D&C 56

In reference to the law of consecration, the Lord provides address three groups of people -

First, the "rich man" -

"Wo unto you rich men, that will not give your substance to the poor, for your riches will canker your souls; and this shall be your lamentation in the day of visitation, and of judgment, and of indignation: The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and my soul is not saved!" (Doctrine and Covenants Section 56:16)

The Lord then addresses "the poor" that are poor because they will not contribute but gladly will receive -

"Wo unto you poor men, whose hearts are not broken, whose spirits are not contrite, and whose bellies are not satisfied, and whose hands are not stayed from laying hold upon other men's goods, whose eyes are full of greediness, and who will not labor with your own hands!" (Doctrine and Covenants Section 56:17)

And last, the poor because of some extenduating circumstance -

"But blessed are the poor who are pure in heart, whose hearts are broken, and whose spirits are contrite, for they shall see the kingdom of God coming in power and great glory unto their deliverance; for the fatness of the earth shall be theirs." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 56:18)

Of these groups, the day will come when -

"...the Lord shall come, and his recompense shall be with him, and he shall reward every man, and the poor shall rejoice..." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 56:19)

Of the poor that do nothing, President George Albert Smith warned against taking what belongs to others -

"That is the situation of many of our own brothers and sisters in America with all the blessings that we enjoy—better wages, better homes, better opportunities for education than have ever been known before. Yet we have today men who not only will not work themselves, but they also will not permit somebody else to be employed. They are not willing to earn their living by work, but they propose to take it from the rich man. . . .

We must not fall into the bad habits of other people. We must not get into the frame of mind that we will take what the other man has. Refer back to the ten commandments, and you will find one short paragraph, ‘Thou shalt not covet.’ That is what is the matter with a good many people today. They are coveting what somebody else has, when as a matter of fact, many of them have been cared for and provided with means to live by those very ones from whom they would take away property." (In Conference Report, Oct. 1949, pp. 170, 172.)

It is clear that all men have an obligation to be industrious and do the best they can under the present conditions.