Laying Up Treasure: Mormons in the Marketplace

Authors

Douglas D. Anderson

Abstract

The national profile of Mormons has increased in recent years, and the spotlight on the Mormon way of doing business is no exception. Latter-day Saints are known to be generous with their money and time. Mormons are by no means alone among Christians in the view that an abundance of earthly possessions can be both a blessing and a curse, depending on the way wealth is viewed and used. Mormons emphatically reject the Calvinist notion that material success is evidence of predestined salvation. One cannot understand Mormons as economic actors without also understanding their commitment to build the Lord's kingdom. The Mormon business ethic includes not only hard work, frugality, honesty, and persistence but also some aspects not often found outside Mormonism: working cooperatively with a sense of purpose, being organized, sacrifice, and looking to both the past and the future for inspiration.

Recommended Citation

Anderson, Douglas D. (2014) "Laying Up Treasure: Mormons in the Marketplace," BYU Studies Quarterly: Vol. 53: Iss. 2, Article 6.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/byusq/vol53/iss2/6