debt to staggering proportions. I am reminded of
the story of ‘an elderly farmer [who] wrote to a mail
order house as follows: “Please send me one of the
gasoline engines you show on page 787, and if it’s
any good, I’ll send you a check.”
“‘In time he received the following reply: “Please
send check. If it’s any good, we’ll send the engine.”’
[Jacob M. Braude, Braude’s Treasure of Wit and
Humor(1964), 45.]
“Contemporary society rushes headlong to
accumulate the material goods of this world. This
leads many to think they can alter the law of the
harvest, reaping rewards without paying the price
of honest toil and effort. Wishing to prosper
immediately, they speculate in high-risk financial
schemes that promote instant wealth. This all too
frequently results in economic reverses, sometimes
even financial ruin. In Proverbs we read, ‘A faithful
man shall abound with blessings: but he that
maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent.’
[Proverbs 28:20.]” (in Conference Report, Apr.
1998, 59; or Ensign,May 1998, 44).
Elder James E. Faust
“It is important to learn to distinguish between
wants and needs. It takes self-discipline to avoid the
‘buy now, pay later’ philosophy and to adopt the
‘save now and buy later’ practice....
“Owning a home free of debt is an important goal
of provident living.... Homes that are free and
clear of mortgages and liens cannot be foreclosed
on....
“... Independence means many things. It means
... being free of personal debt and of the interest
and carrying charges required by debt the world
over” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1986, 24–25;
or Ensign,May 1986, 20–21).
Elder Joe J. Christensen
See “Greed, Selfishness, and Overindulgence” on
pages 120–22.
TO THE BOYS AND TO THE MEN
President Gordon B. Hinckley
President of the Church
In Conference Report,
Oct. 1998, 69–72;
or Ensign, Nov. 1998,
52–54To the Older Men
Now, brethren, I should like to talk to the older
men, hoping that there will be some lesson for the
younger men as well.
I wish to speak to you about temporal matters.
As a backdrop for what I wish to say, I read to you a
few verses from the 41st chapter of Genesis.
Pharaoh, the ruler of Egypt, dreamed dreams which
greatly troubled him. The wise men of his court
could not give an interpretation. Joseph was then
brought before him:
“Pharaoh said unto Joseph, In my dream, behold,
I stood upon the bank of the river:
“And, behold, there came up out of the river seven
kine, fatfleshed and well favoured; and they fed in
a meadow:
“And, behold, seven other kine came up after them,
poor and very ill favoured and leanfleshed....
“And the lean and the ill favoured kine did eat up
the first seven fat kine:...
“And I saw in my dream... seven ears came up in
one stalk, full and good:
“And, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted
with the east wind, sprung up after them:
“And the thin ears devoured the seven good ears....
“And Joseph said unto Pharaoh,... God hath
shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do.
“The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven
good ears are seven years: the dream is one....
“... What God is about to do he sheweth unto
Pharaoh.
“Behold, there come seven years of great plenty
throughout all the land of Egypt:60 DEBT