General Economic Themes

What Does the Book of Mormon Say About Inequality? Series

The Book of Mormon contains some surprising insights concerning economic inequality.  This series explores several topics addressed by the LDS scripture and its insights for today.

This article part of a chapter on the teachings of the Book of Mormon concerning inequality, organized in order to deconstruct the prosperity gospel and other modern bad ideas.  If you haven't already, take a look at the introduction to this chapter which explains what I mean by 'prosperity gospel', otherwise enjoy and feel free to join in the discussion.


The Book of Mormon teaches a lot about morality in economics, particularly about inequality.  While in the last chapter we looked at the narrative of the book, and how the people frequently experienced socioeconomic inequality, in this chapter we will look at the teachings of moral leaders in the context of that narrative.  Other articles in this chapter will look at specific economic themes in the book - particularly those which run counter to modern ideas - while this article will be dedicated towards general economic teachings of the book, and an intro to several sermons.

The teachings of the book are similar in ways to both to the Old and New testaments of the Bible.

On the old testament side, the people of the book until the coming of Jesus are frequently told to follow the tenets of the Law of Moses.  As we covered in the article on the subject, the Law of Moses contains several economic components, including the setting of fair market prices, rules governing the charitable treatment of family, employees, servants, and strangers, and the requirement every year of Jubilee to forgive debts and to return property to original owners; all of which make inequalities unlikely to perpetuate through generations.

The laws of the societies in the Book of Mormon, from King Benjamin onward, go further than the Law of Moses, and are similarly focused on ensuring economic morality, justice, and equity, by requiring kind treatment of family and the poor, and by punishing iniquities - or in other words types of wickedness which affected other people unfairly and were often economic in nature, like stealing, persecuting, withholding resources from those in need, deceiving, priestcrafts, and secret combinations, etc.

These unlawful iniquities are the target of the majority of sermons by prophets, teachers, and other moral leaders in the Book of Mormon, which is one of the reasons that this word 'iniquity' is mentioned 213 times in the book - more than any other word to describe wickedness.

In addition to the reinforcing of social laws and morality, sermons in the Book of Mormon also have a New Testament-like personal touch.  The prophets teach against pride - or the dark emotion that justifies and encourages inequality, saying that it is okay for one to be richer than those around them - while also teaching about the morality of equality.  They teach the people to resist the internal and social consequences of inequality - social strife, contentions, envy, and malice, and the justification of iniquities.  They teach that people should not set their hearts upon riches.  Above all, they teach that charity is the most noble of all attributes, and is the pure love of Christ.

Two articles in the introduction of this series covers some of the topics just mentioned in greater detail.  If you have not read them yet, it may be helpful to take a look here:

Book of Mormon vs. Academic Inequality
Book of Mormon vs. Mainstream Christian Sin

In order to understand the economic themes of the Book of Mormon, it is best just to read the book.  Below is a sampling from several Book of Mormon Sermons, as well as a list for additional reading.  As each of these occurs during intense periods of inequality, it may also be helpful to read preceding chapters to get an idea of the context of each sermon.  Take a look and let me know what you think of this general description above.


Jacob's Sermon to the Nephites - Jacob 2

11 Wherefore, I must tell you the truth according to the plainness of the word of God. For behold, as I inquired of the Lord, thus came the word unto me, saying: Jacob, get thou up into the temple on the morrow, and declare the word which I shall give thee unto this people.

 12 And now behold, my brethren, this is the word which I declare unto you, that many of you have begun to search for gold, and for silver, and for all manner of precious ores, in the which this land, which is a land of promise unto you and to your seed, doth abound most plentifully.

 13 And the hand of providence hath smiled upon you most pleasingly, that you have obtained many riches; and because some of you have obtained more abundantly than that of your brethren ye are lifted up in the pride of your hearts, and wear stiff necks and high heads because of the costliness of your apparel, and persecute your brethren because ye suppose that ye are better than they.

 14 And now, my brethren, do ye suppose that God justifieth you in this thing? Behold, I say unto you, Nay. But he condemneth you, and if ye persist in these things his judgments must speedily come unto you.

 15 O that he would show you that he can pierce you, and with one glance of his eye he can smite you to the dust!

 16 O that he would rid you from this iniquity and abomination. And, O that ye would listen unto the word of his commands, and let not this pride of your hearts destroy your souls!

 17 Think of your brethren like unto yourselves, and be familiar with all and free with your substance, that they may be rich like unto you.

 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.

 20 And now, my brethren, I have spoken unto you concerning pride; and those of you which have afflicted your neighbor, and persecuted him because ye were proud in your hearts, of the things which God hath given you, what say ye of it?

 21 Do ye not suppose that such things are abominable unto him who created all flesh? And the one being is as precious in his sight as the other. And all flesh is of the dust; and for the selfsame end hath he created them, that they should keep his commandments and glorify him forever.

King Benjamin's Address - Mosiah 4

13 And ye will not have a mind to injure one another, but to live peaceably, and to render to every man according to that which is his due.

 14 And ye will not suffer your children that they go hungry, or naked; neither will ye suffer that they transgress the laws of God, and fight and quarrel one with another, and serve the devil, who is the master of sin, or who is the evil spirit which hath been spoken of by our fathers, he being an enemy to all righteousness.

 15 But ye will teach them to walk in the ways of truth and soberness; ye will teach them to love one another, and to serve one another.

 16 And also, ye yourselves will succor those that stand in need of your succor; ye will administer of your substance unto him that standeth in need; and ye will not suffer that the beggar putteth up his petition to you in vain, and turn him out to perish.

 17 Perhaps thou shalt say: The man has brought upon himself his misery; therefore I will stay my hand, and will not give unto him of my food, nor impart unto him of my substance that he may not suffer, for his punishments are just—

 18 But I say unto you, O man, whosoever doeth this the same hath great cause to repent; and except he repenteth of that which he hath done he perisheth forever, and hath no interest in the kingdom of God.

 19 For behold, are we not all beggars? Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have, for both food and raiment, and for gold, and for silver, and for all the riches which we have of every kind?

 20 And behold, even at this time, ye have been calling on his name, and begging for a remission of your sins. And has he suffered that ye have begged in vain? Nay; he has poured out his Spirit upon you, and has caused that your hearts should be filled with joy, and has caused that your mouths should be stopped that ye could not find utterance, so exceedingly great was your joy.

 21 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.

 22 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 just 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.

 23 I say unto you, wo be unto that man, for his substance shall perish with him; and now, I say these things unto those who are rich as pertaining to the things of this world.

 24 And again, I say unto the poor, ye who have not and yet have sufficient, that ye remain from day to day; I mean all you who deny the beggar, because ye have not; I would that ye say in your hearts that: I give not because I have not, but if I had I would give.

 25 And now, if ye say this in your hearts ye remain guiltless, otherwise ye are condemned; and your condemnation is just for ye covet that which ye have not received.

 26 And now, for the sake of these things which I have spoken unto you—that is, for the sake of retaining a remission of your sins from day to day, that ye may walk guiltless before God—I would that ye should impart of your substance to the poor, every man according to that which he hath, such as feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and administering to their relief, both spiritually and temporally, according to their wants.

 27 And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order.

 28 And I would that ye should remember, that whosoever among you borroweth of his neighbor should return the thing that he borroweth, according as he doth agree, or else thou shalt commit sin; and perhaps thou shalt cause thy neighbor to commit sin also.

 29 And finally, I cannot tell you all the things whereby ye may commit sin; for there are divers ways and means, even so many that I cannot number them.

 30 But this much I can tell you, that if ye do not watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of God, and continue in the faith of what ye have heard concerning the coming of our Lord, even unto the end of your lives, ye must perish. And now, O man, remember, and perish not.

Sermon of Alma 5

26 And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?

 27 Have ye walked, keeping yourselves blameless before God? Could ye say, if ye were called to die at this time, within yourselves, that ye have been sufficiently humble? That your garments have been cleansed and made white through the blood of Christ, who will come to redeem his people from their sins?

 28 Behold, are ye stripped of pride? I say unto you, if ye are not ye are not prepared to meet God. Behold ye must prepare quickly; for the kingdom of heaven is soon at hand, and such an one hath not eternal life.

 29 Behold, I say, is there one among you who is not stripped of envy? I say unto you that such an one is not prepared; and I would that he should prepare quickly, for the hour is close at hand, and he knoweth not when the time shall come; for such an one is not found guiltless.

 30 And again I say unto you, is there one among you that doth make a mock of his brother, or that heapeth upon him persecutions?

 31 Wo unto such an one, for he is not prepared, and the time is at hand that he must repent or he cannot be saved!

 32 Yea, even wo unto all ye workers of iniquity; repent, repent, for the Lord God hath spoken it!  

...

 53 And now my beloved brethren, I say unto you, can ye withstand these sayings; yea, can ye lay aside these things, and trample the Holy One under your feet; yea, can ye be puffed up in the pride of your hearts; yea, will ye still persist in the wearing of costly apparel and setting your hearts upon the vain things of the world, upon your riches?

 54 Yea, will ye persist in supposing that ye are better one than another; yea, will ye persist in the persecution of your brethren, who humble themselves and do walk after the holy order of God, wherewith they have been brought into this church, having been sanctified by the Holy Spirit, and they do bring forth works which are meet for repentance—

 55 Yea, and will you persist in turning your backs upon the poor, and the needy, and in withholding your substance from them?

 56 And finally, all ye that will persist in your wickedness, I say unto you that these are they who shall be hewn down and cast into the fire except they speedily repent.

Samuel's Sermon to the Nephites - Helaman 13

17 And behold, a curse shall come upon the land, saith the Lord of Hosts, because of the people’s sake who are upon the land, yea, because of their wickedness and their abominations.

 18 And it shall come to pass, saith the Lord of Hosts, yea, our great and true God, that whoso shall hide up treasures in the earth shall find them again no more, because of the great curse of the land, save he be a righteous man and shall hide it up unto the Lord.

 19 For I will, saith the Lord, that they shall hide up their treasures unto me; and cursed be they who hide not up their treasures unto me; for none hideth up their treasures unto me save it be the righteous; and he that hideth not up his treasures unto me, cursed is he, and also the treasure, and none shall redeem it because of the curse of the land.

 20 And the day shall come that they shall hide up their treasures, because they have set their hearts upon riches; and because they have set their hearts upon their riches, and will hide up their treasures when they shall flee before their enemies; because they will not hide them up unto me, cursed be they and also their treasures; and in that day shall they be smitten, saith the Lord.

 21 Behold ye, the people of this great city, and hearken unto my words; yea, hearken unto the words which the Lord saith; for behold, he saith that ye are cursed because of your riches, and also are your riches cursed because ye have set your hearts upon them, and have not hearkened unto the words of him who gave them unto you.

 22 Ye do not remember the Lord your God in the things with which he hath blessed you, but ye do always remember your riches, not to thank the Lord your God for them; yea, your hearts are not drawn out unto the Lord, but they do swell with great pride, unto boasting, and unto great swelling, envyings, strifes, malice, persecutions, and murders, and all manner of iniquities.

 23 For this cause hath the Lord God caused that a curse should come upon the land, and also upon your riches, and this because of your iniquities.

 24 Yea, wo unto this people, because of this time which has arrived, that ye do cast out the prophets, and do mock them, and cast stones at them, and do slay them, and do all manner of iniquity unto them, even as they did of old time.

25 And now when ye talk, ye say: If our days had been in the days of our fathers of old, we would not have slain the prophets; we would not have stoned them, and cast them out.

 26 Behold ye are worse than they; for as the Lord liveth, if a prophet come among you and declareth unto you the word of the Lord, which testifieth of your sins and iniquities, ye are angry with him, and cast him out and seek all manner of ways to destroy him; yea, you will say that he is a false prophet, and that he is a sinner, and of the devil, because he testifieth that your deeds are evil.

 27 But behold, if a man shall come among you and shall say: Do this, and there is no iniquity; do that and ye shall not suffer; yea, he will say: Walk after the pride of your own hearts; yea, walk after the pride of your eyes, and do whatsoever your heart desireth—and if a man shall come among you and say this, ye will receive him, and say that he is a prophet.

 28 Yea, ye will lift him up, and ye will give unto him of your substance; ye will give unto him of your gold, and of your silver, and ye will clothe him with costly apparel; and because he speaketh flattering words unto you, and he saith that all is well, then ye will not find fault with him.

 Mormon 8 - Prophecy about our Day

31 Yea, it shall come in a day when there shall be great pollutions upon the face of the earth; there shall be murders, and robbing, and lying, and deceivings, and whoredoms, and all manner of abominations; when there shall be many who will say, Do this, or do that, and it mattereth not, for the Lord will uphold such at the last day. But wo unto such, for they are in the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity.

 32 Yea, it shall come in a day when there shall be churches built up that shall say: Come unto me, and for your money you shall be forgiven of your sins.

 33 O ye wicked and perverse and stiffnecked people, why have ye built up churches unto yourselves to get gain? Why have ye transfigured the holy word of God, that ye might bring damnation upon your souls? Behold, look ye unto the revelations of God; for behold, the time cometh at that day when all these things must be fulfilled.

 34 Behold, the Lord hath shown unto me great and marvelous things concerning that which must shortly come, at that day when these things shall come forth among you.

 35 Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing.

 36 And I know that ye do walk in the pride of your hearts; and there are none save a few only who do not lift themselves up in the pride of their hearts, unto the wearing of very fine apparel, unto envying, and strifes, and malice, and persecutions, and all manner of iniquities; and your churches, yea, even every one, have become polluted because of the pride of your hearts.

 37 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.

 38 O ye pollutions, ye hypocrites, ye teachers, who sell yourselves for that which will canker, why have ye polluted the holy church of God? Why are ye ashamed to take upon you the name of Christ? Why do ye not think that greater is the value of an endless happiness than that misery which never dies—because of the praise of the world?

 39 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?

 40 Yea, why do ye build up your secret abominations to get gain, and cause that widows should mourn before the Lord, and also orphans to mourn before the Lord, and also the blood of their fathers and their husbands to cry unto the Lord from the ground, for vengeance upon your heads?

 41 Behold, the sword of vengeance hangeth over you; and the time soon cometh that he avengeth the blood of the saints upon you, for he will not suffer their cries any longer.

Additional Sermons

2 Nephi 9                                     Alma 30
2 Nephi 26 & 28                          Alma 32-35
Jacob 2                                        Alma 46
Mosiah 2-5                                  Helaman 7-8
Mosiah 12-16                              Helaman 13-16
Mosiah 27 & 29                          3 Nephi 13
Alma 1 & 4                                 3 Nephi 21, 29-30
Alma 5                                        Mormon 8
Alma 7                                        Ether 12-13
Alma 9-13                                   Moroni 7 & 10

Entitlement

What Does the Book of Mormon Say About Inequality? Series

The Book of Mormon contains some surprising insights concerning economic inequality.  This series explores several topics addressed by the LDS scripture and its insights for today.

This article part of a chapter on the teachings of the Book of Mormon concerning inequality, organized in order to deconstruct the prosperity gospel and other modern bad ideas.  If you haven't already, take a look at the introduction to this chapter which explains what I mean by 'prosperity gospel', otherwise enjoy and feel free to join in the discussion.


The term 'entitlement' refers to the belief that one is inherently deserving of special treatment.  In relation to poverty alleviation today there is the worry that people who receive aid from the government or from charitable organizations can begin to feel that they are entitled to those benefits, and act accordingly.  In the Christian world specifically there is the worry that this sense of entitlement is spiritually degrading, and therefore should be avoided.

The potential Book of Mormon commentary on the modern concept of 'entitlement' is similar to that of the last article on Self-Reliance - the concept does not appear in the book, but there are similar principles that deserve to be addressed here; however, when misapplied for the purpose of withholding resources from the poor then judging people in this way is a priestcraft.


Pride, Envy, and Hearts Set on Riches


While the word 'entitlement' does not appear in the Book of Mormon, there are a few concepts which are similar.
 

As we addressed in the chapter on the Historical Narrative of the Book of Mormon, during times of extreme wealth inequality there are several negative traits which the people begin to exhibit.

They become prideful - where some see themselves as better than others.  This negative emotion hardens what are normally kind hearts knit in unity, and pits neighbor against neighbor, class against class.  The book specifically rails on the pride of the rich, particularly when this pride leads to the persecution of the poor, or withholding needed resources from them.  However, as several instances of pride cycles mention the general pride of the populace, we can assume that the poor in many circumstances also joined in the pride, and its consequent social problems.

Another negative emotion common in episodes of serious inequality is envy.  The prophets in the book harshly criticize the 'envyings, strifes, and malice' of the people, recognizing that such emotions lead to damaging social problems.  However, while it is probable that the poor in these episodes were guilty of envy, it is the rich that are consistently called out for such problems in the Book of Mormon, suggesting that the problem was more endemic among the rich rather than the poor.  Thus, the envy spoken of in the book probably means the envying of the rich for the resources given to the poor.  We discussed this in more detail in A Note on Envy.

Finally, another characteristic related to entitlement in the Book of Mormon is the tendency for the people in the book to 'set their hearts upon riches'.  This occurs again during serious economic inequality, including Mosiah 11-12, Alma 4-5, Alma 45, 3 Nephi 6, Helaman 4,6-7, and Helaman 13.  These chapters indicate that loving riches, and selfishly seeking after them, is a serious iniquity, and incidentally a very common one when there is economic inequality.  Loving riches is particularly egregious when it leads to persecuting and robbing others.  For example, Alma 17:

Alma 17:4 And assuredly it was great, for they had undertaken to preach the word of God to a wild and a hardened and a ferocious people; a people who delighted in murdering the Nephites, and robbing and plundering them; and their hearts were set upon riches, or upon gold and silver, and precious stones; yet they sought to obtain these things by murdering and plundering, that they might not labor for them with their own hands.

So clearly setting your hearts on riches is bad, and one should certainly not let that feeling lead to stealing from others.  Like the other characteristics, it is the rich that are singled out for their love of riches.

I should point out that any love of riches is bad in the Book of Mormon - whether it was earned with your own hands or not.  Furthermore, riches are viewed in the book as belonging entirely to God, so if entitlement was a concept used the book, then there would certainly be a worry that the rich could feel entitled to their wealth, just as there would be a worry that the poor could feel entitled to assistance given to them.  Afterall, King Benjamin taught:

Mosiah 4:19 For behold, are we not all beggars? Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have, for both food and raiment, and for gold, and for silver, and for all the riches which we have of every kind? ...
22 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 just 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.

So pride, envy, and loving riches all relate to the modern concept of 'entitlement', and they are certainly criticized heavily in the Book of Mormon.  But there is an important distinction between the book and today, and that is that the book does not characterize the poor as having these qualities.

Never are the poor singled out - not in all of the dozens of instances of inequality, pride, etc.  Sometimes the whole society is called to repentance, and other times it is just the rich that are rebuked.

Furthermore, there does not appear to be any connection between giving to the poor and the development of pride, envy, and love of riches.  In fact it is quite the opposite.  Giving to the poor is the antidote for the entitlement-related problems discussed above, while the rich having more than the poor is the source of the problem.


Charity is the Cure of Entitlement

Although pride, envy, and the love of riches - which I believe we can sum up as the center of entitlement - are serious in the Book of Mormon, there is never a suggestion that perhaps the poor should be given less in order to protect them from feeling entitled.  This is because the real sources of these feelings is inequality, and the real culprit of these feelings are the rich.  This is why the cure for entitlement is charity.


King Benjamin sums it up best in the rest of Mosiah 4:

16 And also, ye yourselves will succor those that stand in need of your succor; ye will administer of your substance unto him that standeth in need; and ye will not suffer that the beggar putteth up his petition to you in vain, and turn him out to perish.

17 Perhaps thou shalt say: The man has brought upon himself his misery; therefore I will stay my hand, and will not give unto him of my food, nor impart unto him of my substance that he may not suffer, for his punishments are just—

18 But I say unto you, O man, whosoever doeth this the same hath great cause to repent; and except he repenteth of that which he hath done he perisheth forever, and hath no interest in the kingdom of God.

19 For behold, are we not all beggars? Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have, for both food and raiment, and for gold, and for silver, and for all the riches which we have of every kind?

20 And behold, even at this time, ye have been calling on his name, and begging for a remission of your sins. And has he suffered that ye have begged in vain? Nay; he has poured out his Spirit upon you, and has caused that your hearts should be filled with joy, and has caused that your mouths should be stopped that ye could not find utterance, so exceedingly great was your joy.

21 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.

22 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 just 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.

23 I say unto you, wo be unto that man, for his substance shall perish with him; and now, I say these things unto those who are rich as pertaining to the things of this world.

24 And again, I say unto the poor, ye who have not and yet have sufficient, that ye remain from day to day; I mean all you who deny the beggar, because ye have not; I would that ye say in your hearts that: I give not because I have not, but if I had I would give.

25 And now, if ye say this in your hearts ye remain guiltless, otherwise ye are condemned; and your condemnation is just for ye covet that which ye have not received.

26 And now, for the sake of these things which I have spoken unto you—that is, for the sake of retaining a remission of your sins from day to day, that ye may walk guiltless before God—I would that ye should impart of your substance to the poor, every man according to that which he hath, such as feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and administering to their relief, both spiritually and temporally, according to their wants.

There are several items here that are important to point out.

• Charity to the poor is a required aspect of the Gospel; one cannot retain a remission of sins without it
• Resources should not be withheld from the poor because you judge them to be unworthy; this is never okay
• The poor are also instructed to give; just because one has less, doesn't mean they should not also give.  The only exception is if they literally have nothing to give, in which case they are instructed to give in their hearts.

If this formula is followed then entitlement, pride, envy, and the love of riches are all eliminated.  The rich do not feel entitled to their wealth because they recognize that it belongs to God, and it is morally requisite to help the poor, regardless of the circumstance of the poor.  The poor do not feel entitled to the assistance given them because they also give to others, or at least have the heart to give.

Withholding resources from the poor is seriously condemned in the Book of Mormon (see Alma 5 and Helaman 4), and it is not a solution for entitlement.  To use a gospel principle, like envy or entitlement, as a reason to withhold resources to the poor is priestcraft (twisted a gospel topic to enrich oneself).

The only solution to entitlement, and its related problems, that works is charity and love.  Withholding resources only serves to widen inequality, fester pride, envy, and the love of riches, and to give a sense of entitlement to the rich, and allow them the delusion that their wealth is their own and religiously just.

And such a thought, with the persecution and pride resulting from it, sum up the worst iniquities in the Book of Mormon.

Self-Reliance

What Does the Book of Mormon Say About Inequality? Series

The Book of Mormon contains some surprising insights concerning economic inequality.  This series explores several topics addressed by the LDS scripture and its insights for today.

This article part of a chapter on the teachings of the Book of Mormon concerning inequality, organized in order to deconstruct the prosperity gospel and other modern bad ideas.  If you haven't already, take a look at the introduction to this chapter which explains what I mean by 'prosperity gospel', otherwise enjoy and feel free to join in the discussion.


Modern discussions about poverty, inequality, welfare programs, and charitable giving often contain a concept which can come to dominate the conversation - self-reliance, or its religious equivalent provident living.  These terms describe the ability to provide for oneself, to be independent, and self-sufficient.  The goal of self-reliance is central to most government and non-profit programs that provide some sort of aid to people in need, including several of the programs that I work for.

Unlike some elements of the prosperity gospel and related modern ideas which we have talked about, Self-Reliance is not necessarily against the teachings of the Book of Mormon.  Being self-sufficient, both in temporal and spiritual matters, is an important spiritual virtue, sometimes referred to in the book as being "industrious", and helping others to become this way is an act of charity.  And of course, the self-sufficiency of a population is also integral of economic growth in a capitalist society, and in ensuring a small and efficient government.

However, there are times when the idea of self-reliance can be misapplied - leading to misunderstandings about the gospel according to the Book of Mormon, or even direct priestcraft (twisting the gospel to become rich or famous, or to justify inequality).

So let's take a look at how the Book of Mormon complements and contrasts the modern concept of Self-Reliance.

Industriousness

Although 'Self-Reliance' and 'Provident Living' are terms which are common in modern Christianity - especially among Mormons who run a website about the topic - these words do not specifically appear in the Book of Mormon.  One close concept however is the idea that the Lord's people should be 'industrious' - that they should work hard, especially in collaboration with others.

The term 'industrious' occurs only in 2 Nephi 5:17, Mosiah 23:5, Alma 23:18, and Ether 10:22.  In each usage the context is remarkably similar.  They all describe a righteous group of people with a good leader and who are working to begin a society anew.  The word is associated with hard work, collaboration, leadership, and covenant-keeping people.

For me the message is clear, God expects his people to work hard and to work well together.  Hard work and collaboration are part of what it means to be a righteous people; and hard work, and the trade and specialization that comes about because of collaboration, are also qualities that lead to wealth generation.  We looked at this process more closely in the article on Origins of Wealth. 

Being industrious has both a spiritual and temporal component - it relates to spiritual health and maturity, and it also can lead to economic growth.

As a spiritual issue, the passages above make it clear that work ethic and collaboration were certainly a part of the general consciousness of what it means to be a righteous person; however it doesn't seem like this spiritual characteristic has a lot of priority because in all the many sermons addressing wickedness and iniquity, industriousness, hard work, and self-reliance are not mentioned.  Priority instead is clearly placed on iniquities such as persecuting neighbors, economic inequality, priestcrafts, secret combinations, treatment of the poor, keeping the commandments, etc.

As a temporal issue, the passages above make it seem like authors Mormon and Moroni saw the connection between industriousness and wealth gain; however - and I want this to be very clear - never in the entire Book of Mormon is hard work suggested as a cure to poverty and inequality.  Never are the poor told that they simply need to work harder, and be more industrious.  Instead, in all of the dozens of instances and sermons addressing inequality the people are told over and over to put away their iniquities, persecutions, and priestcrafts, and to help those less fortunate.

When civil leaders are involved in addressing inequality and pride cycles, they too focus their efforts on punishing iniquities, fighting against secret combinations and secessionist movements, and establishing laws promoting equity and justice.  All of these items were covered in detail in the section on the historical narrative. 

Dependence and Independence

Another concept in the Book of Mormon that is similar to provident living or self-reliance are the general teachings regarding dependence and independence.

In some situations, the Book of Mormon is critical of individuals who are economically dependent on others.  At times, several groups including the Lamanites, dissenter groups, and the Gadianton Robbers, make their living off of stealing, robbing, and plundering, rather than through hard work and industry.  For example King Laman and his people, one of the iniquitous kings in the early stages of the Book of Mormon:

Mosiah 9:12 Now they were a lazy and an idolatrous people; therefore they were desirous to bring us into bondage, that they might glut themselves with the labors of our hands; yea, that they might feast themselves upon the flocks of our fields.

13 Therefore it came to pass that king Laman began to stir up his people that they should contend with my people; therefore there began to be wars and contentions in the land.

It should be noted however that the above passage was written directly by Zeniff of the Nephites, who was not a fan of the Lamanites.  Describing a whole people as 'lazy' and 'idolatrous' was probably not accurate, and likely a way to justify the hatred and warfare with the Lamanites.

Among God's people, civic and religious leaders were expected to provide for themselves, in addition to their volunteer service.  This included King Benjamin (Mosiah 2), King Mosiah (Mosiah 6), and the priests of Alma the Elder (Mosiah 18, although the priests still relied on the people for their support, they just were not to be paid for their service, but people were to give willingly to them).  They worked so as not to be a burden to their people, highlighting the importance of religious and civil leaders not using their positions to enrich themselves - which would be robbery and priestcraft.

However, this is the extent that the virtue of independence is extolled in the Book of Mormon.  A far more frequently discussed and important virtue is that of dependence.  In spiritual matters, the people of God are to rely on him - all those who rely on their own self are described as 'idolatrous'.  In war, every time a people rely on their own strength, rather than God, they lose badly.

In economic matters, the people are instructed to rely on each other in the church.  This isn't that they are not to rely on God, but that God would provide his assistance through other people.  The gospel and the church are organized in a way to knit hearts together, and to bring about the atonement of Jesus Christ, including economic justice, through collective service.  This is one of the reasons why when poverty is addressed in the Book of Mormon the rich are instructed to give to the poor; and the poor are never told to simply work harder.

We will explore this topic more in the article on The Gospel and the Free Lunch.

King Benjamin explains the importance of dependency best in his Mosiah 2-6 sermon.  Mosiah 4:

16 And also, ye yourselves will succor those that stand in need of your succor; ye will administer of your substance unto him that standeth in need; and ye will not suffer that the beggar putteth up his petition to you in vain, and turn him out to perish.

17 Perhaps thou shalt say: The man has brought upon himself his misery; therefore I will stay my hand, and will not give unto him of my food, nor impart unto him of my substance that he may not suffer, for his punishments are just—

18 But I say unto you, O man, whosoever doeth this the same hath great cause to repent...

19 For behold, are we not all beggars? Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have, for both food and raiment, and for gold, and for silver, and for all the riches which we have of every kind?

20 And behold, even at this time, ye have been calling on his name, and begging for a remission of your sins. And has he suffered that ye have begged in vain? Nay; he has poured out his Spirit upon you, and has caused that your hearts should be filled with joy, and has caused that your mouths should be stopped that ye could not find utterance, so exceedingly great was your joy.

21 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.

22 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 just 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.

23 I say unto you, wo be unto that man, for his substance shall perish with him; and now, I say these things unto those who are rich as pertaining to the things of this world.

Systematic Inequality

So why don't the Nephites try to cure poverty by helping the poor to be more industrious and independent? 

Economically speaking, helping a population work hard and become self-reliant should be able to raise the standard of living for everyone, and thereby affect those in poverty - but this is never suggested in the book.  The reason is actually the same reason that it is not today.  Inequality ultimately is systematic, and not simply the result of variable hard work; and until the systematic problems are removed hard work will not cure poverty.

Religious and civil leaders in the Book of Mormon correctly identify that their inequality came not because work ethic was unequal, but because of systematic problems.

The entire historical narrative of the Book of Mormon is devoted to pointing out how iniquities (actions which cause inequities) are evil and cause serious social consequences, and therefore the primary focus of religious and civil leaders; that pride and envy leads to justifying inequality, social strife, and persecuting the poor, including not acting to correct poverty and inequality; that Nehor, Korihor, and all of the dissenter groups taught an ideology that justified and perpetuated inequality, referred to as priestcraft; and that dissenters, false priests, and secret combinations were devoted towards enriching themselves by persecuting the poor and robbing the public.

Economic inequality in the Book of Mormon is systemic, and thus require systematic solutions.  Telling the poor to work harder, and to be more independent, is not an ultimate solution because work ethic is not the origin of the inequality.

The Book of Mormon is a very interesting study because we live in a similar world today.  Economic inequality is not rooted in work ethic, it is rooted in systematic problems.  Our next chapter will be devoted to identifying the solutions Book of Mormon religious and civil leaders put forward to address inequality,and thus there will be a potential for a comparison to today.


Provident Living, Self-Reliance, and Priestcraft


Earlier in this article I mentioned the potential of the positive concepts of Provident Living and Self-Reliance being misunderstood and misused, becoming a priestcraft.

As you know from the earlier article on the topic, priestcraft occurs when the Gospel of Jesus Christ is twisted to make oneself become rich and or famous.  It can also refer to an ideology that justifies systematic inequality, because believing that inequality is justified eliminates the spiritual commandment to help the poor, or as Jacob says to "make them rich like unto yourself".  It eliminates the guilt that comes from being unequal, thereby allowing the possibility for one to be rich in a religious society that normally sees the rich as morally corrupt.

In the Book of Mormon, dissenters like the Zoramites, secret combinations, and other groups find ways to twist the Gospel into ideologies which persecute the poor, and allow them to enjoy their wealth without religious influence (or government influence, hence the dissenting part).  Korihor specifically teaches an ideology that people should be able to become rich according to their work and genius - which was a ploy to excuse inequality, remove guilt from withholding resources to the poor, and allow people like him to become rich.


Unfortunately, the concepts of Provident Living and Self-Reliance in the modern day have the potential to be misused to justify withholding resources from the poor, or inequality in general.

To be clear - helping people to become independent and learn the spiritual principle of being industrious is charity.  A society that finds ways to help its members work hard and collaborate is a righteous one, as well as economically wise.

However, to whatever extent these principles are pushed in order for people to be required to contribute less to the poor - or to whatever extent such principles are promoted in order to explain away the poverty of the poor without having to address systemic problems - is priestcraft.

It is priestcraft for the wealthy to use the belief that everyone else should be self-reliant to justify themselves giving less.

It is priestcraft to use the principle of self-reliance to justify cutting programs in order to enable a new tax cut for the wealthy.

It is priestcraft to use self-reliance as a pedestal with which to judge others, justifying that one is better because others have not mastered self-reliance.  Not to mention in complete error, because not being self-reliant is not nearly as spiritually evil as withholding resources from the poor.

The difference between Provident Living, Self-Reliance, and other similar principles being a virtue or a priestcraft is the motivation.

Should religious leaders promote Self-Reliance?  Absolutely.  So long as the motivation is charity, and helping people become spiritually mature.

Should government leaders promote work ethic, industriousness, and independence?  Absolutely - to do so is both economically wise, and requires a smaller more efficient government, which everyone wants.  But if the motivation is to hide the real reasons why inequality existed in the first place - the secret combinations, iniquities, and priestcrafts - then its not so great.

Should independent people be concerned with helping their families, friends, and neighbors to become self-reliant?  Absolutely.  So long as the motivation is not to puff oneself up with pride, to judge other people, to justify their poverty and your riches, or to justify some ideology that will withhold resources from the poor.

When in doubt, remember that the primary focus of the Book of Mormon is tearing down inequality, iniquities, pride, envyings, strifes, priestcrafts, and secret combinations.  Industriousness, independence, and work ethic are secondary priorities.  In other words, not being prideful, judgmental, iniquitous, and supporting ideologies and organizations which cause inequalities and persecute the poor, is far more important than ensuring people work hard.  This is evidenced by an entire book devoted towards the rich overcoming these problems, with never a mention that the poor should work harder.

Not once.

Economics of Wealth

What Does the Book of Mormon Say About Inequality? Series

The Book of Mormon contains some surprising insights concerning economic inequality.  This series explores several topics addressed by the LDS scripture and its insights for today.

This article part of a chapter on the teachings of the Book of Mormon concerning inequality, organized in order to deconstruct the prosperity gospel and other modern bad ideas.  If you haven't already, take a look at the introduction to this chapter which explains what I mean by 'prosperity gospel', otherwise enjoy and feel free to join in the discussion.

As we discussed previously, the Book of Mormon does not advocate the 'prosperity gospel' - a foolish belief that suggests that God is the origin of all wealth, and therefore any discussion on economic and social solutions to inequality is irrelevant because God ultimately willed the inequality.

This article will look closely at how the Nephites become wealthy in the Book of Mormon, and what role that God and personal righteousness played in that process.

There is no evidence in the Book of Mormon of wealth being distributed in any way other than through the rules of economics.  The book reveals that the when the Nephites are righteous, then in general they are blessed with wealth, but it is not a direct godly bestowal, but a more or less an indirect consequence of being righteous, because sometimes being righteous causes economic growth.

Not all types of righteousness generates wealth - only righteousness which naturally leads to wealth.  For example, some righteous, and also economically productive, qualities include 'industriousness' (hard work), fellowship and trade with other people, family (and therefore population) expansion, sharing resources with the poor, and a society which shuns iniquity and inequality through culture, laws, and government which ensure justice and equity. 

This history lesson from the Nephite society mainly applies to the society as a whole, and not necessarily the individual.  Just because the Nephites become wealthy through certain types of righteousness (or wickedness for that matter) does not mean that every righteous individual also become wealthy, or that economic gains are distributed according to the degree of righteousness.  Whenever the people became wealthy in the Book of Mormon there are always still poor to take care of.

Furthermore, there is never a time in the book when the narrator points out inequality between the rich and the poor and explains that the rich were the more righteous individuals of the people.  Nor is there a time when a wealthy individual is pointed out, and his righteousness praised. 

Lets take a look at what I mean by certain types of righteousness leading to wealth:

Equality and Justice through Culture, Laws, and Religion

The most potent form of righteousness which leads to wealth in the Book of Mormon, and the one to receive the most detail, is a society which enshrines equity and justice.

The best example of this is Alma 1, where in the beginning of the chapter the people are met with a wicked man named Nehor who seeks to become rich and popular by establishing his own church through lies, false doctrines, and even murder - a process referred to as priestcraft.  Nehor is punished for his crimes, and laws are established to limit those who would become rich through deceiving the people.  Freedom of belief remains protected by the law, so long as those beliefs do not lead to iniquity, like deceiving the people with priestcrafts, or robbing and plundering - these are still punished, even if they are inspired by religion.

In addition to establishing laws, the priests and teachers of Alma 1 combat the Order of Nehor through preaching a doctrine of humility and equality, and teach the gospel without price and without esteeming themselves above their hearers.  At the center of the Gospel they share is a strong ethic to assist the poor and needy.

With these qualities in mind, consider the next verses in Alma 1:

29 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...

 30 And thus, in their prosperous circumstances, they did not send away any who were naked, or that were hungry... 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.

31 And thus they did prosper and become far more wealthy than those who did not belong to their church.

Yes the people of the church were righteous and became very wealthy, but the type of righteousness which led to this generation of wealth was equality - in law and in moral discourse.  It was treating others equally and sharing resources long before they became wealthy, and continuing afterwards.  Equity pays with economic growth.

When the church in general became wealthy there were still members of the church who were righteous and also in poverty, which is why the church still had poor to take care of even when they became wealthy.  Six years later in Alma 4 personal righteousness and great amounts of wealth did not eliminate poverty, and there were poor within and without the church.

Public wealth generation through equity and justice also has the added benefit of not leading to immediate pride.  The people of the Book of Mormon frequently became wealthy and unequal, because even when everyone is righteous there are still some that end up rich and poor, because wealth is not distributed according to righteousness. Notwithstanding the inequality, the people of Alma 1 still maintain their humility and care for the poor.

Unfortunately, the peace and humility only lasts for six years; a tragedy, but it is six years longer than any other period of wealth inequality.  Their full story is in the article on the Pride Cycle.


There are other instances in the Book of Mormon where good laws, good political leaders, and a strong civil society is linked to wealth generation.  Consider 3 Nephi 6 and Helaman 3.

In the chapters previous to 3 Nephi 6, the Gadianton Robbers nearly destroy the righteous, but the righteous overcome by coming together, sharing resources, and waiting out the siege on their city.  Gadianton is defeated through a morality of equality.

Then, in chapter 6, good political and military leaders establish peace in the land by forming laws "according to equity and justice" (v. 4); the same leaders also oversee the rebuilding of economic infrastructure, or the old cities and highways.  It works, and the people become very wealthy.

In Helaman 3, good leaders similarly are said to establish laws "according to equity and justice", which also leads to wealth.  Laws which promote equity and justice are requisite for a society to be considered righteous in the Book of Mormon.

More on these laws promoting 'equity and justice' in the future when we discuss solutions to inequality.

Another example is the entire book of Ether, with forever tug-a-wars between iniquitous kings who used their positions to steal wealth from the people.  During the few times that righteous kings reigned, and the people were not burdened by iniquity, the people prospered.   See Ether 6:28; 7:19; 9:16; and chapter 10.

One final example is 4 Nephi.  This chapter covers the nearly 300 span of history after the coming of Jesus Christ to the Nephites.  When he came he instituted an economic system where people have "all things in 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" (3).  Because the people are economically one, they are also socially and spiritually one, without any strife, contention, or sin among them (v. 15-18). 

The people keep this economic system, rebuild their cities and roads, and then prosper greatly, and share in their prosperity for 200 years.  Then, tragically they stop sharing their resources and immediately the pride cycle begins again.

More details to 4 Nephi are addressed in Twilight of the Nephites.

Trade, Specialization, Industriousness, and Population Growth

Let's take a look at other times the Book of Mormon points out qualities which led to wealth generation.

Industriousness - 2 Nephi 5:7, Mosiah 23:5, Alma 23:18, Ether 10:22

Industriousness, hard work, and provident living - which I have written an article dedicated towards - are some of many characteristics of a righteous people, and they also happen to create wealth.   Not every time the people are described as righteous in the book does it also say they were industrious; not every time the book says the people are industrious does it also say that they became wealthy, but the two are frequently connected.

Remember though that these are qualities of a society - in other words when the people as a whole are industrious then wealth is generated, but that does not mean that every individual needed to be industrious to become wealthy, or that when wealth came to the society that it was distributed among the more industrious.

Positive wealth in the Book of Mormon is exclusively social wealth, as I covered in the article on What is Prosperity?

We also return to this concept of industriousness later in the article on Self-Reliance.

Trade, Specialization, Population Growth, and Infrastructure - 2 Nephi 5:11-13, Mosiah 9:9; 10:4-5; 23:5; 21:16; 24:7 (trade, but not righteousness); 27:5-7; Alma 23:18; 50:18; Helaman 6:7-13; 11:20; 12:2; Ether 9:12; 4 Nephi 1:45-46 (trade, but not righteousness) 

Trade, specialization, population growth, and infrastructure investments are probably not the first attributes people would consider under the mantle of a "righteous" society, but more or less morally neutral qualities.  And yet, as the list above attests, these are frequent reasons that the people became wealthy or rich.

And that is because these qualities naturally lead to economic growth.  God didn't bestow wealth on people in these circumstances as some reward for righteousness, it just happened.

In the case of Mosiah 24:7 and 4 Nephi 1:45-46 the people doing the trading, and raking in the riches, are decidedly wicked.  So much for the prosperity gospel - why would God reward riches to the wicked?

It is also important to note that when the people become wealthy through these morally neutral means they are more quick to abandon the poor, justify inequality, and to commit other iniquities - making this wealth a quick initiator of pride cycles.

What Does this Mean for the Prosperity Gospel?

Let's just reiterate that the Book of Mormon does not teach the prosperity gospel.  While in the book God does prosper righteous societies, it is not a direct bestowal of riches, and certainly not a distribution of wealth according to the degree of righteousness, but more of a natural reward as some righteous qualities which also create economic growth.

Qualities which are both considered righteous and promote economic growth include: laws and culture promoting economic justice and equity, assisting the poor, and being industrious.  Qualities which are generally considered morally neutral can also promote economic growth including: building and expanding economic infrastructure, and trade, specialization, and population expansion.

Sometimes the wicked societies can become the rich ones, but often the righteous ones do.  But this is a description of a society, and has little bearing on individual wealth gain.

The benefits from wealth generation are not distributed according to righteousness.  An individual may be righteous, and indeed exemplify the vary same qualities that make Nephite society rich, but may or may not become wealthy themselves.

And there is no expectation in the Book of Mormon that every righteous individual will become wealthy, which is why changing the behavior of the poor is never a solution any moral leader in the book proposes.  Instead, it is religiously, socially, and at times legally expected that wealth in prosperous times - both individual and public wealth - should be used to meet the needs and wants of those who have less. 

When these needs are not met in the book, thereby exasperating inequality, the people are described as prideful and persecuting the poor - discussed more closely in pride cycles.  

The Gospel and the Free Lunch

What Does the Book of Mormon Say About Inequality? Series

The Book of Mormon contains some surprising insights concerning economic inequality.  This series explores several topics addressed by the LDS scripture and its insights for today.

This article part of a chapter on the teachings of the Book of Mormon concerning inequality, organized in order to deconstruct the prosperity gospel and other modern bad ideas.  If you haven't already, take a look at the introduction to this chapter which explains what I mean by 'prosperity gospel', otherwise enjoy and feel free to join in the discussion.

This article in part is inspired by Hugh Nibley's "Work We Must, but the Lunch is Free", which is reflected in the title.  If you find this topic interesting, consider taking a look at his original article here.  If you are interested in a more full discource of the Gospel of Jesus Christ take a look here.


In the last several articles we have looked at what the Prosperity Gospel says, as well as related bad ideas, and how the Book of Mormon disputes their worldview.  Today I would like to instead construct a narrative of the Gospel using the Book of Mormon first, and then to contrast that with the modern views.

Principles of the Gospel

The Book of Mormon, more than any other religious scripture, is clear by what it means when it says "the Gospel of Jesus Christ".

The gospel, or doctrine, of Jesus Christ is summed up as:

1) the Atonement of Jesus Christ makes it possible for us to return to live with God again and find forgiveness for our sins

2) it eventually will correct all injustice, infirmities, and even death; and

3) we can have access to the healing grace of the Atonement through a) Faith in Jesus Christ, b) repentance of sins, c) entering into a covenant with God, including the covenant of Baptism, and d) receiving the Holy Ghost which leads to new faith and knowledge, and increases our capacity to be like Jesus.

There are many passages in the Book of Mormon that illustrate this pattern, but my favorites are Alma 7...

Alma 7:11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

12 And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.

13 Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me.

14 Now I say unto you that ye must repent, and be born again; for the Spirit saith if ye are not born again ye cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven; therefore come and be baptized unto repentance, that ye may be washed from your sins, that ye may have faith on the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world, who is mighty to save and to cleanse from all unrighteousness.

15 Yea, I say unto you come and fear not, and lay aside every sin, which easily doth beset you, which doth bind you down to destruction, yea, come and go forth, and show unto your God that ye are willing to repent of your sins and enter into a covenant with him to keep his commandments, and witness it unto him this day by going into the waters of baptism.

16 And whosoever doeth this, and keepeth the commandments of God from thenceforth, the same will remember that I say unto him, yea, he will remember that I have said unto him, he shall have eternal life, according to the testimony of the Holy Spirit, which testifieth in me.

This atonement is intended to correct not only sins, but weaknesses, infirmities, and even death.

And the words of Jesus in 3 Nephi 27...

9 Verily I say unto you, that ye are built upon my gospel; therefore ye shall call whatsoever things ye do call, in my name; therefore if ye call upon the Father, for the church, if it be in my name the Father will hear you;

10 And if it so be that the church is built upon my gospel then will the Father show forth his own works in it.  ...

14 And my Father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross; and after that I had been lifted up upon the cross, that I might draw all men unto me, that as I have been lifted up by men even so should men be lifted up by the Father, to stand before me, to be judged of their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil—

15 And for this cause have I been lifted up; therefore, according to the power of the Father I will draw all men unto me, that they may be judged according to their works. ...  

19 And no unclean thing can enter into his kingdom; therefore nothing entereth into his rest save it be those who have washed their garments in my blood, because of their faith, and the repentance of all their sins, and their faithfulness unto the end.

20 Now this is the commandment: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day.

21 Verily, verily, I say unto you, this is my gospel...

These steps of the Gospel - faith, laying aside sin in repentance, promising to forsake sin through making covenants to keep the commandments (ie baptism), and receiving the Holy Ghost - apply to the new convert and seasoned believer alike, the desperate student and struggling addict, the innocent youth and remorseful convict.  To anyone and everyone.

Although any promise to do better is part of the process of the gospel, official covenants and ordinances are established as part of a church built on the gospel of Jesus Christ, and administered by his church, or the 'Kingdom of God'.  Baptism, the first ordinance, is the entrance into this kingdom, and requires a covenant to keep the commandments of God.

The covenants involved in the entrance of the church are designed to help facilitate members of the church in serving one another.  King Benjamin's people, upon following the above steps of the Gospel, covenant to provide for their children, and to never withhold their assistance to the poor (Mosiah 4-6); Alma's people similarly show their willingness to "mourn with those that mourn" and "comfort those that stand in need of comfort" and then covenant to keep the commandments of God (Mosiah 18); and finally, Alma's priests, upon entering the order of the priesthood, promise to teach the commandments of God to all people (Alma 13).

Likewise, the social laws which the people of the Book of Mormon covenant to keep and teach - the Laws of Moses, the laws of king Benjamin, and others - are also designed to encourage God's people to serve one another, detailed further in the articles on the Law of Moses and Iniquitous Kings.

Through the fulfillment of these covenants, and through the commandments being followed by the people of the church, the atonement of Jesus Christ in part is facilitated to the children of God by the children of God.  The gospel, repentance, and commandments are taught in the church, granting new agency, or the capacity for hearers to choose to follow the gospel; injustice and iniquity is done away with among believers; sickness and poverty are relieved with kindness and grace, with charity becoming the noblest Christ-like characteristic; and struggling sinners find solace, companionship, counsel, and social strength to have courage to walk in the gospel.

Every act of service is done through the grace of Christ and the sanctifying power of the Holy Ghost - strengthening both the one who receives the aid as well as the one who lends it.

Every act of service is offered without judgment and without price - following the magnanimous example of the Savior.  To lift oneself up in judgment of others, or to require compensation for religious services, is described as pride and priestcraft - which are among the most egregious of errors.

Although repentance, covenant keeping, and service are integral aspects of the Gospel, these are not required as payment for receiving the grace of Christ.  The salvation of Jesus is a free gift - purchased entirely and infinitely through the blood of the Creator.  Death is conquered for everyone, all men are brought back into the presence of God, the needs of all people are eventually met, infirmities are strengthened, Christ shall wipe the tears from all faces, and in the end save all the works of his hands.

But one can receive access to the power of the atonement by making covenants, keeping commandments, and participating in the related ordinances.  Obedience to the commandments, and service in keeping our covenants, are acts of love and gratitude for the remission of sins and receiving the enabling and ennobling power of the Atonement - and at the same time they are acts of reaching out to receive more of the atonement.  Obedience is not a payment for services - with the very ability to obey, love, and express gratitude themselves being gifts purchased through infinite blood. 

As members of the church serve, love, work, and obey, they do not do so to "pay back" the grace that received, or to "pay forward" for future blessings.  With each act of service and obedience hearts are opened up to more of the redeeming power of the atonement, and with more redeeming power the capacity and desire to help others also increases.  Spiritual needs are provided for through direct endowment from a Father in heaven, and through the service of covenant keeping and active members of His church.

There is no way to "catch up" or "pay back" the many blessings which are provided, and there was never intended to be a way.  It is for this reason King Benjamin describes his people as "children of God", but ultimately "unprofitable servants" (Mosiah 2).

One must work and serve, because it is the right thing to do, and because working and serving are the very acts that open one up to the Savior, but ultimately salvation is purchased for reasons unprovoked by such service, and spiritual needs are provided for because God loves us.  Salvation and any other spiritual needs are not at all contingent on whether or not it is somehow "earned" by the recipient, because the only way such blessings could possibly be earned is through the "merits, mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah" (2 Nephi 2).

In the end, work we must but salvation is free.  Salvation is free, justice is free, and our very spiritual needs and blessings are free because of love.

What's this about a Free Lunch?

Now that we have laid the foundation for what the Gospel is, let's relate it back to our economic questions.

The economic elements of the Gospel of Jesus Christ are the same as the spiritual elements.  There does not seem to be the same separation between temporal (economic, mundane, etc.) and spiritual thought in the Book of Mormon as there are today.  Economic problems are spiritual problems, with inequality being one of the most serious spiritual problems to plague the people of the Book of Mormon - with it even being described as "iniquity and abomination".

The injustice experienced from unequal conditions, or from the iniquities (or actions which cause injustice) of other people, are among those errors in life which are corrected by the atonement.

In the eternities, the physical and emotional hurt, the missed opportunities, the bad habits (of the poor and especially of the rich), the hunger, the war, the pain, the death, and any other negative consequence brought about because of economic inequalities will be addressed appropriately for every individual through the Atonement.  Everything will be just in the end - wholly and completely.

However, part of that justice is meant to be meted out for the children of God by the children of God here in the present.  When people follow the teachings and commandments of God, particularly the special covenants joined while entering into or within the church, iniquity is done away with among members, the consequences of natural inequalities and the iniquities of those outside of the commandments are lessened, and temporal needs are met.

This is because the vast majority of the teachings, commandments, covenants in the Gospel according to the Book of Mormon have strong economic components.  The Law of Moses is largely an economic law, designed to mitigate inequality.  The laws and covenants of King Benjamin require the needs and wants of the poor to be met, without any withholding due to judgment of the lifestyle of the poor.  The preaching of the prophets and teachers of God are designed to bring down pride and to invite people to keep the commandments of God, while wise civil leaders establish and enforce laws which promote justice and equity.

Just as in the general gospel, in the economic side of the gospel, the commandments are followed not to pay back for previous heavenly or social assistance, or in hopes of future assistance, but because it is the right thing to do.  Economic commandments like giving to the poor, not judging the poor, establishing liberty, justice, and equity, and living a productive life - these are to be kept because they the right thing to do, not because they are requirements before receiving temporal blessings.   As people follow the commandments - to give to the poor (even the poor themselves), to work hard and improve (even the rich) - then the capacity to follow the commandments is increased, while envy, persecutions, judgments, injustice, and other iniquities are done away with.

In this way the gospel is brought about in the hearts of God's people.  Giving is the cure for envy, pride, contention, persecutions, and entitlement - such character flaws related to economics can be redeemed through the atonement when the covenants and commandments to give are met, and only when those covenants are met.  Although such traits can be forgiven, they cannot be taken away without both the blood of the Savior and the covenant to give and love.  Salvation ultimately comes through the the atonement, but the act of keeping the covenants opens ones heart up to the atonement.

Obeying the economic aspects of the Gospel - or any aspect of the Gospel - constitutes both acts of love or gratitude, as well as reaching out to receive more of the ennobling power of the Atonement.

Payment for services in helping the poor and needy are not sought after, such would be priestcraft.  The temporal needs of the poor are provided without any expectation of payment on their part - just as spiritual service and teachings are provided.  Hard work, thrift, and industriousness are taught, because they are spiritual principles - just as repentance and faith are taught - but these qualities are taught independent of the need to address economic problems, such as poverty and inequality.  They are not taught as solutions to inequality, and certainly not in the stead of the requirement to give to the poor.

The only solution provided for poverty in all of the Book of Mormon is for those who have to give to those who have not, as was detailed in the article on Self-Reliance and Entitlement.

All the temporal needs that are provided within the gospel are free, just as salvation is free.  It is a "free lunch", to use a phrase used in modern day economics and politics, as well as Hugh Nibley's treatise on the subject.

All should keep the commandments of God because it is the right thing to do, but in the end the lunch is free.

All should give to the poor with a pure heart, void of envy and persecutions, but regardless, temporal needs should be met out of love - and the lunch is free.

All should work hard and be industrious, because it is spiritually the right thing to do, but regardless, temporal needs should be met out of love - and the lunch is free.

In the pure Gospel, temporal needs should not distributed based on a degree of obedience to commandments, or by the degree of industriousness, hard work, or talents, but distributed based on need - without envy, persecutions, or any other negative feeling or judgment about that distribution.

Work we must, but the lunch is free.

This philosophy is at the heart of every sermon addressing inequality, iniquity, and poverty; it is central to every treatise on the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  And especially 2 Nephi 26:

25 Behold, doth he cry unto any, saying: Depart from me?  Behold, I say unto you, Nay; be he saith Come unto me all ye ends of the earth, buy milk and honey, without money and without price. ...

27-28 Hath he commanded any that they should not partake of his salvation?  Behold I say unto you, Nay; but he hath given it free for all men; and he hath commanded his people that they should persuade all men to repentance... all men are privileged the one like unto the other, and none are forbidden.

29 He commandeth that there shall be no priestcrafs; for, behold priestcrafts are that men preach and set themselves up for a light unto the world, that they may get gain and praise of the world; but they seek not the welfare of Zion.

30 Behold, the Lord hath forbidden this thing; wherefore, the Lord God hath given a commandment that all men should have charity, which charity is love.  And expect they should have charity they were nothing.  Wherefore, if they should have charity they would not suffer the laborer in Zion to perish.

31 But the laborer in Zion shall labor for Zion; for if they labor for money they shall perish.

 Prosperity Gospel and Other Views on the 'Free Lunch'

Work we must, but the lunch is free.

The gospel according to the Book of Mormon provides a stark contrast to the economic view of the modern world.  The world says that there is no free lunch; that all needs can only be appropriately provided by work, and work alone, and anything else is ultimately theft.

The modern economy runs off of this theological foundation - there is no free lunch, and greed is the necessary lifeblood to keep the whole economic system running. 

My purpose in pointing out this contrast here is not necessarily to tear apart modern capitalism, and certainly not to advocate for some secular system that mimics the philosophy of the Book of Mormon, like Communism.  Say what you will about Capitalism, but it works, and for the most part it has worked relatively efficiently.

But what I will say is that a philosophy of "there is no free lunch" and "greed is good" and most other tenets of our modern economic philosophy are not the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Free market enterprise, capitalism, entrepreneurship, etc. - all of which for the most part are good ideas - none of these principles are a part of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and certainly not the Gospel according to the Book of Mormon.  To a certain extent they are even contrary to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, as they can at times exacerbate the very iniquities the gospel seeks to correct - namely inequality, envy, pride, persecutions, and other contentions and malice.

Ultimately, modern economic philosophies are an apostasy from the Gospel - an efficient perhaps, and arguably even necessary aberration, but nonetheless decidedly not the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Any attempt to establish otherwise - suggesting that perhaps the Gospel of Jesus Christ does recommend that greed is good, or that there is no free lunch, is heresy.  And if the intent in trying to establish such heresy as part of the Gospel is to justify inequality and iniquity, or to provide reasoning for withholding resources to the poor, ultimately only to enrich the heretic, then it is also priestcraft.