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Question

 

Gramps

I have been struggling with this for a few weeks now. Why is it that my sister, who is totally inactive and drinks and smokes and does not attend any church at all, gets everything she needs when she needs it. For example, her husband got a great raise and they are going to be able to pay their bills and move into a very nice home. I, on the other hand, was married in the temple and my husband and I are active. We pay our tithing and we are doing everything as good as we know how to. But we seem to be hitting road blocks everywhere. I have been praying for weeks for my husband to get a raise and it is not happening. Our finances seem to be going down the drain, but my sister is doing very well. Why is this? I thought the Lord blessed those that followed him. I am very discouraged.

Kami

 

Answer

 

Dear Kami,

You are undoubtedly better off than you think. Matthew 6:19-21 is worth thinking about for a minute—

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:

 

But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

 

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

The Lord is telling us that if you think that gaining a little money is a blessing, you need to hit the refresh button.

This same concept is approached in different terminology in D&C 19:38

Pray always, and I will pour out my Spirit upon you, and great shall be your blessing–yea, even more than if you should obtain treasures of earth and corruptibleness to the extent thereof.

Think a minute–if you are living in such a way as to be blessed with the companionship of the Holy Spirit, that blessing is greater than the treasures of the earth. But look at the coupling–treasures of the earth and corruptibleness! So the fact that your inactive sister is getting some money is actually leading her farther away from the Lord. Is that a blessing?
Now, are you being cursed because you are struggling financially? Quite the contrary!! If you handle it right, such a difficulty can be a great blessing to you. If, rather than complaining because your life is not being eased as is that of your sister, you were to fall on your knees and thank the Lord for the great privilege to struggle a bit to overcome some perceived difficulty, that struggle will strengthen your faith and increase your understanding.

As you may be brought to depend on the Lord for your very sustenance, that developed relationship will stand you in good stead in many situations to come. Through the companionship of the Holy Spirit you will gain blessings that can be attained in no other way. As is revealed to us in D&C 76:5-10:

For thus saith the Lord–I, the Lord, am merciful and gracious unto those who fear me, and delight to honor those who serve me in righteousness and in truth unto the end.

 

Great shall be their reward and eternal shall be their glory.

 

And to them will I reveal all mysteries, yea, all the hidden mysteries of my kingdom from days of old, and for ages to come, will I make known unto them the good pleasure of my will concerning all things pertaining to my kingdom.

 

Yea, even the wonders of eternity shall they know, and things to come will I show them, even the things of many generations.

 

And their wisdom shall be great, and their understanding reach to heaven; and before them the wisdom of the wise shall perish, and the understanding of the prudent shall come to naught.

 

For by my Spirit will I enlighten them, and by my power will I make known unto them the secrets of my will–yea, even those things which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor yet entered into the heart of man.

Now, if you wanted to have more money, and the above blessings are even now within your grasp, how much money would you trade them for? So now, who is rich, you or your sister?

 

Gramps

 

 

 

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