The LDS Daily WOOL© Archive - Materialism


(4/6/98) 
"Our lives can become cluttered by many things.  Some are obvious, such as material things, the stuff we collect.  I really wish I were able to give a lesson on how to prioritize the material things-how to sort them, dispose of some, and put the rest in order-but I'm not qualified.... But how well I know that we can surround ourselves with the material things to the extent that we have no time for the spiritual.  Look around and you will see all the gadgets and toys and the nice and the fun things that cause us to squander and pay and to wander and play." — William R. Bradford, Unclutter Your Life, General Conference, April 1992  

(4/7/98) 
"When this people are prepared to properly use the riches of this world for the building up of the Kingdom of God, He is ready and willing to bestow them upon us. I like to see men get rich by their industry, prudence, management and economy, and then devote it to the building up of the Kingdom of God upon the earth." — Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 2:114-15  

(4/8/98) 
"The Lord did not intend us to be a poverty-stricken people. One of the last sermons that I heard President Joseph F. Smith preach was over in the temple to a select company, and I remember distinctly his saying on that occasion, the Lord never intended the Latter-day Saints to be a poverty-stricken and destitute people. He intended that their goodness should entitle them to inherit the good things of earth if they were used properly.... He did not say that it could be accomplished without hard work.... Do not get the idea, my brothers and sisters, that we have a quarrel with wealth if it is legitimately acquired. It is the utilization of wealth which is often subject to criticism." — Stephen L. Richards, Where Is Wisdom?, pp. 57-58  

(4/9/98) 
"Men are greedy for the vain things of this world. In their hearts they are covetous. It is true that the things of this world are designed to make us comfortable, and they make some people as happy as they can be here; but riches can never make the Latter-day Saints happy. Riches of themselves cannot produce permanent happiness; only the Spirit that comes from above can do that.... A man or a woman who places the wealth of this world and the things of time in the scales against the things of God and the wisdom of eternity, has no eyes to see, no ears to hear, no heart to understand. What are riches for? For blessings, to do good. Then let us dispense that which the Lord gives us to the best possible use for the building up of his Kingdom, for the promotion of the truth on the earth, that we may see and enjoy the blessings of the Zion of God here upon this earth." — Brigham Young, Discourses of Brigham Young, pp. 306-7  

(4/10/98) 
"May we say it again one last time. 'A person's greatness is measured not by her personal wealth or his professional standing, but by the strength of his devotion to principle ... by the values that ... define her character.'" — Elder Jeffrey and Patricia Holland, "Unless You're a Mormon", BYU Speeches of the Year, 9 September 1986  

(12/3/00)
"The adversary is delighted when we act like sightseers, meaning those who are hearers rather than doers of the word (see James 1:22), or shoppers, meaning those preoccupied with the vain things of this world that suffocate our spirits. Satan baits us with perishable pleasures and preoccupations—our bank accounts, our wardrobes, even our waistlines—for he knows that where our treasure is, there will our hearts be also (see Matt. 6:21). Unfortunately, it is easy to let the blinding glare of the adversary’s enticements distract us from the light of Christ. 'For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?' (Matt. 16:26)." — Sheri L. Dew, "We Are Women of God," Ensign, Nov. 1999, p. 97

(12/4/00)
"We are often unaware of the distractions which push us in a material direction and keep us from a Christ-centered focus. In essence we let celestial goals get sidetracked by telestial distractions." — Quentin L. Cook, "Rejoice!", Ensign, Nov. 1996, p. 29

(12/5/00)
"Worldly success—almost always measured in [page 21] terms of financial success—is sometimes justified by such statements as: 'But look how much good his money does. Does it matter if his motivation is wrong?' The answer, of course, is yes, it does matter. One of the reasons the world’s preoccupation with financial success fails is that it tends to breed selfishness. First and foremost is the desire to get what I want—cars, houses, swimming pools, jewelry, and so on. These efforts to gain 'the good life' for 'me and mine' may lead one to think, 'I worked hard for this; I deserve it. If others were more ambitious, they could have it too' (implying the poor are such because they are unwilling to work). This attitude leaves one reluctant to go without so another with less might have. It dulls the spirit of sacrifice and feeds a spirit of avarice, self-aggrandizement, and pride." — Quinn G. McKay, "All That Glitters Isn’t Celestial," Ensign, June 1987, p. 21

(12/6/00)
"Be aware that things that seem all-important to you now will not matter in years to come. But you can choose now to want things that are in harmony with eternity. For example, you can choose to be righteous rather than waste your time on perishable things; you can choose to serve willingly rather than selfishly. Elder Marion D. Hanks has often quoted the wise saying that 'the things that matter most must not be at the mercy of the things that matter least.' The choices we make in this life have a very important influence on our eternity." — Jack H. Goaslind, "Yagottawanna," Ensign, May 1991, p. 46


(12/7/00)
"The practice of coveting and receiving unearned benefits has now become so fixed in our society that even men of great wealth, and possessing the means to produce more wealth, are expecting the government to guarantee them a profit. Elections often turn on what the candidates promise to do for voters from government funds. This practice, if universally accepted and implemented in any society, will make slaves of its citizens." — Marion G. Romney, "In Mine Own Way," Ensign, Nov. 1976, p. 124


8/4/09
“It is not enough to acknowledge the Lord as supreme and refrain from worshiping idols; we should love the Lord with all our heart, might, mind, and strength, realizing the great joy he has in the righteousness of his children.” - Spencer W. Kimball, “Hold Fast to the Iron Rod,” Ensign (CR), November 1978, p. 4


 
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