Conference Aftermath IV: Money Matters...

If there's a church out there that has spent more time and effort in discussing financial matters with its membership than the LDS Church does, I'd like to see it.  Rarely will a General Conference go by without a mention of proper financial management, not to mention the recent emphasis on gambling on top of that.

I remember a stake fireside where the entire focus from start to finish was managing money.  I don't think the name of Jesus Christ was referenced once in any of the talks, other than in closing.  Some people might think the emphasis on purely secular matters of financial management is weird for a church that 'should' be more concerned with spiritual things.  And yet, from D&C we can read:

Wherefore, verily I say unto you that all things unto me are spiritual, and not at any time have I given unto you a law which was temporal... Behold, I gave unto him that he should be an agent unto himself; and I gave unto him commandment, but no temporal commandment gave I unto him, for my commandments are spiritual, they are not natural nor temporal...  (D&C 29:34-35)

If you wonder if financial topics are really spiritual topics, just consider that over 70% of divorces are linked to money problems in some way.  So, if learning a particular principle gave your marriage a 70% greater chance of staying together, would that be a spiritual topic?

All things considered, Latter-Day Saints should be the world leaders in handling money properly.  Church leaders discuss it all the time (J. Reuben Clark's remarks about interest--quoted again by Pres. Monson in his conference talk--has got to be one of the most widely quoted statements by any GA in Church history...), and Church members have all studied the principle of seeking first the kingdom of God before you seek for riches (see Jacob 2:18)

And yet, reality is a little different.  Bankruptcy is high in Utah, many members struggle with money matters, and--worse than that--seem oddly preoccupied with money, to the extent that there's a lot of borrowing, and chasing after 'get-rich-quick' schemes, more than you would think for being a 'spiritual' people.  'Quick cash' locations seem to pop up everyday here in Utah Valley, and various pseudo-pyramid schemes have taken root throughout the valley as well.  (Not technically 'scams'--but certainly not 'on the level' ethically-speaking, and not a wise investment.)

There are a few possible reasons for this:

(1) World influence:  Probably the simplest explanation.  Church members aren't made of stone.  They live in the real world just like everyone else--getting caught up in the secular luxuries that society pushes upon us: new flatscreen plasma TVs, nicer cars, etc.  And when you get two to three new credit card applications in the mail every week, it's hard not to be tempted to splurge a little and get some nice things for around the house. 

(2) Young families:  This is more of a strictly LDS issue.  The secular world (middle class and above, anyway) rarely starts a family before the college degree is in hand and a 'real' job is in place.  In LDS culture, on the other hand, you'll find 21-year-old freshly returned missionaries getting married and having their first kid before they are even a sophomore in college--years away from that first 'real' job ...and 'real' income.

As a single guy, I never worried about financial difficulties that much--I could sleep in a tent if I had to, and I'd be okay.  Under no circumstances would I be letting my wife and baby sleep in a tent, though--and that's really the kicker.  Guys with families have much greater financial responsibilities...and worries, and it's understandable that they would feel much greater pressure to get money as fast as they can.  No one wants to struggle day after day with a $7.50 an hour college student job for years and years, while going to school at the same time, and having a wife and kids to feed.  It's natural, then, that they would be more susceptable to those 'special offers', which claim you can earn four to five figures a month with only a little work...after you pay the entry fee, of course.

(We know a 'struggling student' couple where the husband just joined a local sales organization where you have to pay $1000 up front and $100 a month for the 'privilege' of selling their products.  And, no--surprise, surprise--he hasn't been able to sell enough to make up his expenses every month...  Why offers like this don't send great big red warning lights flashing above the heads of more people is a real mystery...  Seriously, is there a big difference between this and gambling away $100 a month on slot machines, hoping for that big score?)

(3) Entitlement:  This one is harder to quantify, but on a psychological level I think this is a real factor in the lives of many Saints.  A guy will think: I've served a mission, I got married in the temple, I pay my tithing, my wife stays at home and takes care of the kids like she's 'supposed' to, I'm doing everything right.  I should not be struggling financially.  The Lord owes me.

You see, this person has read the scriptures saying money isn't that important...but he's also read the scripture in Malachi that says the windows of heaven will be opened such that you won't have room to receive it all.  And he's read the passage immediately after Jacob says 'before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God' which says: "after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches, if ye seek them;" (Jacob 2:19)

It's easy for righteous men and women to think that they should be entitled to some measure of financial success--not necessarily to buy boats and gold-encrusted watches, but so their families can have some financial security.   It's easy to see how, when those aforementioned 'get rich quick' schemes come along, they might think, "This is the Lord blessing me with an opportunity for wealth as a reward for my righteousness.  There's can't be anything wrong...after all, the people giving me this offer are all Church members!'

I'm 'lucky' in a way that I didn't get married until after my graduation.  (Due more to the fact that--before "The Baroness" showed up--no girl could stand to be with me for any length of time, rather than a conscious decision to wait on my part...)  We avoided many of the struggles of our student friends due to that...but also due to being somewhat conservative with our finances.   We wait until things are on sale to buy them, we mooch used things off of people we know who are moving instead of buying new ones, and we don't pay much attention to the numerous people who have approached us with 'great money-making and investment opportunities'.  Money management is hard to learn--requiring as it does both discipline and patience.  Yet, the pitfalls of not learning it are obvious...and increasingly dangerous.  So, expect more talks on gambling, avoiding debt, and money matters in general.  Like all gospel topics, they'll keep saying it until we start to listen...