Treasures in Heaven: Fifteenth Book of the Faith Promoting Series, Designed for the Instruction and Encouragement of Young Latter-day Saints — John Shaqi
Treasures in Heaven: Fifteenth Book of the Faith Promoting Series, Designed for the Instruction and Encouragement of Young Latter-day Saints
Religion
Treasures in Heaven: Fifteenth Book of the Faith Promoting Series, Designed for the Instruction and Encouragement of Young Latter-day Saints
Eskildz, Niels P. L., 1836-; Lambert, Mary Alice Cannon, 1828-; Service (Theology)
No lesson taught by the Savior during his ministry in mortality was
more frequently and thoroughly impressed than that of unselfish
service. Of those who labored solely for the things of this world,
or for praise or the honors that men can bestow, He had a habit of
saying: "They have their reward." If they obtained that which they
strove for they were already repaid: they were entitled to nothing
more. Of the rich He said, "Ye have received your consolation." It
was not sufficient that man should seek to benefit or bring happiness
alone to those they loved. Even that He evidently regarded as a species
of selfishness, as implied by the saying: "For if ye love them which
love you, what reward have ye?" "For sinners do even the same." His
exhortation was: "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."
All this was not intended to imply that wealth itself was intrinsically
bad, or that poverty had any essential virtue, except as a means to
an end. The rule was, as expressed by the great Teacher, that "where
the treasure is, there will the heart be also." A sublime test upon
this point was that made of the young man who applied to the Savior
upon one occasion to know what good thing he could do to gain eternal
life. Though he was able to say that he had kept all the commandments
from his youth up, it was apparent to the Master that his heart was
set upon the wealth he possessed, as evidence of which he turned away
sorrowfully when required by the Savior to surrender his possessions,
for the benefit of the poor, and follow Him.
The Gospel as revealed anew in our day has shed a flood of light
upon the subject of salvation, and the conditions upon which it is
predicated. The glorious principle of salvation for the dead, as
revealed through the Prophet Joseph Smith, has awakened a desire in the
hearts of thousands of earnest seekers after truth to do a vicarious
work for the benefit of their dead relatives and friends, that they may
share in all the blessings and privileges of the Gospel. In this work,
as well as in the preaching of the Gospel to the living, have avenues
been opened up for unselfish work, which, as it involves no earthly
reward, is clearly in the line of laying up treasures in heaven, as
distinguished from the work of amassing treasures upon earth which
absorbs the attention of so many of the earth's inhabitants. That the
recital of some typical examples of sacrifices unselfishly made in
the interest of others, and the joy experienced therein, may tend to
promote faith in those who read the same and incite them also to lay
up treasures in heaven, this volume is published in continuation of
the "Faith Promoting Series," originated and published by the present
author about thirty-five years ago.
CONTENTS
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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