The Real Choice

Everything we are choosing is not so much what happens to us, our circumstances, but rather the connections we make with our Creator.  We are choosing every minute whether this part of our life brings us closer to God, or farther away.

In ev'ry condition—in sickness, in health,
In poverty's vale or abounding in wealth,
At home or abroad, on the land or the sea—
How Firm a Foundation Hymn 85:2

This is true with every situation.

Wealth can bring you closer to God, or farther away.  No matter what the level of poverty we have in life, we are using that to choose to come closer to God, or farther away.  There is none that has any wealth, really.  We are all roughly equally poor.  In the Eternal sense of things we are all completely destitute and dependent, no matter what we think we own in the world.

Thou sayest, "I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing;" and knowest not that thou art
wretched,
and miserable,
and poor,
and blind,
and naked:  (Revelation 3:17)

Comforts can take us away from God, but wealth can also bring us to Him.  If the will of the Lord is that we have the things of the world, and we consecrate all we have to Him, to serve His purposes, then we could become truly rich with the riches of Eternity.  This is the real choice we have, not how rich or poor we are here on Earth.  We have no control over what we have, it is all given to us.  It is firstly His to give.  Nothing is "earned."  Nothing is "owned."  We really are, at all times while in mortality,

"wretched,
and miserable,
and poor,
and blind,
and naked:"

It is not the wealth that tears us away from God, but rather the "lusts of the eyes" -- the things we want.  This is just as true for those who have nothing of the world.  They are just as...

wretched,
and miserable,
and poor,
and blind,
and naked 

...as a "rich" person, but if they are greedy in their hearts, filled with envy and covetousness, lusting after the things that others own, their poverty will bring them away from God.  It is their choice.  It is the true choice we have.  It is the only choice.  Those who discover this truth can use their circumstance of "poverty or wealth" to further the work of God, and come closer to Him.

The choice is simple.  Those who don't have enough for their needs could choose to turn to the Lord to fill their needs.  As He does so, their faith in Him will be increased.  They will learn to put their trust in Him, and come closer to Him.

On the other hand, those who consider themselves wealthy would consecrate all they have to the work of the Lord.  They ask the Lord how He wants them to distribute their possessions.  They will seek those in need, and

"nourish them,
and did clothe them,
and did give unto them lands for their inheritance;
And... administer unto them according to their wants."  (Alma 35:9)

As thy do this, they learn to become closer to the Lord, and learn His ways.

This concept is true no matter what the circumstance.

"But wo unto the rich, who are rich as to the things of the world. For because they are rich they despise the poor, and they persecute the meek, and their hearts are upon their treasures; wherefore, their treasure is their god. And behold, their treasure shall perish with them also.
And wo unto the deaf that will not hear; for they shall perish.
Wo unto the blind that will not see; for they shall perish also."  (2 Nephi 9:30-32)

The concept of "poverty and wealth" could be applied to all circumstances we may find ourselves in, such as health or knowledge.  Health is like wealth, whereas sickness is like poverty.  Those who are "learned" are as if they were wealthy in the knowledge of the world, whereas those who have no training are poor in knowledge.  No matter what it is, we are not deciding if we are going to be rich or poor, healthy or sick, learned or ignorant, but rather if we are going to use that circumstance to bring us closer to God, or not.

Being physically fit and healthy could, like the rich man, either lead us away from God by not being able to discover how needy we really are, or it can bring us closer to Him as we give our strength to serve His purposes, working hard to serve Him and our fellow-man.  If we are sick we may use that illness to choose to come closer to God by seeking healing from His hand, or turn inward, justifying all of our spiritual weaknesses because of our physical infirmities.

Those who are smart enough to go to school and get a higher education may consider themselves intelligent, but don't know that they are really ignorant compared to their Father, who knows all things.  Learned people often look down on those who don't have schooling, and they don't seek the mind and will of the Lord for their lives.  They consider themselves strong and independent, not needing to lean on the Lord for their support.

"When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not. And they shall perish."  (2 Nephi 9:28)

Just like the rich man, they are really ignorant, and in need of God for everything they know.  However, they aren't aware of their need.

This is just as much of a problem with the unschooled.  They may look with lust on learning, or be lazy or give up trying, and not learn anything.  Ignorant people, rather than turn to the Lord to find knowledge, will sometimes ridicule or despise those who are learned.  God is not a god of ignorance.  Growth is about learning and growing continually.  God has commanded us to "seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith." (D&C 88:118)  Thus, their ignorance could lead them away from God, or bring them closer to Him.  It's their choice.

If either one turns to the Lord they will use their circumstances to bless His children.  As knowledge grows, so does all of society.  "But to be learned is good if they hearken unto the counsels of God."  (2 Nephi 9:29)  This is the issue, really, no matter what our circumstances in life -- do we seek the counsel of God?

Understanding of what our choice is in life would make us see our circumstances differently.  All that we have, all that we know, and all that we feel, are merely means to help us to choose Him, no matter what circumstance we find ourselves in.  That is the real choice.