It is my observation that in our society today, the major stumbling blocks to happiness in this life and in the life to come are:
- The law of chasity, and
- Money.
We are going to consider money today, but let's do so while not forgetting the eternal significance of strict obedience to the law of chastity. We should also remember that while we can't take our money with us into the next life, we will carry the consequences of our decisions about money with us into the eternities.
First, let's be clear that the Lord does care about money, and is willing to help us care for it. He warns us that, "the love of money is the root of all evil,"[1] He counseled his disciples to "...Render...unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's."[2] He instructed Moses and the children of Israel to bring gold and silver with them out of Egypt, thus despoiling the Egyptians.[3] In The Book of Mormon he teaches us about the Nephite coinage system,[4] and repeatedly reminds us that wealth often leads to pride and sin. Our First Presidency has counseled us to consider "...investing wisely with responsible and established financial institutions."[5] There have also been innumerable general conference addresses that counsel us about how to care for our money.
My family and I learned that the Lord is willing to help us in money matters years ago, while I was in my medical training in Salt Lake City. Sister Davis and I would have our small children say their prayers out loud with us. Our oldest boy, Taylor, gave a rather brief prayer one evening that consisted only of asking the Lord for $10 so he could buy a toy workbench. We both wondered whether a prayer like that was really okay or not, but decided to leave it alone.
The next day, our 90-year-old neighbor from across the street, named Jim Downward, knocked on our front door. When Sonja opened the door, he handed her $10 and told her that it was for our little boy. She, of course, was surprised and amazed, and asked Jim why he had done this. He just answered that he didn't know, and then turned around and returned home. Through that experience, we were reminded that the Lord hears and answers his children's prayers, usually through the actions of others.
Let me share with you two stories that illustrate how decisions concerning money can affect us not only in this life, but also in the life to come. Several years ago, I was serving as the Young Men's president in my home ward in Idaho Falls. I worked with several brethren in those years as priest quorum advisors, and one particularly memorable brother appeared to be incredibly wealthy. He and his family lived a very extravagant lifestyle, but sadly, it eventually became known that his wealth was gained dishonestly. He subsequently lost his family, his membership in the Church, and his freedom--being sentenced to serve many years in federal prison. His decisions about money have placed his eternal happiness in grave peril.
Let me share a more positive story. We have a good friend who lives with his family in a modest suburb of Idaho Falls. He and his wife had decided to put their house up for sale and purchase a larger and nicer home up in the foothills. However, he attended the October 1998 general priesthood meeting, and listened carefully to President Hinckley's address when he said:
There is a portent of stormy weather ahead to which we had better give heed... I urge you, brethren, to look to the condition of your finances. I urge you to be modest in your expenditures; discipline yourselves in your purchases to avoid debt to the extent possible. Pay off debt as quickly as you can, and free yourselves from bondage.
This is a part of the temporal gospel in which we believe. May the Lord bless you, my beloved brethren, to set your houses in order. If you have paid your debts, if you have a reserve, even though it be small, then should storms howl about your head, you will have shelter for your wives and children and peace in your hearts. That's all I have to say about it, but I wish to say it with all the emphasis of which I am capable.[6]
At that point in time in 1998, the US economy was booming, prosperity appeared to abound, and there seemed to be no end in sight. Despite that, however, my friend returned home after that priesthood meeting, and before entering his house he removed the "For Sale" sign from their front yard. He conferred with his wife, and together they decided that they weren't moving, but instead were going to stay put and work hard to get out of debt.
It was almost exactly ten years later, in October 2008, when the US housing market "bubble" burst and the US and world economy entered a severe recession. While he and his family were able to weather that storm, many of their friends in the foothills ended up losing their homes. It was obviously a huge blessing for our friends to be able to keep their home, but I suspect the greater blessings will come from their decision to heed the guidance of the prophet.
We are all blessed when we heed the words of the prophets, and it is comforting to know that the Lord warns us in advance of difficult times to come. Our Heavenly Father has told us that "...all things unto me are spiritual, and not at any time have I given unto you a law which was temporal."[7] We can trust the Lord and rely on Him in all things, including money management. Neither of my friends will take their money or homes into the next life, but both will carry the consequences of their decisions about money--for better or for worse--into the eternities with them.
We live in a very materialistic society, and money and all it can buy can either be a great blessing to us and our families, or alternatively it can be a major stumbling block. I suppose that we have all heard such sayings as: "The guy who dies with the most toys wins," "Money, if it does not bring you happiness, will at least help you be miserable in comfort,"[8] and "Lack of money is the root of all evil."[9] Many, and perhaps most, Americans want to join Tevya from Fiddler on the Roof in singing "If I Were a Rich Man." The Lord has promised repeatedly that he grants unto His children according to their desires,[10] and if wealth is what we truly desire, He is often willing to let us have it. However, for most of us, becoming rich may well turn out to be spiritually dangerous.
Brigham Young said:
The worst fear that I have about this people is that they will get rich in this country, forget God and his people, wax fat, and kick themselves out of the Church and go to hell. This people will stand mobbing, robbing, poverty and all manner of persecution, and be true. My greater fear for them is that they cannot stand wealth; and yet they have to be tried with riches, for they will become the richest people on this earth.[11]
The Lord will judge us according to the desire of our hearts.[12] It is easy to become too focused on wealth and lose sight of what is truly important. Money can be a great impediment to our happiness. There is a very interesting way, however, that very well may result, even safely, in greater riches. That is charitable giving. Let me explain.
Several years ago, a good friend of ours pointed out to us a very interesting article from BYU's Marriott Alumni Magazine. An economist named Arthur C. Brooks wrote an article entitled "The Privilege of Giving." He tells the story of a poor man in Kansas City who was shopping for clothing in a Salvation Army thrift shop on December 23, 1999.
He had seventy-five cents in his pocket. Suddenly someone approached him from behind and said, 'Excuse me.' He turned around, and a man pushed a hundred-dollar bill into his hand, said, 'Merry Christmas,' and walked away.
That wasn't the first time something like this had happened. It had been going on for years, and no one knew the giver's identity. He was only known as Secret Santa. He would walk around during the Christmas season giving money to people who needed food, clothing, or shelter.
He came forward in 2006, because he had terminal cancer and was given one month to live. His doctor told him that if he wanted anybody to understand his mission then he should reveal his identity. Secret Santa's real name was Larry Stewart, and he was a very wealthy entrepreneur.
He'd given away $1.3 million in hundred-dollar bills, but he had also given away tens of millions of dollars more in traditional philanthropy--building youth centers, building a YMCA, and helping the community.
When the press asked him why he gave so much, he said, 'I'm just doing what the Lord is directing me to do. I'm just a pair of hands and feet. He's using me. He's lighted my path. Part of my daily prayer was, 'Lord, let me be a better servant.' I had no idea this is what he had in mind, but I'm happy. I'm so thrilled he is able to use me in this way.'[13]
The author of the BYU article, Arthur C. Brooks, quoted from a study done in 2000 by Harvard, other universities, and community foundations. He expected to find that when people became rich they gave more away, but was surprised to learn that the reverse is also true! When people give money away charitably, they became richer. This rather startling finding seemed to defy all logic, so he repeated the study and arrived at the same result. For every $1 individuals give away, they get a financial return on their "investment" of about $3.75. Psychologists have also scientifically confirmed Larry Stewart's sentiments that giving makes us happy. Those who give and serve smile more, describe themselves as happier, and secrete less stress hormones in their brains.
Using this information from Mr. Brooks, let's re-examine the Lord's promise in Malachi 3 verse 10. "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it."[14]
I am not suggesting that we pay tithes and offerings in order to make more money, but I have a strong testimony that the Lord has blessed our family financially and in many other ways because we have. Remember that the Lord does seem to care about money, but He doesn't need our money. What He needs is our obedience in order to be able to bless us.
Alma also teaches the connection between charitable giving and wealth in Alma chapter 1, when he tells us that the righteous had become very wealthy because of their faithfulness:
And now, because of the steadiness of the church they began to be exceedingly rich, having abundance of all things whatsoever they stood in need...And thus, in their prosperous circumstances, they did not send away any who were naked, or that were hungry, or that were athirst, or that were sick, or that had not been nourished; and they did not set their hearts upon riches; therefore they were liberal to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, whether out of the church or in the church, having no respect to persons as to those who stood in need. And thus they did prosper and become far more wealthy than those who did not belong to their church.[15]
In the Book of Mormon, specifically speaking to us in our day, the Lord chastises us when he says:
For behold ye do love money, and your substance, and your fine apparel, and the adorning of your churches, more than ye love the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted...Why do ye adorn yourselves with that which hath no life, and yet suffer the hungry, and the needy, and the naked, and the sick and the afflicted to pass by you, and notice them not?[16]
Jacob, earlier in The Book of Mormon, taught:
But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God. 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.[17]
Let's consider a great modern example of charitable giving. Jon Huntsman is a multibillionaire, an emeritus member of the 70, and a dedicated philanthropist. Of the more than 1,200 living billionaires in the world, he is one of only nineteen who has donated at least $1 billion to charitable causes. Huntsman's philanthropic causes include the Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah, one of the world's finest cancer treatment and research facilities, but his charitable giving has been much more extensive than even that great undertaking. It may sound like an easy thing for a billionaire to give, but the Huntsmans began doing so long before they became wealthy. By giving charitably, they showed the Lord that they sought wealth for the intent to do good. After college, Elder Huntsman served in the US Navy, earning $320 a month. They tithed $32, and in addition, gave away another $50 to the Navy Relief Fund.[18][19] During a severe economic downturn that began in 2001, the Huntsmans came very close to losing everything. However, they kept giving, even taking out loans for hundreds of millions of dollars in order to meet their philanthropic commitments.Philanthropy Magazine, in its Summer 2013 edition, wrote that,
It is easy to think of philanthropy as something done by the very wealthy, or big foundations, or prosperous companies. Actually, of the more than $300 billion that Americans give to charity every year, ...the vast predominance of offerings comes from average citizens of moderate income.[20]
I am not recommending that the rest of us take out loans in order to give the money away. But, I am inspired by Elder Huntsman's determination to do good and be true to his word, despite experiencing an intense financial reversal of fortune.
Last May, Sister Davis and I were incredibly touched and inspired by a short video segment we saw at the BYU President's dinner that told the story of a young married student in Provo named Brian Ricks who was challenged to give back to BYU. I must admit that Sister Davis and I both related a lot to his circumstances. We also were poor students, and probably similarly would have wondered if it were even possible to start giving back to BYU while we were still students. However, Brian accepted the challenge, and he and his family made it a matter of prayer. He entered an essay contest and won $675--then promptly gave it back to BYU. He said something very insightful about his experience:
Maybe the reason they asked us as students, even as freshmen, to give to BYU was not because they needed the money, but because they wanted to give us this blessing of giving. They wanted us to have this optimism that comes from giving away.[21]
We are inspired by his faith.
Let me share a few more lessons that we in the Davis family have learned about money. Sister Davis took a terrible chance, and married me--four weeks after I returned from my mission. Yes, we had met before my mission. At the time of our marriage, I had completed only two semesters of college, and it eventually turned out that I had another 12 years of education remaining before I could actually begin practicing as a physician. The only things we really possessed at the time of our marriage were a few wedding presents, a car we had borrowed from her father, some cast-off furniture, and a lot of ignorance. I must admit that we didn't have the first clue about how we were going to pay for all those years of school.
What we didn't learn at first was that we were poor, because we really didn't want much. Sonja worked as a seamstress, at $4.35 per hour, until our first child joined our family 16 months after we were married. After that, she stayed home to be a full-time Mom. That required me to step up to the plate and support our family, and we soon learned that it was a privilege for me to be able to do so.
Most of my medical school classmates had wives that worked, and many were also being helped financially by parents. My parents were willing to help, and did offer to do so. However, we wanted to be independent. I kept telling myself that this was a good idea, even when I saw that my classmates had things like cars that would actually start when the ignition key was turned.
There were months that we wondered how we were going to pay the rent, but we learned that when we were approaching serious financial trouble the Lord blessed us. These blessings took the form of an opportunity for me to work. The first check we always wrote was for our tithing, and everything else worked out. It almost got to the point where we didn't really worry about it. When the figures in our checkbook were hovering at or below zero, I was always able to find work that allowed us to survive.
We learned how to budget, and literally didn't spend a dime that we didn't absolutely have to. From time to time I must admit that I would look at my classmates doing things like buying chocolate bars from vending machines, and rather wistfully wondered what it would be like to be able to do things like that. However, we managed to stick to our budget. I would probably have just become fat if I had indulged a chocolate habit.
We also learned from our families. For instance, we were greatly blessed by the instruction we received from Sonja's father. Many times he taught us that there are only three reasons to borrow money:
- For an education,
- To start a business, and
- To purchase a home.
It did get to the point that we really needed a car that could handle our growing family, so we did rather reluctantly finance the purchase of one minivan. We enjoyed the car a lot, but those payments were truly miserable.
We did borrow money to get through school, but we learned that when we had to borrow money we did so conservatively, and then paid those debts off as soon as possible. I did worry a lot about being able to repay those educational loans, but they were quickly dwarfed in comparison to the size of the loans I had to take out to get my practice started. Once my practice was up and running, we were greatly blessed. Eventually, all those years of educational debt ended up amounting to be the equivalent of just over three months of practice overhead. I will be eternally grateful that I didn't take our children's mother out of our home for all those years in order to save three months of practice overhead. What at times seemed like a sacrifice while we were in school has turned out to be one of the best decisions we have ever made.
We have learned that the most rewarding thing we do with our money is to give it away. In the Church we have abundant opportunities to give, including tithing, fast offerings, the Perpetual Education Fund, humanitarian aid, the Temple Patron Assistance Fund, and the General Missionary Fund. There is no better value in charitable giving than the Church. We have a good friend, who is a stockbroker and not a member of our faith, who has a number of non-member clients that contribute to the Church's humanitarian aid fund, because 100% of their contributions are used to help the poor. Winston Churchill once said, "We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give."[22]
Before I finish, perhaps I should state the obvious. My salary here at BYU-Idaho is less than what I used to make as a practicing physician. I will state another, probably equally obvious fact and say that if my statement about my salary surprises any of you, perhaps a career in business may not be in your best interests. I planned to practice medicine for decades, but a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis ended my medical career long before I wanted to stop.
However, the Lord prepared us for our change in income. We had long since paid off all of our debts, as I have said, and we had saved diligently for the future. Both Sister Davis and I felt the guidance of the Spirit as He helped us live in a provident fashion, and prepared us for our future drop in income. Even now, however, I still make far more than Sonja's $4.35 per hour salary when we were newlyweds. No matter our income, whether great or small, our true happiness has always been found in the gospel and with our family.
All of us in this room have been blessed by BYU-Idaho, and I, for one, will never be able to repay our Father in Heaven for His goodness--including the privilege of being able to work and serve here. The only way the Lord can know that we seek riches in order to do good is to actually do good with the wealth we have now. Let me repeat that. The only way the Lord can know that we seek riches in order to do good is to actually do good with the wealth we have now. Remember, the Lord doesn't need our money, but He does desire to bless us for the righteous use of money. For some, and perhaps most of us, it will be the widow's mite, but that is fine with the Lord. We won't take either our wealth or our debts into the next life, but we will all carry the consequences of our decisions in these matters with us as we return home to Him whose children we are.
It is my testimony that our family has been richly blessed by the Lord through paying tithes and offerings; and trying our best to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and lift up the downtrodden. Let us join forces with our Savior and Redeemer and go forth in doing good, in whatever fashion we can, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes
[1] 1 Timothy 6:10
[2] Matthew 22:2
[3] Exodus 12:35-36
[4] Alma 11: 4-19
[5] http://www.deseretnews.com/article/695261200/Leaders-warn-LDS-against-money-scams.html?pg=all
[6] Gordon B. Hinckley, priesthood session of LDS General Conference, found at https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1998/10/to-the-boys-and-to-the-men?lang=eng
[7] D&C 29:34
[8] Helen Gurley Brown, from http://www.wisebread.com/64-funny-inspiring-and-stupid-money-quotes-from-famous-people
[9] ibid, attributed to both George Bernard Shaw and Mark Twin
[10] Alma 29:4, Proverbs 10:24, Alma 41:5
[11] Quote available online at: http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Brigham_Young
[12] D&C 137:9
[13] Marriott Alumni Magazine, Winter 2008; Marriott School, Brigham Young University. Available online at: http://marriottschool.byu.edu/marriottmag/winter08/features/speeches1.cfm
[14] Malachi 3:10
[15] Alma 1:29-31
[16] Mormon 8: 37, 39
[17] Jacob 2: 18-19
[18] http://www.philanthropyroundtable.org/topic/excellence_in_philanthropy/the_fearless_philanthropist
[19] See details of this fund at: http://nmcrs.convio.net/site/PageServer?pagename=donations_index
[20] From the article by Karl Zinsmeister, in the Summer 2013 issue of Philanthropy Magazine available online at: http://www.philanthropyroundtable.org/topic/donor_intent/donation
[21] Video clip available online at: http://www.ldsphilanthropies.org/byu/multimedia/you-are-the-reason-why-i-am.html ; "Brian-Something Special About Those Who Choose to Give"
[22] Attributed to Winston Churchill