📒 Jacob 2
🗝📜18 But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God.
📜 19 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.
- This word sets priority. It’s not forbidding riches outright, but establishing order.
- It reminds us that timing and intent matter—what comes first shapes everything that follows. Dover.
📕 Mark
📜 17 ¶ And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?
📜 18 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.
📜 19 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.
📜 20 And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth.
📜 21 Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, 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.
📜 22 And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.
📜 23 ¶ And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!
🗝📜24 And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!
📜 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
📜 26 And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved?
📜 27 And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.
This passage from Mark reveals a layered encounter between Jesus and a sincere seeker. The man runs, kneels, and asks what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus first redirects the man’s understanding of goodness—pointing to God alone—and then recites commandments the man claims to have kept since youth. But Jesus, loving him, identifies the deeper lack: not moral compliance, but surrender. “Sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor… take up the cross, and follow me.” The man’s grief exposes the grip of possessions. Riches, though not inherently evil, become barriers when trusted or prioritized.
Jesus then turns to his disciples and teaches plainly: riches make entry into the kingdom difficult—not because wealth itself condemns, but because trust in it displaces dependence on God. The metaphor of the camel and the needle dramatizes the impossibility of self-salvation. The disciples, astonished, ask “Who then can be saved?” Jesus answers with the heart of the gospel: “With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.”
This section echoes Jacob 2:18–19. Before riches, seek the kingdom. After hope in Christ, riches may serve—but only if they are surrendered, consecrated, and used to do good. The rich young man lacked not obedience, but relinquishment. The kingdom requires not just doing, but following. Not just giving, but trusting. Not just asking, but receiving the impossible through God.
- Represents material wealth, possessions, or worldly gain.
- In this verse, riches are not condemned, but subordinated. They are secondary, not ultimate.
📗 1 Kings 3
🗝📜11 And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment;
📜 12 Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.
📜 13 And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days.
📗 Proverbs 27
🗝📜24 For riches are not for ever: and doth the crown endure to every generation?
📜 25 The hay appeareth, and the tender grass sheweth itself, and herbs of the mountains are gathered.
📜 26 The lambs are for thy clothing, and the goats are the price of the field.
📜 27 And thou shalt have goats’ milk enough for thy food, for the food of thy household, and for the maintenance for thy maidens.
📒 2 Nephi 26
📜 31 But the laborer in Zion shall labor for Zion; for if they labor for money they shall perish.
📒 Alma 39
📜 14 Seek not after riches nor the vain things of this world; for behold, you cannot carry them with you.
📘 Doctrine and Covenants 6
📜 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.
Riches are consistently portrayed as subordinate to spiritual priorities. In 1 Kings 3, Solomon’s request for wisdom over wealth pleases God, who grants him both—but the order matters. Riches are added, not sought. Proverbs 27 reminds us that riches are not forever; they fade like grass, while provision comes through stewardship of creation. 2 Nephi 26 warns that laboring for money rather than Zion leads to perishing. Alma 39 echoes this: riches and vain things cannot be carried beyond mortality. Doctrine and Covenants 6 reframes wealth entirely—wisdom unlocks divine mysteries, and eternal life is the true riches. The thread across all these verses is clear: riches are not condemned, but they are fleeting, conditional, and meaningful only when aligned with God’s purposes. Seeking wisdom, understanding, and Zion precedes and sanctifies any material gain. Worldliness, by contrast, distorts this order—trusting in riches leads to spiritual poverty. True wealth is eternal, and it begins with what we seek first.
- Refers to God’s reign, His will, His covenant community.
- Seeking the kingdom means aligning with divine purpose, living under God’s rule, and prioritizing eternal values.
Individual meaning: Verse 18 is about hierarchy of desire. It teaches that the pursuit of wealth must be preceded by the pursuit of God’s kingdom. Without this order, riches risk becoming idolatry.
📕 Luke 12
📜 22 ¶ And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.
📜 23 The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.
📜 24 Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?
📜 25 And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit?
📜 26 If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest?
📜 27 Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
📜 28 If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?
📜 29 And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.
📜 30 For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.
🗝📜31 ¶ But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.
This section in Luke 12 draws a sharp contrast between worldly anxiety and divine trust. Jesus tells His disciples not to be consumed with thoughts of food, clothing, or bodily needs, because life is more than material provision. He points to ravens and lilies as living parables—creatures sustained and adorned by God without striving or storehouses. If God cares for them, how much more will He care for His children. The warning against a “doubtful mind” underscores that worry is misplaced when the Father already knows our comes in verse 31: “But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.” The kingdom is the true priority, the hierarchy of desire. When God’s reign is sought first, provision follows. Riches and necessities are not denied, but they are subordinated to eternal values. Faith replaces fear, and trust in God’s care frees the heart to pursue His kingdom above all.
- The foundation. Riches are permissible only after hope in Christ is secured.
- Hope here is not vague optimism—it’s covenantal assurance, rooted in Christ’s redemption.
By Barbara W. Winder
Relief Society General President
October 1986
"Let us recognize and be grateful for the blessings we have. From the Savior comes hope! Understanding the gospel, doing his works of righteousness, and following the counsel of our prophet are our assurance of the realization of that hope."
Hope in Christ is the anchor that precedes and sanctifies all other pursuits. It is not mere optimism but covenantal assurance rooted in the Savior’s redemption. Barbara W. Winder reminds us that gratitude for blessings, understanding the gospel, doing works of righteousness, and following prophetic counsel are the pathway to realizing that hope. Riches, when sought after hope in Christ, become consecrated tools for good; without that foundation, they risk becoming vain. True hope transforms desire into discipleship, turning wealth into stewardship and life into witness. From the Savior comes hope, and with Him, eternal assurance.
- Now riches are conditional: “if ye seek them.”
- They are framed as tools, not ends.
The proper use of mammon (riches or worldly wealth) is to be a faithful steward by using resources to bless others, build relationships, and further God's kingdom, rather than accumulating wealth for its own sake or allowing it to become an idol.
By Elder William R. Bradford
Of the Seventy
February 2003
Accumulating Riches
A temptation often associated with the acquiring of riches is the almost obsessive desire to obtain more and more wealth, for the getting of money can be quite habit-forming. Men and women often begin to scheme and push to the edge, sometimes crossing over the line of ethics and honesty, in their quest for more wealth. Riches then become a false god in whom they put their trust. The parable of the rich fool (see Luke 12:16–21) condemns this endless amassing of wealth.
The Test of Riches
Our time on earth is a proving ground “to see if [we] will do all things whatsoever the Lord [our] God shall command [us]” (Abr. 3:25). Whether we are rich or poor, the proper attitude toward and management of material blessings is something we should strive to achieve. Concerning this test, the Lord said: “He that is faithful in that which is least [he who uses riches wisely] is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon [riches], who will commit to your trust the true riches?” (Luke 16:10–11).
For many of us, riches bring some of our greatest opportunities in life. As we strive to follow the Savior, may we ever remember His saying in the Sermon on the Mount: “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matt. 6:21).
Riches, when sought after hope in Christ, are conditional and must be framed as tools, not ends. The pivot word “do” transforms wealth into stewardship, demanding that it be used concretely to clothe, feed, liberate, and relieve. The proper use of mammon is faithful stewardship—resources consecrated to bless others, strengthen relationships, and further God’s kingdom. Elder Bradford warns that riches can become a false god when pursued obsessively, leading to dishonesty and idolatry. The parable of the rich fool condemns endless accumulation, while the Lord’s teaching in Luke 16 shows that faithfulness in small material things reveals readiness for true spiritual riches. Ultimately, riches are a test: will they be trusted as idols, or consecrated as instruments of compassion. Jesus’ words remind us that where our treasure is, there our heart will be also. True discipleship requires that wealth be surrendered to service, proving our devotion to God and our love for His children.
- Do
- The pivot word. Riches are justified only by action—doing good.
- Doing is concrete: clothing, feeding, liberating, relieving.
- This verse transforms wealth into stewardship, shifting focus from possession to service.
📒 Mosiah 4
📜 26 And now, for the sake of these things which I have spoken unto you—that is, for the sake of retaining a remission of your sins from day to day, that ye may walk guiltless before God—I would that ye should impart of your substance to the poor, every man according to that which he hath, such as feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and administering to their relief, both spiritually and temporally, according to their wants.
📒 3 Nephi 12
📜 42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn thou not away.
📒 4 Nephi 1
📒 3 And they had all things common among them; therefore there were not rich and poor, bond and free, but they were all made free, and partakers of the heavenly gift.
Individual meaning: Verse 19 clarifies the purpose of wealth. It is not for self-exaltation but for ministry—meeting human need and enacting Christ’s compassion.
- Sequence matters:
- Verse 18: Seek the kingdom first.
- Verse 19: Then riches may follow, but only as instruments of good.
- Theological arc:
- Riches without God → danger.
- Riches after hope in Christ → blessing, if used to serve.
- Focus words in harmony:
- Before → establishes divine priority.
- Riches → secondary, conditional, purposeful.
- Kingdom → the true first pursuit.
- Do → the test of riches; they must be translated into compassionate action.
Together, Jacob 2:18–19 establishes a covenantal sequence: first seek the kingdom, then riches may follow, but only as instruments of good. Mosiah 4 reinforces this by tying remission of sins to imparting substance to the poor—feeding, clothing, visiting, and relieving both spiritually and temporally. 3 Nephi 12 commands generosity without hesitation, while 4 Nephi describes a society transformed by consecration, where all things were held in common and divisions of rich and poor dissolved. The harmony of these passages shows that riches are sanctified only when subordinated to kingdom purposes and translated into compassionate action. Good works are the measure of wealth’s legitimacy, proving discipleship through service. True abundance is found not in possession, but in shared freedom and participation in the heavenly gift.
Jacob’s teaching reframes wealth as a servant, not a master. The kingdom comes first, hope in Christ anchors the heart, and riches—if sought—must be consecrated to doing good. In this way, the verses together form a covenantal rhythm: seek → hope → obtain → do.
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