Serving God and Business?

[Yod]

Every business and businessman operates on the same principles: you take more than you need and keep it away from others, or else you have nothing to sell; and you sell for more than you paid, or else you do not profit.

You take more than you need because you do not trust God and thus fear for the future, and you keep it away from others except on exchange because you do not love them.

God commands that we shall believe [trust] in him and love all, even our enemies.

This is why you cannot serve God and mammon.

[BTH&T]

Every business and businessman operates on the same principles: you take more than you need and keep it away from others, or else you have nothing to sell; and you sell for more than you paid, or else you do not profit.

You take more than you need because you do not trust God and thus fear for the future, and you keep it away from others except on exchange because you do not love them.

God commands that we shall believe [trust] in him and love all, even our enemies.

This is why you cannot serve God and mammon.

Don't agree, The parable of the talents (money) shows that we are expected to make a profit.

Matthew 25: 14-30
For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.
And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.
Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.
And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.
But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money.
After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.
And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.
His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.
His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:
And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.
His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:
Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.
Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.
For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.
And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

The real issue is that you are fair in business dealings. Both sides of the transaction!
How you treat your employees and those you work with.
It is also just as important that we each treat those we do business with that we don't take advantage of business/employers.

Do you build pits for your neighbor or do you make all to prosper?

What you do with your profit/increase shows where your heart is, do you give willingly to those in need or
do you live in luxury and keep all for yourself.

"Lose yourself" to me, means I put others needs before mine.

I have work to do as I believe we all do in this area.

Society today is 180 degrees off from the Lords way, Would love to have it different.

[Yod]

The Lord also gave a parable in Ezekiel (Ezekiel 23) in which he was polygamously married to two sisters; does that mean we should also be polygamously married to sisters?

I'm not sure parables ought to be taken that way.

[marc]

BT, I believe that in that parable, any way you slice it, the "money" is all God's. The servant who was unprofitable to the Lord was cast out. The Lord has only one work and that is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.

[BTH&T]

Parables are used to teach using known ways of the time.
There is usually many things that can be learned through study and prayer.
Most importantly the Spirit of Truth Teaches.
Just another reason to be thankful, we are so blessed to have living Prophets, Seers, and Revelators.

[BTH&T]

I too agree that all of that we gain and posses is the Lords.

So important to give of our excess.

If we were not to get increase, how would we pay tithes?

[marc]

Tithes were made for man (the poor) and not the poor for tithes.

[marc]

For what it's worth, BT,

The celestial law requires one-tenth part of all a man's substance which he possesses at the time he comes into the church (See D&C 119:1), and one-tenth part of his annual increase ever after(See D&C 119:4). IF IT REQUIRES ALL MAN CAN EARN TO SUPPORT HIMSELF AND HIS FAMILY, HE IS NOT TITHED AT ALL. The celestial law does not take the mother's and children's bread, neither ought else which they really need for their comfort. The poor that have not of this world's good to spare, but serve and honor God according to the best of their abilities in every other way, shall have a celestial crown in the Eternal Kingdom of our Father." (The Millenial Star, 1847. Orson Hyde, editor)

[BTH&T]

For what it's worth, BT,

The celestial law requires one-tenth part of all a man's substance which he possesses at the time he comes into the church (See D&C 119:1), and one-tenth part of his annual increase ever after(See D&C 119:4). IF IT REQUIRES ALL MAN CAN EARN TO SUPPORT HIMSELF AND HIS FAMILY, HE IS NOT TITHED AT ALL. The celestial law does not take the mother's and children's bread, neither ought else which they really need for their comfort. The poor that have not of this world's good to spare, but serve and honor God according to the best of their abilities in every other way, shall have a celestial crown in the Eternal Kingdom of our Father." (The Millenial Star, 1847. Orson Hyde, editor)

This is not a "tithing thread" so I'll keep it short. (really)
D&C 119: 1-4
Verily, thus saith the Lord, I require all their surplus property to be put into the hands of the bishop of my church in Zion,
For the building of mine house, and for the laying of the foundation of Zion and for the priesthood, and for the debts of the Presidency of my Church.
And this shall be the beginning of the tithing of my people.
And after that, those who have thus been tithed shall pay one-tenth of all their interest annually; and this shall be a standing law unto them forever, for my holy priesthood, saith the Lord.

As for the poor, this says it all!
1 Kings 17: 10-16
So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.
And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand.
And she said, As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.
And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.
For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth.
And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.
And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Elijah.

It takes faith!

Everything in perspective.

Hymn 30:
Come, come, ye Saints, no toil nor labor fear;
But with joy wend your way.
Though hard to you this journey may appear,
Grace shall be as your day.
'Tis better far for us to strive
Our useless cares from us to drive;
Do this, and joy your hearts will swell—
All is well! All is well!
Why should we mourn or think our lot is hard?
'Tis not so; all is right.
Why should we think to earn a great reward
If we now shun the fight?
Gird up your loins; fresh courage take.
Our God will never us forsake;
And soon we'll have this tale to tell—
All is well! All is well!
We'll find the place which God for us prepared,
Far away in the West,
Where none shall come to hurt or make afraid;
There the Saints will be blessed.
We'll make the air with music ring,
Shout praises to our God and King;
Above the rest these words we'll tell—
All is well! All is well!
And should we die before our journey's through,
Happy day! All is well!
We then are free from toil and sorrow, too;
With the just we shall dwell!
But if our lives are spared again
To see the Saints their rest obtain,
Oh, how we'll make this chorus swell—
All is well! All is well!

[marc]

Yeah, I did stray from the topic, too. I apologize.

[Yod]

To refocus: the OP is the explanation for why you cannot serve God and mammon. The Lord has already declared you cannot serve God and mammon. I'm merely explaining why this is necessarily the case.

[Sarah]

Ideally we spend our time working in order to benefit others, and right now we live amongst Babylon and have an imperfect system, but we do our best within the organization of the Church. The Father works in order to provide for his family and any others that are dependent on him. And ideally, everyone works in some way, for the benefit of others. The question becomes motivation - are you working motivated by selfish desires, or are you motivated by a love for others.

As I was preparing to teach on Sunday, and the lesson was on the Law of Consecration, I thought it interesting that the lesson pointed out that there was a group of members living on the Morley Farm trying to live this principle on their own, but it wasn't working. They gave the example that since they were sharing everything, one of the men sold the watch of another man which made him angry. Joseph recognized their righteous desires and prayed to know what to do. What was revealed was the Law of Consecration which commanded the Saints to share with each other in an organized way. And we know that this is a higher law and order that we are not permitted to live in the fullest sense right now, living in an organized, economic, large family group that was intended in the beginning. But the important thing to remember is that their must be authority involved in directing the use of this order, and managing all that everyone contributes. Without order and authority, not only would it be very hard to share things with a large group, I would imagine it would be inefficient and impractical too.

There must be rules or bounds set to the sharing process. And it really helps if there is individual stewardship and authority over particular items - I've learned this as I've tried to share a kitchen with another woman! What items are to be shared? Do you share your household with others? Do you live with others? This all is managed with agency and preferences of each individual taken into account.