Why does HF allow good things to transgressors?

[astral]

I'm sure you all have heard the question "Why do bad things happen to good people?" I'm curious about the opposite. OK AT THIS MOMENT I THINK I JUST GOT A POSSIBLE ANSWER. I got a whispering of the name "Satan". Since early this year, I've nearly stopped praying , reading scriptures, I attend church less, and an addiction has kicked back into full swing. My finances, volunteer work, medical benefits, and material things have greatly improved during this year. Other than paying my tithing, i'm spiritually lacking in all other areas the church asks us to do.

The question is why are these good things happening to me at this time. I'm not as close to Heavenly Father as I should or used to be. I'm not a father, so I don't exactly have an idea of what it feels like. It would seem strange that a father would grant tempory gifts to a child who is not holding on to the iron rod. It does frighten me that Satan may be playing a role in all this. That is, if I got the correct answer while typing this. I'm fully aware that I need to grab hold on to the iron rod again and not let things get worse offf spiritually.

Heavenly Father does not seem to be punishing me during this time. However I'm slowly losing confidence, faith, and being more critical of myself. I must change now.

[Seanette]

I wish I knew what to say. It might well be the case that you're being led astray by the Adversary doing all this for you and trying to paint it as a reward for how you're currently living your life or as a way to convince you you don't need to obey God. I don't know for certain.

I strongly advise prayer (with fasting if need be). If you have a Temple recommend, I suggest going. If you don't and you live near a Temple, I would think it would still be helpful to go and walk around the grounds and pray and meditate. Helps me.

[dazed-and-confused]

Personally, I've always been of the opinion that the wealth we receive here in this life is spiritual wealth, as clearly, many good followers are materially poor......and that "what does it gain a man to gain the world and lose his soul" is just that simple. There are many references in scripture referring to not being distracted by material things, and that the importance we place upon them is at least self-deception, or at most, part of Satan's plan to deceive. How about being in the world, not of the world?

[ryanh]

A couple thoughts come to mind.

The adversary would seek your material success in order to draw you away and entrap.

There is no trial of faith if we were all to be punished immediately, or rewarded immediately for choosing what is right.

As Ecclesiastes observed in a vision, "time and chance happens to them all". It's important to remember that correlation does not equal causation. Your success and comfort is not necessarily a result of the direction you are choosing.

[applepansy]

Trust your feelings...that is how the Holy Ghost speaks to us. Your answer might be different than my answer...it depends on the person and the circumstances. So if you heard "satan" then if I were you I'd pay attention.

I believe Heavenly Father does not "reward" us in this life with material wealth. I believe He stands back and lets the natural consequences of our behaviors occur. I believe Satan does interfere....again Heavenly Father allowing us to be tested. Our Heavenly Father will NOT ever play with our agency.

[dazed-and-confused]

You know...there is also another possibility.....we are here to learn lessons and to do the best we can in moving away from various sins.......including coveting out nieghbors things as well as being judgemental......if you try, you might find other possisbilities as to why HF would allow bad people to have great "worldly" successes.

[BenRaines]

Do you not believe that Satan can prosper you too? He is king of this domain. Rules and reigns as he sees fit. He too knows where all the earthly treasures are buried.

Ben Raines

[Elphaba]

My finances, volunteer work, medical benefits, and material things have greatly improved during this year.

Perhaps your hard work has something to do with it. Most people who prosper work very hard for it, and there's nothing wrong with that.

Elphaba

[FlaviusHambonius]

Perhaps your hard work has something to do with it. Most people who prosper work very hard for it, and there's nothing wrong with that.

Elphaba

I agree.

And on the flipside, there are many hardworking, humble, God-fearing people who always remain poor.

There are huge amounts of people in third-world nations who are starving every day.

Is God punishing them? I don't think so.

Astral,

As far as your spiritual life, those are your choices.

You have some rotten people who are millionaires, and you have some wonderful people with wonderful hearts that will always be poor and hurting in temporal needs.

I suppose it will all come out in the wash someday in a thing called life-review.

[MarginOfError]

The question "Why does HF allow good things to transgressors?" makes an implicit assumption that people are all good or all bad. But this is rarely the case. I firmly stand by the opinion that almost all people are mostly good at heart. Each individual has his or her own weaknesses, but that doesn't change the fact that most are sincerely trying to be the best that they can. And the Lord rewards good behavior regardless of the peripheral bad behavior.

There are natural consequences to our actions. For the most part, when we make good decisions, we get good rewards. As long as we're making more good decisions than bad decisions, I believe that more good things will happen to us than bad things.

[pam]

If He didn't allow it..nothing good would ever happen to me.

[FlaviusHambonius]

Especially me Pam.

[john doe]

I think that money has little to do with the equation. Money, and the lack of it, can be blessings or curses, depending on who is using them. We can equally bless each other whether we have a lot of it or a little of it.

[Moksha]

The coins of this realm do not work there. The original example shows that coins of that realm may function in the same way.

[BenRaines]

Exactly JD and Moshka. I also recall a talk given where it said that some times bad things happen to good people so that bad people can be held in judgement. I think of Alma and Amulek watching people being cast in to the fire that would not deny the faith. Amulek asks Alma to stop it. Alma says that they are saved due to their faith. Acts will be a witness against the wicked.

Ben Raines

[Elphaba]

And on the flipside, there are many hardworking, humble, God-fearing people who always remain poor.

I couldn't agree more.

Unfortunately, the people I've known who have worked very hard and been successful look at those who are not successful, and immediately assume they're not really working that hard at all.

If someone really worked as hard, s/he would be as successful. That's it.

I never know what to say to these people, because it is so untrue.

Elphaba

[ztodd]

"Historically, the abundance with which the Lord has blessed his people has proved to be one of their greatest tests. The cycles of their acquiring worldly wealth and their subsequent spiritual decline are well documented in scriptural and historical records.

...

Not long after the early Latter-day Saints had entered the Salt Lake Valley, and as they struggled in their poverty to establish homes and to survive in a land that had been a wilderness, reports came of the discovery of gold in northern California. The news spread to all parts of the country, and fortune hunters passing through the Salt Lake area en route to the gold fields spoke of their hopes for striking it rich in the newly discovered bonanza. It was a great temptation to some of the Saints who were so destitute in their own circumstances.

Brigham Young, sensing feelings that circulated among some of the people, said, “I hope that the gold mines will be no nearer than 800 miles. … Prosperity and riches blunt the feelings of man.” (Journal History of the Church, 8 July 1849.)

And then, in his customary candor, he added at a later time: “The worst fear I have about this people is that they will get rich in this country, forget God and His people, wax fat, and kick themselves out of the Church and go to hell. This people will stand mobbing, robbing, poverty, and all manner of persecution, and be true. But my greater fear … is that they cannot stand wealth.” (James S. Brown, Life of a Pioneer, Salt Lake City: Geo. Q. Cannon and Sons Co., 1900, pp. 122–23.)

LDS.org - Ensign Article - “Beware Lest Thou Forget the Lordâ€

Good article.