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| Photo by Jason Olson, Deseret News |
There is a man from Salt Lake City, Jon Huntsman, who grew up a poor man in a small town, the son of a school teacher and a homemaker. He went on to create many different companies and is a multi-billionaire. He is also going to die, as he said, flat broke. I hear stories all the time of celebrities who became millionaires and squandered all of their wealth. They just spent more than they earned - on cars, clothes, homes, vacations, basically whatever they wanted. And they died with nothing. Mr. Huntsman is the polar opposite of these people. He will die broke, not because he has squandered his money on material objects or pleasure, but because he gave it all away. The latest information I could find on Mr. Huntsman stated that he has thus far given 1.2 billion dollars away to various philanthropic ventures. He founded the Huntsman Cancer Institute after losing his mother to cancer, and has given millions of dollars of his own money to support cancer research.
I think that most of us, whether we'd like to admit it or not, would like to try our hand at being wealthy. I know that I'd kind of like to see what it's like. There are people who believe that it's wrong to seek after riches, but I disagree. I think Heavenly Father would like to see his children be successful and happy, and yes, even rich if that's what they want.
But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God. And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches, if ye seek them; and ye will seek them for the intent to do good - to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted. (Jacob 2: 18-19)
There are a couple of things I learned from those verses. The first is that I need to have my priorities straight. I first need to develop a relationship with Christ and seek to be like him. If, after I do this, I still seek riches, I will obtain them. But I also need to seek riches for the intent to do good, as Mr. Huntsman has done. It makes sense to me that if a person has first sought the kingdom of God and obtained a hope in Christ, they would naturally wish to use their wealth for the good of others. If I am truly Christlike, I think my materialistic nature would be dwarfed by the desire to help those less fortunate.
I think all too often, we judge those who have earned their house on the hill and their fancy cars, as people who are selfish and materialistic, when this is not always the case. We don't always know of their generosity. A truly Christlike person does not flaunt their service to others. We may never know how much money or time a person has donated to those around them. When I was reading about Mr. Huntsman, I learned that on at least two occasions, he requested that buildings be named after someone else, even though he was the one that made the monetary donation necessary to build them. I can only hope that someday, if I do obtain those riches I am seeking, I will be able to do as Mr. Huntsman has done:
Think of your brethren like unto yourselves, and be familiar with all and free with your substance, that they may be rich like unto you. (Jacob 2:17)
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