Finances

 

“18 But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God.

“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.” -Jacob 2:18-19

When it comes to finances in the family, I have a lot to say, but it may not be exactly what one might expect me to talk about. Money, and what we choose to do with it, has always been closely related to sacred principles throughout my life.

As the scripture above states, we should seek holy things before seeking monetary things. Even when seeking those monetary items, it should be with the intent to use them to help others. I have had many wonderful examples of individuals that do that. Many parents are good examples of doing this for their children. I know my parents have sacrificed much to make it possible for me and my siblings to have nice clothing, food on the table, and showing us what it means to truly be free. Money can be a heavy burden, especially when a lack of money seems to weigh heavier than stacks of it. When you have a view of the larger picture, though, and you know that lack won’t last forever, it doesn’t necessarily become a lighter load, but your shoulders can be strengthened to hold that up.

I believe, in the context of the scripture above, that riches doesn’t just mean money, either. One can be rich in talents without being rich in money. An abundance of joy can be seen and felt, even with a burden on the shoulders. Hope is worth more than anything. I was talking to my mom the other day, and I said, “I would much rather be poor numbers wise than poor spiritually.” I have seen time and time again how my testimony centered on Jesus Christ and His gospel has pulled me out of dark times. As they say, “money can’t buy happiness.”

One of the other aspects of money that I find to be extremely sacred is that of paying an honest tithe. Tithing in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is defined this way: “A tenth part of a person’s annual increase given to the Lord through the Church. Tithing funds are used to build churches and temples, to sustain missionary work, and to build the kingdom of God on earth” (Study Helps, A Guide to the Scriptures, Tithing). Some of the promises that come from the Lord with paying an honest tithe can be found in Malachi chapter 3 in the Bible: “10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lordof hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shallnot be room enough to receive it.

“11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts” (Malachi 3:10-11).

I have seen this promise be fulfilled time and time again. I share the following examples of how not to say this is what will happen to everyone who does this, but to highlight some ways the Lord has done this for me and my family.

My parents have always been a good example to me of paying tithes before paying for anything else. With their permission, I share that we haven’t really been in the situation financially, so paying 10% of any income received can seem like a big deal. It’s easy to get caught up in thinking of where else that money can be used, but my parents never showed any hesitation in paying tithing before all else. One year, in a particular bout of financial hardship right around Christmas, we received a mysterious envelope in the mail. Inside was the equivalent of $500 in gift cards for various places and some cash. We have no idea who it came from, but that was a miracle.

I could go on, but I know that when we show Jesus Christ that we are putting Him first and trusting that things will work out, He gives us boosts to get to the okay. Even when we don’t know what’s going to happen, He does. And I promise we can trust Him.