Gospel Doctrine Commentary
Lesson No. Thirty-Six

Our Response to Prosperity and Adversity Matters

With regard to prosperity  

In our day many people experience prosperity – How we respond to prosperity will determine our happiness in this life and in the next.  In the Book of Mormon we are often reminded that if we keep the commandments of God we will prosper.  The most important aspect of this promised prosperity is that we will be brought “to the knowledge of the Lord our God” (3 Nephi 5:22-23). 

We are also promised temporal blessings, but hopefully these material blessings will prove not be “more than we are able to bear” (1 Nephi 16:1).    

When people prosper they can choose how to direct their prosperity and their lives – How we choose to use our material blessings reveals, and even amplifies, our true character.  Pride makes it difficult for some to deal with prosperity because there is always some who has more than they do.  They want to increase wealth at any cost.  In doing so they may oppress the poor, by withholding food from the hungry and clothing from the naked.  Pride and the desire for more riches even causes some to murder, to plunder, to lie, to steal, and to commit adultery.  (See Helaman 4:12)

On the other hand there are people who as they increase in wealth show their love for the Lord and others by their “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” (Jacob 2:19).

The spiritual goal of temporal prosperity and self-reliance – An address given by President Marion G. Romney in General Conference in 1982 was important enough to reprint 27 years later:

"Now, I wish to speak of a very important truth: self-reliance is not the end, but a means to an end.  It is very possible for a person to be completely independent and lack every other desirable attribute.  One may become wealthy and never have to ask anyone for anything, but unless there is some spiritual goal attached to this independence, it can canker his soul....

“The key to making self-reliance spiritual is in using the freedom to comply with God's commandments.  The scriptures are very clear in their command that it is the duty of those who have, to give to those who are in need....

“There is an interdependence between those who have and those who have not.  The process of giving exalts the poor and humbles the rich.  In the process, both are sanctified.  The poor, released from the bondage and limitations of poverty, are enabled as free men to rise to their full potential, both temporally and spiritually.  The rich, by imparting of their surplus, participate in the eternal principle of giving.  Once a person has been made whole, or self-reliant, he reaches out to aid others, and the cycle repeats itself" (The Celestial Nature of Self-Reliance, Ensign, March 2009).

With regard to adversity

In this life all people experience adversity in some way or another – As we strive to live the gospel of Jesus Christ we will experience adversity and opposition.   Some people will endure and even prosper in the face of this adversity.  Others receive great blessings yet quickly “turn from their righteousness” (3 Nephi 7:8) when they experience adversity and opposition. 

As with prosperity how we deal with adversity and opposition will be a determining factor of our happiness now and in the eternities.

With adversity we can choose to either harden or soften our heart – In Alma 62:39-41 Mormon concluded his record of the war chapters of the Book of Mormon (Alma 45 – 62) with a great insight that certainly applies to our day:  (italics are my comments)  

“And thus ended the thirty and first year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi; and thus they had had wars, and bloodsheds, and famine, and affliction, for the space of many years.”    

The Nephites had had 15 years continual war and bloodshed.  It has been 15 years since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.  The war on terror is the longest war our country has ever experienced, and it is clear that this war will continue on indefinitely.

“And there had been murders, and contentions, and dissentions, and all manner of iniquity among the people of Nephi; nevertheless for the righteous’ sake, yea, because of the prayers of the righteous they were spared.” 

Like the Nephites we have not only experience continual war, but there have been “murders, and contentions, and dissentions, and all manner of iniquity among the people” of our country.  I believe the prayers and the lives of righteous people in the United States are among the reasons why the Lord spares our nation. 

“But behold, because of the exceedingly great length of the war between the Nephites and the Lamanites many had become hardened, because of the exceedingly great length of the war; and many were softened because of their afflictions, insomuch that they did humble themselves before God, even in the depths of humility.” 

Many in our society have become increasingly hardened, calloused, and vulgar.   On the other hand there are many people who promote public and private goodness by the example of their lives.

The spiritual goal of adversity and opposition is personal growth and gratitude to God – The people of Alma “were brought into bondage, and none could deliver them by the Lord their God, yea, even the God of Abraham and Isaac and of Jacob.” The way they were delivered is the same way most of us are delivered from our adversity.  It is that the Lord “trieth our patience and our faith” (Mosiah 23:21-23), and in this way we have an opportunity to grow in faith and gratitude.  

If we are faithful and patient in adversity the Lord will strengthen us so that we can bear up our burdens with ease, and when we are delivered great will be our gratitude and rejoicings.  (See Mosiah 23:24)