Jesus teaches the Nephites the Lord’s Prayer—They are to lay up treasures in heaven—The twelve disciples in their ministry are commanded to take no thought for temporal things—Compare Matthew 6.
"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and thieves break through and steal;
But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal."
What Should We Seek in This Life?
A devotional dissection of 3 Nephi 13:19–20
The Core Teaching
When the Savior warns us not to “lay up treasures upon earth,” He isn’t condemning work, stewardship, or providing for our families. He is revealing a deeper truth about what actually lasts and what actually fills.
Earthly treasures—status, wealth, applause, possessions—are fragile. They slip through our fingers. They decay. They can be taken. They never satisfy for long.
"But behold, it sorroweth me because of the fourth generation from this generation, for they are led away captive by him even as was the son of perdition; for they will sell me for silver and for gold, and for that which moth doth corrupt and which thieves can break through and steal. And in that day will I visit them, even in turning their works upon their own heads."
Heavenly Treasures—character, covenant, compassion, obedience, mercy, discipleship—are permanent. They shape who we become. They follow us beyond the veil. They bind us to God and to one another.
What This Means for Us
When we ask, “What should we seek in this life?” this passage answers with surprising clarity:
1. Seek what cannot be taken from us
"Treasures of wickedness profit nothing" Proverbs 10:2
Earthly treasures can be stolen; heavenly treasures cannot.
We are invited to invest our energy in the things that endure—faith, integrity, repentance, service, covenant loyalty.
2. Seek transformation, not accumulation
"out of the good treasure of the heart"
The Lord is not asking us to collect spiritual trophies.
He is asking us to become something—become humble, become merciful, become pure in heart, become disciples who reflect His light.
3. Seek alignment with heaven’s values
"Ye cannot serve God and mammon"
Heaven values who we are becoming far more than what we are acquiring.
When our priorities match heaven’s priorities, our lives gain coherence, peace, and purpose.
4. Seek the kind of treasure that builds Zion
"And now my sons, behold I have somewhat more to desire of you, which desire is, that ye may not do these things that ye may boast, but that ye may do these things to lay up for yourselves a treasure in heaven, yea, which is eternal, and which fadeth not away; yea, that ye may have that precious gift of eternal life, which we have reason to suppose hath been given to our fathers."
Heavenly treasure is communal, not individual.
As we gather spiritual treasure, we strengthen our families, our communities, our covenants, our Zion.
"But behold, ye have rejected the truth, and rebelled against your holy God; and even at this time, instead of laying up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where nothing doth corrupt, and where nothing can come which is unclean, ye are heaping up for yourselves wrath against the day of judgment."
5. Seek the Shepherd, not the pasture
"In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom"
The verse ends by pointing us toward the One who guards the treasure.
Heavenly treasure is not just a reward—it is a relationship.
We seek the things of God because we seek God Himself.
The Answer in One Line
We seek the things that shape our souls, bind us to God, and bless His children—treasures that cannot rust, fade, or be stolen.
A Closing Word
If we choose to live this way, we become people who carry heaven with us wherever we go. "Ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me" Exodus 19:5. Our lives stop being about survival or success and start being about becoming, belonging, and building. We become participants in God’s work, not spectators. We become gatherers, healers, and disciples whose treasure is already waiting in the place where nothing can corrupt it. "Treasure up for his soul everlasting salvation" Doctrine and Covenants 6:3.
No comments:
Post a Comment