In 1873, Apostle Orson Pratt posed several tough questions in a talk he gave in Salt Lake City. His first question was, “Are we all equal in the bonds of earthly things?”.
Here’s Elder Pratt’s background and answer to the question; he ends with two other very tough questions for us to answer today:
“In one of these revelations, given in March, 1831, before the Lord had led this people to Jackson County and before we knew where the New Jerusalem was to be built, or where the great central gathering place for the Latter-day Saints was to be, the Lord informed us, ‘That it is not given that one man should possess that which is above another, wherefore the world lieth in sin.’ Now let me inquire of the Latter-day Saints, Are we all equal in the bonds of earthly things, or have we rich and poor in our midst
“The answer that all would give to this question is, every person and every family has accumulated just as much wealth, as he or they could, for his or their own use only, and this order of things has existed amongst us since the Church was organized, nearly forty-three years. How much longer will this continue? How long will every family be for themselves, every man’s energy and ability be exerted only for himself and his family, every man grasping to enrich himself?”
Read the entire eye-opening talk here.