One might ask if there is a financial advantage to being faithful. The answer comes from page after page in the Book of Mormon and is a resounding, “Yes!” However, the Nephites became rich because of their generosity with their goods and because they did not set their hearts upon riches (v. 30). Is it reasonable then for an individual seeking wealth to join the faithful in order to reap their reward? The answer is a resounding, “No!” because if that is their motivation, they are guilty of priestcraft and will not be blessed with riches. The only way in which wealth can be righteously sought after is for the benefit of humanity, 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 (Jacob 2:19). Jacob makes it clear that it is the motivation that is important. If the motivating factor is charity, the riches will come. If the motivating factor is greed, then you have no promise. It is one of the great ironies of the gospel—if you really want wealth for yourself, you won’t get it as a blessing from the Lord. But if you don’t care about your own riches, then you will be blessed with them.
In the Doctrine and Covenants we find a promise as true as any the Lord has given, if ye seek for the riches which it is the will of the Father to give unto you, ye shall be the richest of all people, for ye shall have the riches of eternity; and it must needs be that the riches of the earth are mine to give; but beware of pride, lest ye become as the Nephites of old (DC 38:39).
Gordon B. Hinckley
“Continuing with the words of Paul, ‘For the love of money is the root of all evil’ (1 Tim 6:10). It is the love of money and the love of those things which money can buy which destroys us. We all need money to supply our needs. But it is the love of it which hurts us, which warps our values, which leads us away from spiritual things and fosters selfishness and greed.” (Ensign, May 1997, p. 49 as taken from Latter-day Commentary on the Book of Mormon compiled by K. Douglas Bassett, p. 175)
George F. Richards
“The Lord expects us when he blesses us with the good things of this earth to remember those who are not so fortunate. We are to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick, comfort those who mourn, and minister unto those who are poor and needy, and thus become of that class to whom the Lord, when he shall come, shall say: ’Come, ye blessed of the Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.’” (Conference Reports, Oct. 1939, p. 109)
John Taylor
“I will promise the Latter-day Saints that if they will go into these things allowing God to dictate in the interests of Israel and the building up of his Zion on the earth, and take themselves and their individual interests out of the question, feeling they are acting for him and his kingdom, they will become the wealthiest of all people, and God will bless them and pour out wealth and intelligence and all the blessings that earth can afford.” (Journal of Discourses, vol. 20, p. 164)