Eric Poulin

Archive for the ‘Money and Book of Mormon’ Category

1 Nephi 3:24-25

“And it came to pass that we went in unto Laban, and desired him that he would give unto us the records which were engraven upon the plates of brass, for which we would give unto him our gold, and our silver, and all our precious things.

And it came to pass that when Laban saw our property, and that it was exceedingly great, he did lust after it, insomuch that he thrust us out, and sent his servants to slay us, that he might obtain our property.”

We can use our physical precious things for righteous purposes. Nephi and family tried to get the brass plates with their precious things. Read the rest of this entry »

1 Nephi 3:19

“And behold, it is wisdom in God that we should obtain these records, that we may preserve unto our children the language of our fathers;”

Knowledge, written communication and education brings commerce, prosperity and wealth. The Lord wants to bless His people with wealth, as can be seen by so many good church members being financially well off. In order to do that we need to have the means to be educated, especially in the commandments of the Lord. This is perhaps one of the less-thought-of reasons they went back to get the brass plates.

1 Nephi 2:20

“And inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper, and shall be led to a land of promise; yea, even a land which I have prepared for you; yea, a land which is choice above all other lands.”

Obedience brings long-term prosperity. While you may profit in the short-term from dishonesty or breaking other commandments, it will never last. The only way to long-term success and prosperity is obedience. This relates to both commandments of the Lord and to the system of finance in which we live. Read the rest of this entry »

1 Nephi 2:13

“they [Laman and Lemuel] were like unto the Jews who were at Jerusalem, who sought to take away the life of my father.”

They complained against Lehi saying he was a visionary man… but I doubt that was the real issue. They were concerned about leaving their precious things and cozy lifestyle. Lehi being visionary was just in the way of their things. Perhaps their lust for money and wealth left them thinking if they destroy their father, the inheritance would be theirs and this silly game of leaving Jerusalem will be over. Read the rest of this entry »

1 Nephi 2:11

“…[Laman and Lemuel] did murmur in many things against their father, because he was a visionary man, and had led them out of the land of Jerusalem, to leave the land of their inheritance, and their gold, and their silver, and their precious things, to perish in the wilderness.”

One of Laman and Lemuel’s weaknesses is documented here. They had their hearts set upon riches. They would have inherited the land and riches of their father. We know that Lehi lived only another 10 years or so, so he was already old and perhaps Laman and Lemuel were looking forward to these inheritances imminently. Read the rest of this entry »

1 Nephi 2:7

“And it came to pass that he built an altar of stones, and made an offering unto the Lord, and gave thanks unto the Lord our God.”

What offering would Lehi have given? Perhaps a thanks offering? (Leviticus 7:12) Whatever the offering, it would have been done without a priest present to consume the offering. We know Lehi is a descendant of Joseph, not a Levite. The offering would have been one of the best of his flock. Read the rest of this entry »

1 Nephi 2:4

“And it came to pass that he departed into the wilderness. And he left his house, and the land of his inheritance, and his gold, and his silver, and his precious things, and took nothing with him, save it were his family, and provisions, and tents, and departed into the wilderness.”

Its interesting that Nephi took the time to document that Lehi left all his precious things. He didn’t mention taking his children out of schooling, leaving a career, friends or social groups. Read the rest of this entry »

1 Nephi 2:1

“because thou hast been faithful and declared unto this people the things which I commanded thee, behold, they seek to take away thy life.”

We learn later that Lehi was quite wealthy, but that wealth could not protect him. Lehi’s obedience put him in immediate danger, but the Lord provides a way out. It was his obedience to the commandments of the Lord that preserved his life.

Note to self: Its more important to seek after obedience than worldly wealth.

1 Nephi 1:2

“Yea, I make a record in the language of my father, which consists of the learning of the Jews and the language of the Egyptians.”

Education is an investment that appreciates with time. It is one of the only thing that makes sense to buy on credit, since an education always appreciates more than the loan to get it. Learning enables us to create things of great worth. Had Nephi not been taught the learning of the Jews he would not have been able to write his contribution to the BOM, including creating the gold plates on which the record was written. (see also 1N1:17) Read the rest of this entry »

1 Nephi 1:1

“I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father;”

“This passage has evoked many discourses on the value of good parents, though it is not that to which Nephi was making reference. The use of this text for that purpose is nevertheless most appropriate. Few of life’s treasures are of greater value than righteous parents. What Nephi was explaining, however, was his ability to write, something not common in his day. Read the rest of this entry »