What's up with the economy?

I don't do political posts here, though I may make mention in passing.  This is something I found interesting, thought.  It's a media press release from UCLA from 2004.  Given the economic woes we're having and the policies pursued to date, it's shocking to me that more people aren't paying attention to the data.

FDR's policies prolonged Depression by 7 years, UCLA economists calculate

The two paragraphs that make me shake my head about current policy are:

"Why the Great Depression lasted so long has always been a great mystery, and because we never really knew the reason, we have always worried whether we would have another 10- to 15-year economic slump," said Ohanian, vice chair of UCLA's Department of Economics. "We found that a relapse isn't likely unless lawmakers gum up a recovery with ill-conceived stimulus policies."

"The fact that the Depression dragged on for years convinced generations of economists and policy-makers that capitalism could not be trusted to recover from depressions and that significant government intervention was required to achieve good outcomes," Cole said. "Ironically, our work shows that the recovery would have been very rapid had the government not intervened."

Economies are big, complicated things, but it seems like maybe we should learn from history.

Aspiring vs. Coveting

Today in Church we studied Teachings of Presidents of the Church: George Albert Smith, Chapter 20: Temporal Salvation for Ourselves and Others.

As we studied the lesson I had some interesting thoughts I want to preserve.  We were studying this passage:

Neither the rich nor the poor should set their hearts upon riches. 

“Wo unto you rich men, that will not give your substance to the poor, for your riches will canker your souls; and this shall be your lamentation in the day of visitation, and of judgment, and of indignation: The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and my soul is not saved!” (D&C 56:16.) 

That is what the Lord says of the rich people who refuse to impart of their substance to those who are poor. But he says something just as serious to the poor man who is not doing his best. He says: 

“Wo unto you poor men, whose hearts are not broken, whose spirits are not contrite, and whose bellies are not satisfied, and whose hands are not stayed from laying hold upon other men’s goods, whose eyes are full of greediness, and who will not labor with your own hands!” (D&C 56:17.) … 

… Then he said further, “But blessed are the poor who are pure in heart.” There is quite a difference there, “… blessed are the poor who are pure in heart, whose hearts are broken, and whose spirits are contrite, for they shall see the kingdom of God coming in power and great glory unto their deliverance; for the fatness of the earth shall be theirs.” (D&C 56:18.) 

They are those who have not the wealth of the world but still have life and being and intelligence, and who are anxious to do the thing the Lord would have them do. … 

Now, my brethren and sisters, we have both rich and poor in our organizations. If we are poor, we can be worthy just as the Lord indicates here. We can be pure in heart and do our best, and he will not permit those who do their best to suffer for the necessities of life among the people who are in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. … 

I hope we are not going to become bitter because some men and women are well-to-do. If we are well-to-do, I hope we are not going to be self-centered and unconscious of the needs of our Father’s other children. If we are better off than they are, we ought to be real brothers and sisters, not make-believe. Our desires should be to develop in this world such an organization that others, seeing our good works would be constrained to glorify the name of our Heavenly Father. … 

We must not fall into the bad habits of other people. We must not get into the frame of mind that we will take what the other man has. Refer back to the ten commandments, and you will find one short paragraph, “Thou shalt not covet.” [Exodus 20:17.] …

The teacher brought up as an example (not an endorsement, he was clear) the attacks on Mitt Romney for his wealth.  Becoming bitter over wealth someone else has gained is not in harmony with the Lord's teachings.  What stood out to me was the difference between aspiring and coveting.

Aspiring is fine.  There's nothing wrong with wishing to do better for oneself, one's family, and wanting to expand one's capacity to help others.  As Jacob taught:

...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).

Money isn't evil.  Aspiring to do better temporally isn't evil.  Coveting is evil.

For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.  (1 Timothy 6:10)

Note that it doesn't matter whether we're coveting the wealth we've already amassed, worshiping it as a false idol and hoarding it instead of doing good with it or whether we're coveting the success of others, plotting to steal it through direct criminal action or by redistributing it via government.  Love of money will canker our souls, embitter us and distance us from God.

A great quotation

I needed to put this somewhere permanent since it's fantastic.  Naturally, blogger will never go away.  I may also write it down somewhere.

One of my friends mentioned at church yesterday something his wife said:  "God took everything that leads to unhappiness and called it sin."

It's simple.  It's brilliant, and it's true.