“I would administer material wealth as a wise and effective trustee of the resources of one generation for the benefit and ennoblement of the next and succeeding generations.” Jesus, 132:5.1 (1462.2)
We tend to think of wealth in terms of ownership: What is mine? What have I earned? What can I afford? But there is another way to look at what we possess. What if everything entrusted to us is also an opportunity to serve something beyond ourselves? Money is one example, but the principle reaches much further. Our education, talents, relationships, influence, businesses, ideas, and opportunities are all resources that can either end with us—or become something that enriches the lives of others.
This perspective can completely change our everyday relationship with material success. It doesn't require rejecting wealth or feeling guilty about having it. Instead, it asks us to become better stewards of it. How do we spend? What do we invest in? What kind of businesses do we build? What opportunities do we create for others? Even something as simple as helping someone develop a skill, opening a door for another person, or investing in the education of the next generation can turn personal abundance into generational contribution.
And stewardship begins long before we have great wealth. A parent teaching a child how to handle money wisely is practicing stewardship. A professional mentoring someone younger is practicing stewardship. An entrepreneur creating something that provides meaningful work is practicing stewardship. Someone who uses their resources to strengthen a community is practicing stewardship. The question isn't whether we have enough to make a difference. The question is whether we see what we already have as something worth putting to work for the good of others.
There is also a deeply spiritual dimension to this. If we understand ourselves as children of a loving Father, then perhaps our material lives should reflect something of that same generosity. We are temporary custodians of things that existed before us and will continue after us. The goal isn't simply to leave behind a larger number in a bank account. It is to leave behind better people, stronger communities, greater opportunities, and values that continue to bear fruit after we are gone.
Perhaps the real measure of prosperity is not “How much did I accumulate?” but “How much good can continue because I was entrusted with what I had?”
What is one resource—money, knowledge, influence, opportunity, or talent—that you could begin using today for the benefit of someone who comes after you?