All Things in Common

After Jesus Christ visits the Nephites & the Lamanites in the Americas, after rising Himself from the dead, we read in the Book of Mormon that (4 Nephi 1:3): And they had all things common among them; therefore there were not rich and poor, bond and free, but they were all made free, and partakers of the heavenly gift. In other words, everyone was still studying and choosing a job and becoming a professional or artisan or laborer, but what they did with their “increase” was to live the Law of Consecration! In other words, there were no poor among them, but all shared and shared alike! When there are poor among us, in some ways, they are not free... not free to make all the choices they would make if they weren’t poor, like, whether or not to go to school, whether or not to buy that (and how large of a car/house to buy), what sort of clothes to wear, how many children to have, who to be friends with, what neighborhood to live in, how much to pay in tithing&offerings, and how much to give back to the bishop in consecration... Wealth inherently creates distinctions, leading to disparities in opportunity, lifestyle, power, and social class, which can drive people apart. Pride is created and add pride to any disparity, distinction, lifestyle, social class, or distinction of power and you have enmity between those two people or between man and god. Righteousness is the great leveler and money is the ultimate separator! Think of it, becaise we soom will be living it! JPS