PROSPERITY 

“I believe the Lord does not wish to see his people condemned to live in poverty.  I believe He would have the faithful enjoy the good things of the earth.”       - President Gordon B. Hinckley, Ensign, May 2001, p. 53 

Genesis 24:34-35, “…I am Abraham’s servant.  And the Lord has blessed my master greatly; and he hath given him flocks, and herds, and silver, and gold, and menservants, and maidservants, and camels, and asses.”

Genesis 26:12-14, “Then Isaac sowed in the land, and received in the same year and an hundredfold: and the Lord blessed him.  And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great:  For he had possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him.”

Genesis 39:2-6, “And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.  And his master saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand.  And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand.  And it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the Lord was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field. And he left all that he had in Joseph’s hand; and he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eat.  And Joseph was a goodly person, and well favoured.”

Deuteronomy 8:17-18, “And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth.  But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God:  for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth…”

2 Chronicles 32:26, “Notwithstanding Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the LORD came not upon them in the days of Hezekiah.  And Hezekiah had exceeding much riches and honour: and he made himself treasuries for silver, and for gold, and for precious stones, and for spices, and for shields, and for all manner of pleasant jewels; Storehouses also for the increase of corn, and wine, and oil; and stalls for all manner of beasts, and cotes for flocks.  Moreover he provided him cities, and possessions of flocks and herds in abundance: for God had given him substance very much.”

Psalms 1:1-3, “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, or sitteth in the seat of the scornful.  But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.  And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”

Ecclesiastes 5:18-20,“Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion.  Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God.  And he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth him in the joy of his heart.”

Joshua 1:7-9,“…be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law,…: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest….that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written…: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.  Have not I commanded thee?  Be Strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy god is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”

2 Nephi 5:10, 11&13, “And we did observe to keep the judgments, and statutes, and the commandments of the Lord in all things….And the Lord was with us; and we did prosper exceedingly; for we did sow seed, and we did reap again in abundance.  And we began to raise flocks, and herds, and animals of every kind….And it came to pass that we began to prosper exceedingly, and to multiply in the land.”

Jacob 2:19, “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.”

President Brigham Young, “My policy is to get rich… Do I want to become rich in the things of this earth?  Yes, if the Lord wishes me to have such riches, and I can use them to good advantage.” (Discourses of Brigham Young, p. 310)

President David O. McKay, “What a different world this would be if men would accumulate wealth, for example, not as an end but as a means of blessing human beings and improving human relations.” (Conference Reports, Oct. 1935, p.101)

Jarom 1:8-9, “And we multiplied exceedingly, and spread upon the face of the land, and became exceedingly rich in gold, and in silver, and in precious things, and in fine workmanship of wood, in buildings, and in machinery, and also in iron and copper, and brass and steel, making all manner of tools of every kind to till the ground, and weaponsof war—yea, the sharp pointed arrow, and the quiver, and the dart, and the javelin, and all preparations for war.  And thus being prepared to meet the Lamanites, they did not prosper against us. But the word of the Lord was verified, which he spake unto our fathers, saying that: Inasmuch as ye will keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land.

Mosiah 1:7, “…I would that ye should keep the commandments of God, that ye may prosper in the land according to the promises which the Lord made unto our fathers.”

Mosiah 3:41, “And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God.  For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual;…

Mosiah 27:6-7,  “And there began to be much peace again in the land; and the people began to be very numerous, and began to scatter abroad upon the face of the earth, yea, on the north and on the south, on the east and on the west, building large cities and villages in all quarters of the land.  And the Lord did visit them and prosper them, and they became a large and wealthy people.”

Alma 7:23, “And now I would that ye should be humble, and be submissive and gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience and long-suffering; being temperate in all things; being diligent in keeping the commandments of God at all times; asking for whatsoever things ye stand in need, both spiritual and temporal; always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive.”

Alma 7:27, “And now, may the peace of God rest upon you, and upon your houses and lands, and upon your flocks and herds, and all that you possess, your women and your children, according to your faith and good works, from this time forth and forever. And thus I have spoken. Amen.”

Alma 34:19-27, “Yeah, humble yourselves, and continue in prayer unto him.  Cry unto him when ye are in your fields, yea over all your flocks.  Cry unto him in your household, both morning, mid-day, and evening.  Yea, cry unto him against the power of your enemies.  Yea, cry unto him against the devil, who is an enemy to all righteousness.  Cry unto him over the crops of your fields, that ye may prosper in them.  Cry over the flocks of your field that they may increase.  But this is not all; ye must pour out your souls in your closets, and in your secret places, and in you wilderness.  Yea, and when you do not cry unto the Lord, let your hearts be full, drawn out in prayer unto him continually for your welfare, and also the welfare of those who are around you.” Helaman 13:21-23, “ Behold ye, the people of this great city, and hearken unto my words; yea, hearken unto the words which the Lord saith; for behold, he saith that ye are acursed because of your riches, and also are your riches cursed because ye have set your hearts upon them, and have not hearkened unto the words of him who gave them unto you.  Ye do not remember the Lord your God in the things with which he hath blessed you, but ye do always remember your riches, not to thank the Lord your God for them; yea, your hearts are not drawn out unto the Lord, but they do swell with great pride, unto boasting, and unto great swelling, envyings, strifes, malice, persecutions, and murders, and all manner of iniquities.  For this cause hath the Lord God caused that a curse should come upon the land, and also upon your riches, and this because of your iniquities.

Ether 1:43, “And there will I bless thee and thy seed, and raise up unto me of thy seed, and of the seed of thy brother, and they who shall go with thee, a great nation. And there shall be none greater than the nation which I will raise up unto me of thy seed, upon all the face of the earth. And thus I will do unto thee because this long time ye have cried unto me.”

Ether 6:27-30, “…and Orihah was anointed to be king over the people. And he began to reign, and the people began to prosper; and they became exceedingly rich. And it came to pass that Jared died, and his brother also.  And it came to pass that Orihah did walk humbly before the Lord, and did remember how great things the Lord had done for his father, and also taught his people how great things the Lord had done for their fathers.”

Ether 10:19-28, “And it came to pass that Lib also did that which was good in the sight of the Lord. And in the days of Lib the poisonous serpents were destroyed. Wherefore they did go into the land southward, to hunt food for the people of the land, for the land was covered with animals of the forest. And Lib also himself became a great hunter.  And they built a great city by the narrow neck of land, by the place where the sea divides the land.  And they did preserve the land southward for a wilderness, to get game. And the whole face of the land northward was covered with inhabitants.  And they were exceedingly industrious, and they did buy and sell and traffic one with another, that they might get gain.  And they did work in all manner of ore, and they did make gold, and silver, and iron, and brass, and all manner of metals; and they did dig it out of the earth; wherefore, they did cast up mighty heaps of earth to get ore, of gold, and of silver, and of iron, and of copper. And they did work all manner of fine work.  And they did have silks, and fine-twined linen; and they did work all manner of cloth, that they might clothe themselves from their nakedness.  And they did make all manner of tools to till the earth, both to plow and to sow, to reap and to hoe, and also to thrash.  And they did make all manner of tools with which they did work their beasts.  And they did make all manner of weapons of war. And they did work all manner of work of exceedingly curious workmanship.  And never could be a people more blessed than were they, and more prospered by the hand of the Lord. And they were in a land that was choice above all lands, for the Lord had spoken it.”

D & C 38:16-19, “And for your salvation I give unto you a commandment, for I have heard your prayers, and the poor have complained before me, and the rich have I made, and all flesh is mine, and I am no respecter of persons.  And I have made the earth rich, and behold it is my footstool, wherefore, again I will stand upon it.  And I hold forth and deign to give unto you greater riches, even a land of promise, a land flowing with milk and honey, upon which there shall be no curse when the Lord cometh; And I will give it unto you for the land of your inheritance, if you seek it with all your hearts.” D & C 59:3, “Yea, blessed are they whose feet stand upon the land of Zion, who have obeyed my gospel; for they shall receive for their reward the good things of the earth, and it shall bring forth in its strength.”D & C 59:12, 16-18, “But remember that on the Lord’s day, thou shalt offer thine oblations and thy sacraments unto the most High,…Verily I say, that inasmuch as ye do this, the fullness of the earth is yours, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and that which climbeth upon the trees and walketh upon the earth; Yea, and the herb, and the good things which come of the earth, whether for food or for raiment, or for houses, or for barns, or for orchards, or for gardens, or for vineyards; Yea all things which come of the earth, in the season thereof, are made for the benefit and the use of man, both to please the eye and to gladden the heart;”

President Brigham Young, “Here we wish for riches in a comparative sense, we wish for the comforts of life.  If we desire them let us take a course to get them.  Let me reduce this to a simple saying—one of the most simple and homely that can be used—‘Keep your dish right side up,’ so that when the shower of porridge does come, you can catch your dish full.” (Discourses of Brigham Young, p. 310)

President Joseph F. Smith, “Both temporal and spiritual blessings are poured out upon the honest tithe payer as a result of his obedience to that law.  By such obedience he gains the spirit of inspiration in temporal and spiritual pursuits so that in the end he is ahead financially and temporally, to say nothing of the spiritual growth that always attends such a course.” (Mormon Doctrine, p. 798)

President Spencer W. Kimball, “If we give a generous fast offering, we shall increase our own prosperity both spiritually and temporally.” (Ensign, Nov. 1977, p. 76)

Elder Marion G. Romney, “Be liberal in your giving, that you may grow yourselves.  Don’t give just for the benefit of the poor, but give for your own welfare.  Give enough so that you can give yourself into the kingdom of God through consecration of your means and your time.  Pay an honest tithing and double your fast offerings, if you want the blessings of heaven:  I promise every one of you who will do it that you will increase your income.  The Lord will reward you according to your deeds.” (Rudd, Glen L., Pure Religion, p. 377)