Monday Musings: God's Economy

I haven't done a Monday Musing post for a while. I have been busy and tired and worried about my job situation. I recently found that I have a pretty stable position for another year. There are some advantages to contracts and annual budgets. I am actually glad. I had applied for a job as an Educational Technology Specialist Team Lead and although I didn't get the position, I was asked to re-apply fur the position just one step down: Education Technology Specialist. I really love the job I have and the fact that I can commute on public transit, so I doubt I will be trying for a move.

With all the thoughts about jobs, economy and the recent election and President Obama's attempts to rejuvenate the economy I have given a lot of thought to what God's economy is? I took a little heat a while back for posting about Tithing. Despite that, I feel that tithing and fast offerings are a good way to provide for the churches needs and the needs of the poor among us, but what happens when we are all poor?

I have a recurring argument with my Dad. Dad regularly tells me that when Christ comes again there won't be anymore Cadillacs. We'll all be driving Ford Focus'. My argument is that I don't believe God intends us to all be poor together, but all rich together. In the Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Section 82 we read :

15 Therefore, I give unto you this commandment, that ye bind yourselves by this covenant, and it shall be done according to the laws of the Lord.

16 Behold, here is ^awisdom also in me for your good.

17 And you are to be ^aequal, or in other words, you are to have equal ^bclaims on the ^cproperties, for the benefit of ^dmanaging the concerns of your stewardships, every man according to his wants and his needs, inasmuch as his wants are just—

18 And all this for the benefit of the church of the living God, that every man may ^aimprove upon his ^btalent, that every man may ^cgain other ^dtalents, yea, even an hundred fold, to be cast into the Lord’s ^estorehouse, to become the common ^fproperty of the whole church—

19 ^aEvery man seeking the interest of his ^bneighbor, and doing all things with an ^ceye single to the glory of God.

Emphasis added

This refers to the United Order or Law of Consecration and implies that under this covenant all people would have equal claim on the resources available based on their wants. Not only the minimum needs for keeping body and spirit together, but just or fair wants. For example I want a TV for myself, it would probably not be just for me to want a 57 inch Plasma TV if my neighbors are in need of food, but if they can have their food and I can get a 32 inch CRT that may be just.

As I have been listening to some of the pundits discuss the reason Capitalism will work and how it will solve our problems, I have to agree there is a certain logic. Everyone should prosper according to their own work and effort. Those who are unwilling to work will fail. This doctrine was also taught in the scriptures Alma 30:17 :

17 And many more such things did he say unto them, telling them that there could be no atonement made for the sins of men, but every man ^afared in this life according to the management of the creature; therefore every man prospered according to his genius, and that every man conquered according to his strength; ......

The trouble with this is it was taught by an Anti-Christ, Korihor, who had been decieved and was teaching false doctrine. Alma the prophet refuted this and the other false doctrines that Korihor taught.

In contrast to this false doctrine, the People of Enoch became so righteous and so unified that they were taken directly to heaven without having tasted death. Enoch and his people are only briefly mentioned in the Bible, but in modern revelation we learn that at least one thing that made them pure enough for this:

Moses 7:18

And the Lord called his people ^aZion, because they were of ^bone heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them.

They had no poor among them. In God's economy all have enough. As long as our economy is one based on scarcity, and selfishness instead of abundance and altruism it is not God's economy.