A rich young man once asked Jesus what he needed to do to have eternal life. Jesus told the young man to sell everything he had, give it to the poor, and follow the Savior.
After the man left, Jesus told His disciples, “How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!” Seeing their astonishment, the Savior reiterated: “How hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!” (Mark 10:23–24).
So... does being wealthy mean you can’t go to the celestial kingdom?
Notice the Lord’s phrasing the second time. It’s not being rich, necessarily, that’s the problem. It’s trusting in riches. Putting your wealth first. Focusing too much on that instead of on more important things.
In other words, money in and of itself is okay to work toward. But we should never let it become the most important thing in our lives! And we should use it to help others.
The Book of Mormon prophet Alma taught about this. He reminded his son, “Seek not after riches nor the vain things of this world; for behold, you cannot carry them with you” (Alma 39:14).
Money is necessary in our (non-celestial) world. It is not inherently bad—but it is not the reason we’re here, either. Focus on loving God and loving each other. That’s what the Lord wants us to remember!
Create a Financial Habit
PS—To learn more about what the Church teaches about financial self-reliance, explore this Provident Living page.