The scriptures clearly tell us that we need to be careful not to lay up for ourselves treasures upon earth. This may be particularly hard to do in a society which places so much importance on riches and the vain things of this world (Alma 4:8). The Lord's 1831 warning still seems to apply, Now, I, the lord, am not well pleased with the inhabitants of Zion, for…they also seek not earnestly the riches of eternity, but their eyes are full of greediness (DC 68:31). The parable of the rich man is instructive:
'…a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:
And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?
And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.
And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?
So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.' (Lu 12:15-21).
Dallin H. Oaks
"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.
"In the first of the Ten Commandments, accepted as fundamental religious law by Christians and Jews alike, God commands: 'Thou shalt have no other gods before me' (Exodus 20:3)…The first commandment is a comprehensive prohibition against the pursuit of any goal or priority ahead of God. The first commandment prohibits materialism…the treasures of our hearts--our priorities--should not be the destructible and temporary things of this world.
"…Another lesson on materialism is taught in the example of the follower who asked the Savior what he should do to 'inherit eternal life.' After this questioner represented that he had kept all the commandments from his youth, the Savior said: 'One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.' When the follower heard this, 'he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.' Seeing this, Jesus said, 'How hard it is for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!' (Mark 10:17,21,22,24).
"This man's failing was not his possession of riches but his attitude toward them…
"When we place our trust in our property, we have 'carnal security.' In that state of mind we are inclined to say that all must be well with us and with Zion because we are prospering, thus relying on worldly success as a mark of divine favor. He who does this is an easy mark for being led 'carefully down to hell.'" (Pure in Heart, pp. 73-79)