Prosperity of the Truest Kind

2 Nephi 5:11 - "And the Lord was with us; and we did prosper exceedingly; for we did sow seed, and we did reap again in abundance. And we began to raise flocks, and herds, and animals of every kind."

President Heber J. Grant - “When I say prosperity I am not thinking of it in terms of dollars and cents alone. … But what I count as real prosperity, as the one thing of all others that is of great value to every man and woman living, is the growth in a knowledge of God, and in a testimony, and in the power to live the gospel and to inspire our families to do the same. That is prosperity of the truest kind”

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Transcript

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Welcome to Seek This Jesus, a daily podcast dedicated to drawing closer to the Savior through the powerful truths found in the Book of Mormon. Each episode, we focus on one verse that helps us walk more faithfully in his footsteps. In Second Nephi chapter five, Nephi and those who would follow him have separated from Laman and Lemuel. They have fled into the wilderness after the Lord warned Nephi of danger. They are starting over. They are building a new community grounded in faithfulness. In verse ten we are told they were careful, observed the judgments, statues, and commandments of the Lord in all these. Then we read the result in Second Nephi five, verse eleven. And the Lord was with us, and we did prosper exceedingly, for we did sow seed, and we did reap again in abundance, and we began to raise flocks and herds and animals of every kind. As we study this verse today, along with teachings from President Hebrew J. Grant, we will consider what it means to prosper in the Lord's way and live with purpose in Jesus Christ. The first phrase in this verse teaches us the true source of prosperity. And the Lord was with us. Before the crops, before the flocks, before the abundance, there was the Lord. Nephi does not begin by describing their labor, he begins by describing the presence of the Savior Jesus Christ. This order matters. Prosperity in the scriptures is never presented as self-generated success. It flows from covenant relationship. In verse ten they were diligent in keeping the commandments, but in verse eleven, Jesus was with them. Obedience precedes presence and presence produces prosperity. This teaching us is something essential. The greatest blessing is not what we harvest. The greatest blessing is that the Lord is with us. When the Lord is with a people, even difficult beginnings can turn into abundance. When the Lord is absent, even abundance can feel empty. We live in a time when success is often measured by visibility, income, influence, or comfort. Yet Nephi's record reminds us that the first indicator of prosperity is divine companionship. We prosper when we align ourselves with God's will and invite His presence into our homes and communities. So the question for us becomes Are we structuring our lives in a way that invites the Lord to be with us? Prosperity begins long before the harvest. It begins in obedience. Nephi describes sowing seed, reaping in abundance, and raising flocks and herds. These are tangible blessings. The Lord does bless us temporarily. He cares about our daily bread, our work, and our stability, but the scriptures also invite us to look deeper. President Hebrew J. Grant taught When I say prosperity, I am not thinking of it in terms of dollars and cents alone, but what I count as real prosperity as the one thing of all others that is of great value to every man and woman living, is the growth in a knowledge of God and in a testimony, and in the power to live the gospel and to inspire our families to do the same. That is prosperity of the truest kind. This definition reframes everything. If we measure prosperity only by material increase, we may misunderstand the Lord's promises. Nephi's people prospered because the Lord was with them. That presence strengthened their faith, their unity and their spiritual stability. The crops were evidence of blessing, but the deeper prosperity was spiritual growth. Growth and a knowledge of God, a strengthening testimony, increased power to live the gospel, the ability to inspire our families toward Christ. These are not temporary gains. These are eternal assets. When we read that Nephi's people prospered exceedingly, we should ask, are we growing in our knowledge of God? Is our testimony deepening? Are we gaining greater power to live what we believe? If so, then we are prospering, even if circumstances are modest. Prosperity in the Lord's way is always tied to transformation. Today we are constantly presented with metrics, performance reviews, financial statements, social comparisons, academic achievements, even in our discipleship, we may be tempted to measure ourselves externally. But Nephi's record and President Grant's counsel invite us to examine different indicators. Are we sowing seed spiritually? Are we consistent in prayer, scripture study, and covenant keeping? Do we cultivate habits that invite the spirit? Are we attending the temple as often as circumstances allow? If so, then we are sowing seed. Reaping in abundance may not always look dramatic. It may look like increased patience, greater peace and trials, more clarity in decisions, stronger relationships in the home, a quieter but steadier faith. When obedience is consistent, blessings accumulate, even if gradually. We also learn that prosperity is often communal. Nephi says the Lord was with us. Their obedience was collective, their blessings were shared, as families and communities center on Christ, the environment changes. Stability increases, faith becomes generational. In our day we may not measure flocks and herds, but we can measure spiritual atmosphere. Is our home a place where the Lord feels welcome? Are we building patterns of obedience that invite his presence? True prosperity may not always be visible to the world, but it is unmistakable in the soul. From this verse we can identify several clear actions. First, we can recommit to obedience in small and consistent ways. Nephi's people kept the commandments in all things. Prosperity is rarely the result of sporadic effort. It grows from steady faithfulness. Second, we can redefine prosperity in our minds. Instead of asking only whether we are advancing financially or socially, we can ask whether we are advancing spiritually. Are we gaining knowledge of God? Is our testimony becoming more rooted? Are we increasing in our capacity to live the gospel? Third, we can focus on inspiring our families and those within our stewardship. President Grant emphasized the power to live the gospel and to inspire our families to do the same. Prosperity expands when faith is shared. When our obedience strengthens others, blessings multiply. As we shift our definition of prosperity, we align more closely with heaven's measure. The Lord being with us becomes the primary goal. Everything else flows from that relationship. So here is today's challenge. Examine how we define prosperity in our own lives. Identify one spiritual habit we can strengthen this week that invites the Lord to be with us more fully. Then take one deliberate action to inspire someone in our family or circle of influence toward greater faithfulness. Let us measure our success not by outward increase alone, but by growth in our knowledge of God and our power to live his gospel. Thank you for listening to Seek This Jesus. I hope this message helps you draw a little closer to the Savior, Jesus Christ. Please, don't let this podcast be your only scripture time today. As you open the scriptures for ourselves, the Spirit will teach us things no podcast ever could. If you are exploring the truths of the Book of Mormon for the first time, you can receive a free copy using the link in the description found in every episode of Seek This Jesus. I invite you to come back tomorrow for another verse and message to help you stay focused on Jesus Christ. Until next time, keep seeking this Jesus.