In the world we live in, investors spend countless hours determining which stocks are most undervalued and profitable. Everyone searches for the investment which will bring a big return. But the greatest of all investments is to trust in the Lord. No stock pays better dividends. No investment portfolio is as well-balanced. Nothing provides a better tax-shelter.
But there's always a catch! The Lord doesn't want us to buy just a few shares of his kingdom. If you want the big return, you have to put all your eggs in His basket, and that takes a lot of faith. When we fail to seek his kingdom first, it is because we lack faith—we really don't trust him. Maybe we believe in Him but we don't really believe what He says. The other requirement is to exclude all distractions—the eye has to be single, there can be no other master, the concerns over food, clothing, and shelter must become secondary. But the Lord is able to make good his promises. The word of the Lord to his share-holders is as follows:
'Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye are little children, and ye have not as yet understood how great blessings the Father hath in his own hands and prepared for you;
And ye cannot bear all things now; nevertheless, be of good cheer, for I will lead you along. The kingdom is yours and the blessings thereof are yours, and the riches of eternity are yours.
And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred fold, yea more.' (DC 78:17-19).
Robert E. Wells
"As I travel around the stakes of Latin America, I am impressed with the lives and dedication of the Saints. Even in the midst of political and economic problems, those who put the kingdom first and who serve faithfully are prospering ore than the people around them. In one country the amount of tithing contributions doubled recently, but with only a few more full-tithe payers than before. The gross national product per capita was decreasing, but the incomes of Saints who paid their tithing were doubling. They were placing the kingdom first, and the Lord was blessing them." (The Mount & the Master, p. 161)
LeGrand Richards
"When I think of what our people do in this Church without having to be paid with money for what they do, I know that it is a tremendous thing. You take the General Authorities here on the stand. When they were called to be General Authorities, there was nothing said to them about whether they would receive an allowance to live on. I remember when I was back in Washington, just after President Benson was called to be a member of the Twelve and he had not yet been out West to be ordained and set apart. I was then the Presiding Bishop and attended his stake conference. And he said: 'Bishop, will there be any provision that we will have a living while we are serving as General Authorities of the Church?' And I said: 'Well, there will be a little allowance. But,' I said, 'you will have to live differently than you have done back here unless you have got a little bit tucked away!' I happen to know of an offer that was made to him while he was in the Department of Agriculture that, in those days, was a tremendous offer; and he passed that by to come back here to be a member of the Quorum without any assurance that he would have an allowance given to him.
"I think of when President Tanner was called to be one of the General Authorities. President McKay told us that he was in line to become the prime minister of Canada and that he was at the head of several great industrial organizations in Canada. I am sure that if he were to stand here now, he would tell you that when President McKay asked him to be one of the General Authorities, he did not discuss with him anything about an allowance that he would receive.
"I could go on down, and each one of these men could tell you how they gave up their businesses and their professions, and why did they do it? Because they had received the gift of the Holy Ghost that made it possible for them to do what Jesus advised: 'Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you' (Matt. 6:33)." (Conference Report, Oct. 1979)