Treasures in Heaven

 

I keep thinking about Samuel’s many words about treasure and the curse of the land in Helaman 13.

“Whoso shall hide up treasures in the earth shall find them again no more, because of the great curse of the land, save he be a righteous man and shall hide it up unto the Lord.”

“Ye are cursed because of your riches, and also are your riches cursed because ye have set your hearts upon them”

“He curseth your riches, that they become slippery, that ye cannot hold them”

“We have hid up our treasures and they have slipped away from us, because of the curse of the land”

“The land is cursed, and all things are become slippery, and we cannot hold them”

What is he talking about? What are these treasures people are hiding? How is the land cursed? What does it mean to hide your treasure unto the Lord? Is this literal or spiritual? Both?

I can’t say for sure! But it’s interesting in the next chapter when Samuel prophesies about Christ’s death, he explains what will happen to the earth. And you know what, it sounds “cursed” to me:

“The earth shall shake and tremble; and the rocks...shall be broken up... rent in twain, and shall ever after be found... in broken fragments upon the face of the whole earth... there shall be many mountains laid low, like unto a valley, and...valleys which shall become mountains”

And indeed, following Christ’s death the earth was in physical turmoil. What happened to any hidden treasures? GONE.

Except for some plates of gold, hidden by Moroni, hidden unto God, preserved for us.

Just a thought.

And as for the spiritual?

“Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt” Matt. 6:20

“Wo unto the rich, who are rich as to things of the world... wherefore, their treasure is their god. And behold, their treasure shall perish with them also.” 2 Ne. 9:30

I’m not rich! But what kind of treasures lead me away from God?

“Why do we devote so much of our time and energy to things that are so fleeting, so inconsequential, and so superficial?” Uchtdorf

What treasures can I lay up in heaven? While the world crumbles, what lasts?

Christ-like attributes

Relationships

Covenants

Knowledge

Love

Let us be wise.