other, and so it is with God and business, mammon is simply the standard Hebrew word for any kind of financial dealing.” (Hugh Nibley, Approaching Zion, p. 37)
“When one puts business or pleasure above his home, he that moment starts on the downgrade to soul-weakness. When the club becomes more attractive to any man than his home, it is time for him to confess in bitter shame that he has failed to measure up to the supreme opportunity of his life and flunked in the final test of true manhood. No other success can compensate for failure in the home. The poorest shack in which love prevails over a united family is of greater value to God and future humanity than any other riches. In such a home God can work miracles and will work miracles.” (David O. McKay, Conference Report, Apr. 1964, p. 5)
“They who love and serve God with all their hearts rejoice evermore… . But they who try to serve God and still cling to the spirit of the world, have got on two yokes—the yoke of Jesus and the yoke of the devil… . They will have a warfare inside and outside, and the labor will be very galling, for they are directly in opposition one to the other. Cast off the yoke of the enemy, and put on the yoke of Christ, and you will say that his yoke is easy and his burden is light. This I know by experience.” (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 16:123)
“One man I know of was called to a position of service in the Church, but he felt that he couldn’t accept because his investments required more attention and more of his time than he could spare for the Lord’s work. He left the service of the Lord in search of Mammon, and he is a millionaire today. But I recently learned an interesting fact: If a man owns a million dollars worth of gold at today’s prices, he possesses approximately one 27-billionth of all the gold that is present in the earth’s thin crust … The Lord who created and has power over all the earth created many other earths as well, even ‘worlds without number’ (Moses 1:33); and when this man received the oath and covenant of the priesthood (D&C 84:33-44), he received a promise from the Lord of ‘all that my Father hath’ (v. 38). To set aside all these great promises in favor of a chest of gold and a sense of carnal security is a mistake in perspective of colossal proportions. To think that he has settled for so little is a saddening and pitiful prospect indeed… .” (Spencer W. Kimball, Ensign, June 1976, p. 5)
“[One] reason for increase in debt … is the rise of materialism, as contrasted with commitment to spiritual values. Many a family, in order to make a ‘proper showing,’ will commit itself for a larger and more expensive house than is needed, in an expensive neighborhood. Almost everyone would, it seems, like to keep up with the Joneses… . As a result, there is a growing feeling, unfortunately, that material things should be had now, without waiting, without saving, without self-denial.” (Ezra Taft Benson, Ensign, June 1987, pp. 3-4)
“In quiet moments when you think about it, you recognize what is critically important in life and what isn’t Be wise and don’t let good things crowd out those that are essential… . Whether you intend to or not, when you live as though the Savior and His teachings are only one of many other important priorities in your life, you are clearly on the road to disappointment and likely on the path to tragedy… . If you have been enticed by the things of the world to forget the things of God, correct your priorities.” (Richard G. Scott, Ensign, May 1997, pp. 54,59)