If I were a rich man

January 11 2015

A clever story: One day a Mormon Bishop, a banker, and a rancher were standing outside the bank in their small town chatting about the ways of the world. The banker looked up at the sign on the bank and asked, in amusement, what the others would do if they had a million dollars. Each answered. The banker declared that he would wisely invest the full million dollars and reap the rewards by quadrupling his investment in short order. The Bishop look longingly at the poorer section of town and without a blink marveled at how much good he could provide for those in need. The rancher (my father used to tell this story and put him in this place) thought for a few moments and said he would just ranch until it was all gone.” Each had a passion. Each knew how to satisfy his personal itch.

Most people in history have survived on very little in the way of temporal goods. In my youth I would visit friends and come in to very neat homes with manicured dirt floors, a pot of beans on the wood stove, and a stack of tortillas on the sideboard.  I would visit Charles McCullough out near Hunt, Arizona where we would play, hike, and dream while his mother worked tirelessly to aide her six year old Johnnie who had a debilitating birth defect which rendered him unable to do more than breathe and swallow when aided by his angel mother. Mrs. Padilla would have upgraded her family’s status and had more of the “wants” in life. Mrs. McCullough would have given every penny and thrown I her life to boot to bless the life of her sweet, innocent child.

One of the incredible songs in “Fiddler on the Roof”, “If I were a Rich Man” has intrigued me most of my life. What would we do if money and the things of this earth were perfectly within our grasp and we could have anything we wanted? If we take a mental hike back in history and visit those who have had wealth and power our lust for such trinkets should be quickly erased. History repeats itself with marvelous precision. Current events show the Bear pawing at the flowering portions of the old USSR, inviting them to come home to riches. All they need to do is renounce whatever freedom they have and worship Putin. In the Old Testament Hezekiah, as king, works tirelessly to keep people out of bondage while those around him work their charms to get gain, worship Idols, and ignore God. Jon Huntsman, Sr. says he has given away over one billion dollars and he has another billion, or so he intends to share with others. His goal is to die broke. In fact, he recently wrote a book titled “Barefoot to Billionaire” in which he shares his love of family, God, and country.

What is my itch? What do I want to do with my temporal wealth?  I have more than “sufficient for my needs”, so I want to share. I want to share through helping others learn and grow into independent, God loving, family members and friends with the knowledge, wisdom, and insights to build their temporal mansions around love, hope, faith, and a burning desire to give back to those whom he serves. I have learned a few things in my seven decades on the third rock from the sun, and anything I can share that will help anyone find internal peace and good family living is my desire.

What a miracle it is for me each week, to sit down and have thoughts come into my mind that help me grow a little. Sharing these thoughts with others is an added blessing that may assist others as they contemplate their future.  I make no claim to wisdom or special intercession with God. I do declare, solemnly that all I have is from God and my desire is to serve Him all my days, listening and understanding the promptings and nudging I receive from the Holy Ghost and ministering angels.

May we humbly reach out to others, asking God for the desire and means with which to give love and charity to those in our circle of influence.

Duane Jacobs, husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, cousin, and friend