Eric Poulin

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 »

Family Finances By Orson Scott Card

Exerpts:’

“How a couple handles money can make or mar their marriage.

What does make the difference, then, between couples who can handle finances with ease and those who can’t?

The experience of Latter-day Saint families I interviewed points to several principles of handling money:

1. Communicate! One spouse should never be unsure of what is going on with the finances. All but the most trivial decisions should be made together, combining the wisdom of both husband and wife.

2. Expect only what is reasonable. Money doesn’t come easily, especially early in marriage. Neither husband nor wife should expect to be able to spend as they did when they were single.

3. Budget! Plan ahead and follow the plan as closely as you can. Record where the money went. Unless you know where you really want the money to go, it won’t go there! But be prepared to adjust the budget to meet emergency and unplanned needs.

4. For most purchases, reject debt! The temptation to buy now and pay later must generally be avoided if a couple hopes to be financially secure. Do not borrow to invest in speculative ventures.

5. Remember that your marriage is more important than anything you might own, more important than any problem you might face. Don’t let money be a wedge between you.”

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 »

LDS Financial Management: A Broader View of “Gambling”

Given the emphasis on finances in the church, we should all be experts right? Check out this great article from The Baron from WatersOfMormon.org.

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 »

Testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith

“When, according to arrangements, the messenger called for them, I delivered them up to him; and he has them in his charge until this day, being the second day of May, one thousand eight hundred and thirty-eight.”

Remember how poor Joseph’s family was. Now that the record was translated, wouldn’t it make more sense to deliver up the record for archaeology or at least for the gold? No, the Lord had other plans and Joseph was humble enough to not question this arrangement despite the obvious gain it would have brought his family. Read the rest of this entry »

Testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith

“the messenger…informed [me] that the time for bringing them forth had not yet arrived, neither would it, until four years from that time; but he told me that I should come to that place precisely in one year from that time, and that he would there meet with me, and that I should continue to do so until the time should come for obtaining the plates.”

Sometimes the Lord has plans for us receiving our reward, but according to His timetable. Read the rest of this entry »

Testimony of Prophet Joseph Smith

“The box in which they lay was formed by laying stones together in some kind of cement. In the bottom of the box were laid two stones crossways of the box, and on these stones lay the plates and the other things with them.”

The plates, Urim and Thummim and breastplate were protected from the elements by being covered from wind, rain, snow and erosion. They were also raised from the ground to avoid water damage. They were sealed to be protected from animal interference, and hidden such that they could be identified by those who need to know, but hidden from the rest of the world. Read the rest of this entry »

Testimony of Prophet Joseph Smith

“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, and must not be influenced by any other motive than that of building His kingdom; otherwise I could not get them.”

More than the value of the volume of gold to the world, was the value of the record (even to the world), which likely could have been sold to scholarship for a large sum. Read the rest of this entry »