Riches

Jacob 2:18 But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God.

This is such an interesting statement!  Most of us have mixed feelings about riches.  We feel that they're probably evil, while wishing we had more of them.   Some of our suspicions about money stem from Paul's statement in 1 Timothy 6 which is often quoted as money is the root of all evil.  But that's not what Paul said.  See what President Hinckley had to say:

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)

Jacob tells us in verse 19 what the qualifications are for righteously obtaining riches:

And 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.

gospeldoctrine.com says this:

"The pursuit of wealth must be done with qualifications, 1) one must first seek the kingdom of God, 2) one must have obtained a hope in Christ, and 3) the riches are to be sought for the benefit of others. If a rich individual meets these qualifications and is not lifted up in pride, he or she is justified before the Lord. Otherwise, wealth, or more accurately, the love of money, is a vice which destroys the soul. As the Savior said, a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven (Matt 19:24)."  

There are a couple of additional things I'd like to say about riches.

1. We don't believe it, but we actually are already wealthy.  If you've been in a developing country or a 3rd world country, you've seen poverty.  People who live with many people to a small apartment, or who don't have indoor bathrooms, or no air conditioning, not enough food to eat, who can't provide for their families can tell you that Americans are all rich.  Sure, when we compare ourselves to our neighbors, or the people with big expensive houses, we feel poor, but we're really, really not.
2. When we have the Gospel, we're rich, no matter our possessions or our income.  When we can feast upon the Spirit, when we know our Savior, when we can study the scriptures and listen to the words of the prophets, we are rich indeed.

 D&C6:7 Seek not for riches but for wisdom, and behold, the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto you, and then shall you be made rich. Behold, he that hath eternal life is rich.

Sometimes Our Blessings Are Our Trials

Jacob describes in chapter 2 that some of the Nephites have begun to search for gold and silver, and as they did this the Lord blessed them exceedingly.  The Lord is often good to us in this way, giving us that which we desire.  The riches are definitely described by Jacob to be a blessing:  v. 13  "And the hand of providence hath smiled upon you most pleasingly, that you have obtained many riches . . ."

But as with any blessing, what we do with it is what determines our progress.  The Nephites used their riches for fancy things and "costly apparel" which made them think they were better than others.  That seems to be a frequent consequence of expensive clothes.  They make us look at those around us to see if they look as good as us, and anyone who doesn't, receives our scorn.  But that's a rant for another time.

I think that we can look at almost any blessing and see that there is a way for that to become a trial to us.  Our choicest blessing, our family, can sometimes irritate and annoy us.  Our spouse can grate on our nerves, our children can try our patience.  In extreme cases, our children can wander and go against our teachings and cause great heartache and grief.  

We can't control the actions of others, but we can be aware that just because something is a blessing doesn't mean it can't be a trial.  And the opposite is true.  We know that some of our greatest trials can end up blessing our lives because of the growth we receive from them.

Magnify

Jacob and Joseph magnified their calling to teach the people. They taught the word of God “with all diligence …, by laboring with [their] might” (Jacob 1:19).   I set out to see how that applied to me.  I believe I need to make the most of my callings and ponder how those programs can bless the lives of those I serve.

This is from Teaching, No Greater Call:
As you magnify your calling to teach, the Lord will magnify you. President Ezra Taft Benson taught: “There can be no failure in the work of the Lord when [we] do [our] best. We are but instruments; this is the Lord’s work. This is His Church, His gospel plan. These are His children we are working with. He will not permit us to fail if we do our part. He will magnify us even beyond our own talents and abilities when necessary. This I know. I am sure many of you have experienced it as I have. It is one of the sweetest experiences that can come to a human being” (The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson [1988], 372).

Then in my search I landed on an article on how to magnify our callings while simplifying our lives and not making extra work for ourselves that takes time away from our families.  We don't necessarily need to get carried away in handouts and decorations that really don't add to the spirituality of the meeting.

“May I give you a word of caution as you plan your activities. Make sure that the essential needs are met, but do not go overboard in creating so many good things to do that the essential ones are not accomplished. … Remember, don’t magnify the work to be done—simplify it.” Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “The Doctrinal Foundation of the Auxiliaries,” Ensign, Aug. 2005, 67.

So we need to keep in mind that there should be a balance.  We do need to magnify our callings in finding ways to bless the lives of those we serve, but we also need to focus on what's important and not be "distracted from the essentials by adding unnecessary work that takes us away from our families or causes us undue stress. There must be a balance in all things. If we pray to know how the Lord would have us magnify our callings, He will help us do so."  Ensign, December 2005

Having First Obtained Mine Errand From the Lord.

Jacob and his brother Joseph were consecrated by Nephi to be teachers for the people of Nephi. In Jacob 1:17, Jacob says:

Wherefore I, Jacob, gave unto them these words as I taught them in the temple, having first obtained mine errand from the Lord.

What does that mean for me in my life?  Can't I just go do some good things on my own?  The scriptures tell us that we should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, but if we are representing the Lord, we must be called and set apart or anointed.  Then as we carry out that calling we need to be sure that we are inspired to do the things the Lord wants done.

In my calling in Relief Society as meeting coordinator, I have great leeway in planning our meetings.  I have no manual or lesson outline, only guidelines.  I need to make sure that our committee plan those things that the Lord wants for our Relief Society sisters to uplift and teach and inspire them, to bless their lives.

I Must Obey

Nephi was an amazing prophet and leader.  As a youth, he was faithful and obedient, courageous and steadfast.  He faced many challenges throughout his life, but always, always he followed the Lord, no matter how difficult.  Now we see him at the close of his life, standing as a witness this final time, bearing testimony and teaching his people.  If I could ever attempt to follow his example, I should first adopt his final saying:  I must obey.

I've memorized this verse from this 33rd chapter of 2nd Nephi because it personifies Nephi, and touches my soul on a deep level:  I glory in plainness; I glory in truth; I glory in my Jesus, for he hath redeemed my soul from hell.

I love Nephi.  I want to be like him. 

Russell M. Nelson said:
“Nephi was a multifaceted genius. Endowed with great physical stature, he was a prophet, teacher, ruler, colonizer, builder, craftsman, scholar, writer, poet, military leader, and father of nations. Nephi had a sincere desire to know the mysteries of God. He became a special witness and trusted prophet of the Lord.

“Nephi lived an adventurous life and faced numerous difficulties. Some of the challenges he faced included fleeing Jerusalem, building a ship, crossing the waters to the promised land, colonizing, withstanding persecution, fulfilling family and leadership responsibilities, and keeping records. Toward the end of his inspiring life Nephi wrote his concluding testimony and bore witness of the doctrine of Christ, the power of the Holy Ghost, and the truthfulness of the words he had written. Appropriately, his final testimony closed with the words that could be known as his signature: ‘I must obey.’

“Few have spoken so profoundly in behalf of one generation to another. Indeed, Nephi’s life and mission were destined to bless us and all people of our day.” (Heroes from the Book of Mormon, p. 16)