The Way of Mormonism, Orthodox Christianity's Estranged Daughter
But the laborer in Zion shall labor for Zion;
For if they labor for money they shall perish.
And they had all things common among them;
therefore there were not rich and poor, bond and free,
but they were all made free,
and partakers of the heavenly gift. . . .
There were no robbers, nor murderers,
neither were there Lamanites,
nor any manner of ‘ites;
but they were in one,
the children of Christ,
and heirs to the kingdom of God.
(Book of Mormon, 4 Nephi 1:3,17)
Heirs to the kingdom purposefully refers
to this passage from James in the Bible:
Hearken, my beloved brethren,
Hath not God chosen the poor
of this world rich in faith,
and heirs of the kingdom
which he hath promised
to them that love him?
(James 2:5)
["Chosen", "faith", "heirs", and "promised" are New Testament words indicating what is not earned, but bequeathed for free, without pay, without the merit of law].
...the same messenger... added a caution to me, telling me that Satan would try to tempt me (in consequence of the indigent circumstances of my father’s family), to get the plates for the purpose of getting rich. This he forbade me, saying that I must have no other object in view in getting the plates but to glorify God...
But wo unto the rich,
who are rich as to the things of the world.
For because they are rich
they despise the poor,
and they persecute the meek,
and their hearts
are upon their treasures:
wherefore,
their treasure is their God.
And behold, their treasure shall perish with them also.
But it is not given that one man should possess that which is above another, wherefore the world lieth in sin.
(Doctrine and Covenants 49:20)
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and thieves break through and steal;
But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
The alight of the body is the beye; if, therefore, thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If, therefore, the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and Mammon.
....
And now it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words he looked upon the twelve whom he had chosen, and said unto them: Remember the words which I have spoken. For behold, ye are they whom I have chosen to minister unto this people.*
Therefore I say unto you, take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than draiment?
Behold the fowls of the air, for they sow not, neither do they reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin;
And yet I say unto you, that even Solomon, in all his glory, was not arrayed like one of these.
Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, even so will he clothe you, if ye are not of little faith.
Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.
Take therefore no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient is the day unto the evil thereof.
(3 Nephi 13:19-21, 25-34, repeating the Bible's Sermon on the Mount)
*What is interesting is that this passage,
And now it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words he looked upon the twelve whom he had chosen*, and said unto them: Remember the words which I have spoken. For behold, ye are they whom I have chosen to minister unto this people.
is added to the Biblical Sermon on the Mount. Logically, this indicates that the Twelve Apostles especially must practice these things, for they are leaders and examples. In other words, if the Twelve Apostles of the LDS church were authentic apostles, they would practice these things.
...and some were lifted up unto pride and boastings because of their exceedingly great riches, yea, even unto great persecutions;
For there were many merchants in the land, and also many lawyers, and many officers.
And the people began to be distinguished by ranks, according to their riches and their chances for learning, yea, some were ignorant because of their poverty, and others did receive great learning because of their riches.
Some were lifted up in pride, and others were exceedingly humble; some did return railing for railing, while others would receive railing and persecution and all manner of afflictions, and would not turn and revile again, but were humble and penitent before God.
And thus there became a great inequality in all the land, insomuch that the church began to be broken up; yea, insomuch that in the thirtieth year the church was broken up in all the land save it were among a few of the Lamanites who were converted unto the true faith; and they would not depart from it, for they were firm, and steadfast, and immovable, willing with all diligence to keep the commandments of the Lord.
Now the cause of this iniquity of the people was this -- Satan had great power, unto the stirring up of the people to do all manner of iniquity, and to the puffing them up with pride, tempting them to seek for power, and authority, and riches, and the vain things of the world.
Yea, they did persecute them,
and afflict them
with all manner of words,
and this because of their humility;
because they were not proud
in their own eyes,
and because they did impart
the word of God, one with another,
without money and without price.
And it came to pass that according to his word he did destroy them; and according to his word he did lead them; and according to his word he did do all things for them; and there was not any thing done save it were by his word.
For behold, by the power of his word man came upon the face of the earth, which earth was created by the power of his word.
Come, my brethren, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters; and he that hath no money, come buy and eat; yea, come buy wine and milk without money and without price.
(2 Nephi 9:50, quoting Isaiah 55:1)
Behold, doth he cry unto any, saying: Depart from me? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; but he saith: Come unto me all ye ends of the earth, buy milk and honey, without money and without price.
(2 Nephi 26:25, expounding upon Isaiah 55:1)
And now, if God,
who has created you,
on whom you are dependent
for your lives
and for all that ye have and are,
doth grant unto you
whatsoever ye ask that is right,
in faith
believing that ye shall receive,
O then, how ye ought to impart
of the substance that ye have
one to another.
And if ye judge the man
who putteth up his petition to you
for your substance
that he perish not,
and condemn him
how much more
will be your condemnation
for withholding your substance,
which doth not belong to you
but to God,
to whom also your life belongeth;
and yet ye put up no petition,
nor repent of the thing
which thou hast done.
I say unto you, wo be unto that man, for his substance
shall perish with him;
and now, I say unto those
who are rich
as pertaining to the things of this world.
And it came
to pass...
All things come,
all things pass.
(The Holy Mantra of the book of Mormon.
What appears most common, most silly and excessive, contains the key to enlightenment.
Now compare how 1 Nephi 20:3 quotes Isaiah 48:3. See how the Book of Mormon plays with us: the one time Isaiah specifically focuses on "came to pass", the Book of Mormon now mysteriously omits it!)
...great and marvelous
were the prophecies of Ether;
but they esteemed him as naught,
and cast him out;
and he hid himself
in the cavity of a rock by day,
and by night he went forth
viewing the things which should come upon the people.
And as he dwelt in the cavity of a rock
he made the remainder
of this record,
viewing the destructions
which came upon the people,
by night.
The people in this age... are like the man who found a lump of gold which weighed 100 pounds. The last that was heard of him was, he was sitting upon it, offering a great price to the passers-by for something to eat, and swearing that, if he had to starve to death, he would stick by the gold, and die a rich man.
(Brigham Young, The Essential Brigham Young, p. 275)
If your neighbor or your brother should sue you at the law for your coat, give it to him, and your cloak also, and not turn around and say, "It is my right; are you going to rob me?" The instructions of the Savior of the world... are right; and I could prove it by philosophical reasoning, and make you believe it, and you would be satisfied it is the best course you could pursue. I will give you the key to it, which is this--it gives you an influence you never can obtain by contending for your rights. You say, "Take it, it is no matter whether it is my right or not." If a man asks you to go with him one mile, go two, and then you can say, "You only asked me to go one mile, but I have gone two." That is the counsel Jesus Christ gave. If you sit down and calmly reason the case, you cannot but discover that it gives you an influence over that man, which you could not gain by contending with him in anger. All the power which is gained by contending with people is usurped power.
The power which belongs to the True Riches is gained by pursuing a righteous course, by maintaining an upright deportment towards all men, and especially towards the household of faith, yielding to each other, giving freely of that which the Lord has given to you. Thus you can secure to yourselves eternal riches and gain influence and power over all your friends, as well as your enemies. "If you want anything I have, here, take it, and I will have influence and poser over you." This is a key word to gain the True Riches; that is the amount of it.
The idler shall not eat the bread of the laborer has always meant that the idle rich shall not eat the bread of the laboring poor, as they always have.
....
You are perfectly free to make all the money you can; just as you are perfectly free to break any one of the Ten Commandments, as millions do every day, though God has forbidden it, as he has forbidden seeking for riches.
All my life I have shied away from these disturbing and highly unpopular—even offensive—themes. But I cannot do so any longer, because in my old age I have taken to reading the scriptures and there have had it forced upon my reluctant attention that, from the time of Adam to the present day, Zion has been pitted against Babylon, and the name of the game has always been money—"power and gain."
Babylon and Zion cannot mix in any degree. A Zion that makes concessions is no longer Zion.
--Hugh Nibley ("What is Zion?" CWHN 9:58)
The "Mahan principle" is a frank recognition that the world's economy is based on the exchange of life for property. This is most apparent, of course, in time of war. . . .
The fearful processes of industry shorten and impoverish life at every level, from forced labor to poisonous air and water. This is the world's economy, for Satan is "the prince of this world."
Joseph Smith
Brigham Young
Hugh Nibley