“In the beginning”...when Adam and Eve were driven from the Garden of Eden, the Lord told Adam that he would thereafter “eat bread in the sweat of [his] face” (Genesis 3:19). Adam really had only one choice as to his life’s work – he “began to till the earth . . .” we are told in Moses 5:1. He clearly had some challenges that you and I have not had to face. However, his work environment did have some advantages. Among others, he was able to set his own hours and approve his own sick leave and vacation time and he could not be fired.
He was not tempted by Jones’ law, either, which states that our needs are determined by what our neighbor has. Without neighbors there were no property line disputes. There was no coveting or jealousy, or envy, or selfishness or any of the sins that come with competition and comparison.
In fact, Satan had very little to work with – there were very few sins with which he could tempt Adam and Eve. Think about it – if you were the first man or woman what could he tempt you with? Stealing? – no -- from whom? Coveting – no. Envy?—no. Gossiping? – impossible – think about it. Living beyond one’s means? – also impossible. When you reflect on it, most serious sins involve others and would not become a possibility for Satan until the human race began to multiply and he could use competition and comparisons to appeal to the pride of men.
Motives in the work place
- Are building His kingdom including strong and valiant families.
- Are honest in your dealings with your fellowmen and using your God-given talents in their service;
- and if you are filling your life with good works, that positively impact your community and world.
The motives that drive people are the hinges upon which major outcomes swing.
In making a living, the Lord identified two opposite motivators – God and mammon. We know that money itself is not evil; in fact, it represents “the sweat of our face” – a commandment of the Lord. Mammon goes beyond money to “the love of money” and is referred to as “the root of all evil” we read in 1 Tim. 6:10.
The interplay between a love of God and our fellowmen on the one hand, and the need to make a living on the other.
A- Level
At the A-level, The Lord established the correct order with priorities as we read in Jacob 2:18-19,, “Before you seek for riches, seek 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 . . .” At this level the primary motivation is a love of God and our fellowmen. Of necessity, there is a secondary motivation to earn a living.
Those at the A-level aren’t working for mankind, but living for mankind, trying to lift and help others. In addition to making a living, they are making a life. They have a different vision than those at lower levels. Because of their love for their fellowmen, they define their business in terms of customers’ needs, such as a builder of homes rather than merely a brick mason. At levels B through D, business is usually defined in terms of products and services rather than customers’ needs.
B- Level
A love of God can only exist at the A-level, since the person who loves God would always put Him first, not being able to serve two masters. At the B-level, the primary motivation is money, but there is still a love of fellowmen and a genuine desire to provide good products and services to customers. This could even be an A-level person or company who has been sidetracked by the world. It is difficult for a company which goes public to remain at the A-level. The pressure on the board of directors and corporate officers to increase the value of the stock is so great that many lose sight of the A-level vision that helped them achieve their success in the first place. Concern for the stockholder and the bottom line will almost always force an “A” company to the B-level and sometimes lower.
C- Level
At the C- level, the “love of money” is the only motivator. The businessman or woman engineers minimal quality, or the appearance of quality, into their products and services so that they may be competitive and survive, but look for the cheapest ways to produce, without any true concern for their customer. Their personal integrity is compromised as they begin to engage in dishonest practices, such as deceptive advertising and meaningless guarantees. The customer is often considered a nuisance when problems arise and usually neglected so that the businessman or woman can be on to a new customer. Since the business already has its profit, they are slow to respond to customers with complaints. You’ve probably had a “C” company sell you something and then not service it afterward, which not only frustrated you, but caused you to lose any loyalty whatsoever to that company. You’ll never shop there again.
D- Level
At the D-level, the unwary are more victims than customers. Once again the motivation is the love of money, but this time at the peril of the customer, who will be harmed and maybe even injured or killed. Profits at this level are known as “filthy lucre.”
Filthy Lucre,” President Spencer W. Kimball said, “is that had through sin or sinful operations and that which comes from the handling of liquor, beer, narcotics and those many other things which are displeasing in the sight of the Lord. . . those who deal in the forbidden are recipients of filthy lucre.” (Melchizedek Priesthood Personal Study Guide 1984, p. 84)
This is the category of which the Doctrine and Covenants warned, “In consequence of evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days, I have warned you, and forewarn you . . .” (D&C 89:4)
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Grade
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Primary Motivation
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Secondary Motivation
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A
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Love of God and fellowmen ©
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Income $
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B
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Money $
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Love of fellowmen ©
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C
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Love of money $
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Indifferent to clients or customers
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D
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Filthy Lucre $
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Harmful to clients and customers
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No profession is exempt from Satan’s influence.
The interesting insight with this model is that all professions, businesses, and services can be found at all levels or grades A - D.
There are A-level accountants and there are D-level accountants. The D-level accountant cooks the books, which occurred at ENRON and WorldCom where dishonest business practices eventually caused the business to collapse. Their focus was on the bottom line at the peril of their customers and shareholders.
There are A-level bankers and D-level bankers.
attorneys
Politicians
teachers
carpenters
doctors
The A-level politicians are men like King Benjamin and Mosiah from the Book of Mormon, or George Washington and Abraham Lincoln from our history books. For these men money was not their primary motivator, but actually risked their own fortunes defending their country. They were true patriots, whose primary motivation was a love of God, their fellowmen and their country.
The Golden Rule – a Principle of Happiness and Success
Sometimes we hear stories of a D-level person who is not playing by the rules and appears to be prospering and out-performing those who are playing by the rules, almost as if they had an unfair advantage. In such cases we feel a sense of injustice and frustration, as noted in this quote from Jeremiah 12:1,
“Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? Wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously?”
Appearances can be deceiving. It may seem that the wicked are prosperous and happy, but we know that “wickedness never was happiness.” (Alma 41:10) Given 20 more years, who do you think the customers will naturally gravitate to, George Bailey or Mr. Potter? Who will be most successful over the long run with the greatest customer loyalty?
The following are some important questions to ask of everyone in the workforce:
- Do you give an honest day’s work for your pay?
- Are you loyal to your employer?
- Are you honest with the customers?
- Are your products and service of the highest quality?
- Do you charge fair prices?
- Are you concerned for the welfare of your employees?
Three Helpful Principles:
Here are three helpful principles to help you make A-level choices.
Can you ask the Lord’s blessings with a clear conscience? We learn in Alma 34:24-25 that you can pray for success in your labors -- “over the crops of your fields, that ye may prosper in them. . . over the flocks of your fields, that they may increase.” The Church Handbook of Instruction teaches us that “Members of the Church should endeavor to be involved in activities and employment upon which they can conscientiously ask the blessings of the Lord and which are consistent with the principles of the gospel and the teachings of the Savior.” (Church Handbook of Instructions, Book 1 2006, p. 179)
When questionable products or services are involved, is the person’s involvement direct or indirect? Can an A-level grocer, for example, sell coffee and tea to those customers who know nothing of the Word of Wisdom and for whom it would not be a sin? The grocer might do so at the request of his customers to meet their demands when he clearly would never produce coffee himself. His involvement is indirect.
Does the product or service hurt society? Some products and services may be detrimental to the individual while others damage the community. Coffee and tea, for example, would be products that have individual consequences. Alcohol and pornography, however, have proven to also have community consequences. Alcohol has resulted in traffic accidents and domestic violence; pornography has led to divorce and broken homes, pedophilia, rape, murder, etc. “Pornography damages individual lives, families, and society . . . Church members should . . . oppose its production, dissemination, and use.” (Emphasis added, Church Handbook of Instructions, Book 1 2010, 166)
An A-level company feels a community responsibility that goes beyond respecting individual agency or rights and customer demands.
Years ago, while on a stake visit, President Kimball interviewed a brother who was a grocer by trade. I quote President Kimball,
“What do you sell in this store?’ . . . ‘Groceries and miscellaneous merchandise.’ ‘Your competitors sell other things including forbidden things, do they not?’ I asked. ‘Yes, but we have felt it was not right. . . We lost trade, of course. People leave our store and go to the other store and buy many dollar’s worth of groceries where they can get a few cans of beer or some wine, but we do not sell it.’ And I could not refrain from saying, ‘God bless you, my faithful brother. . . . Your dollars are clean.’” (Melchizedek Priesthood Personal Study Guide 1984, p. 84)
With these additional thoughts, we can add one more level to the model which we will label “F”.
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Grade
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Primary Motivation
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Secondary Motivation
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A
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Love ©
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Income $
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B
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Money $
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Love ©
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C
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Love of money $
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Indifferent to customers
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D
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Filthy Lucre $
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Harmful to customers
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F
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Filthy Lucre
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Harmful to customers and to society, nations destroyed.
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F Level
At this level are the unscrupulous individuals and companies whose involvement is ‘direct’ and whose primary business damages or destroys society.
Many at the F-level were identified earlier at the D-level, but may actually fit better at this level because of their negative impact on communities and nations. At this level, we also find the parasites of society, those who don’t contribute, but only take -- organized crime, con artists, internet scams, Ponzi schemes, etc. At this level, you have murder and elimination of competition. It is at this level where secret combinations operate, like the Gadiantons who destroyed both the Jaredite and the Nephite civilizations and according to Moroni will be a very real threat in our day. (see Ether 8:24.) These are they who by secret design and murder place their friends on the “judgment seats” of the world --dictators and tyrants who destroy nations. The Apostle Paul referred to such individuals as “rulers of the darkness of this world.” (Ephesians 6:12)
Some at this level, like purveyors of pornography, justify their wares based upon law and legality. Will freedom of speech protect pornography in the New Jerusalem? Absurd! The phrases, “Pro-choice” and “Freedom of Speech” when promoted by Satan, are really evil euphemisms masquerading as good – a wolf dressed in sheep’s clothing who is demanding to dine with the sheep.
A-level and a Zion Society
Speaking of the New Jerusalem and life in the millennium, work in a Zion society will be guided by the law of consecration and having all things in common. Because the earth has ‘enough and to spare’ there will be no unemployment in the millennium. The great millennial motivators will be the first two great commandments, a love of God and a love of fellowmen. It was these same A-level motivators that resulted in the great prosperity and happiness enjoyed in both the City of Enoch and with the Nephites for 200 years following the Savior’s visit to them. One way to prepare for future life in the millennial day is to make sure our motives and behavior are at the A-level today.
President Benson mentioned that, “It was essentially the sin of pride that kept us from establishing Zion in the days of the Prophet Joseph Smith. It was the same sin of pride that brought consecration to an end among the Nephites. (See 4 Ne. 1:24–25)
Pride seduces a person from the A-level to the B-level or lower. It would be difficult, if not impossible, for a proud person to remain at the A-level, because of the “enmity” he has towards his fellowmen men, citing Pres. Benson. (ibid) This enmity is opposite the love of God and our fellowmen which is the first motivator at the A-level.
Conclusion
A common and recurring nightmare for many people is to suddenly realize they have forgotten to attend class all semester, and it is now time for the final exam. In the dream, they are panic stricken wondering how they could have ever been so absent-minded, with no time remaining to turn in assignments or to cram for the imminent final exam. They are grateful to awaken in the morning and realize it was only a dream.
This dream has a parallel. For many it will be a nightmare come true, when at judgment day, they realize they neglected the most important class of their life and are totally unprepared for the ultimate of all final exams. Alma forewarned of the nightmare when he asked, “can ye imagine yourselves brought before the tribunal of God with your souls filled with guilt and remorse, having a remembrance of all your guilt, yea, a perfect remembrance . . . ? (Alma 5:18)
In conclusion, may each of you be guided by the Spirit in all your employment decisions -- in finding A-level employment and in being an A-level employee, yourself. May you each use your God-given talents in the service of your fellowmen and making your communities and world a better place to live.
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