Treasures on earth and in heaven

When writing about symbolism of swords and the sacred Nephite relics, I started noticing the use of the word, treasures, in the scriptures. We are all familiar with the Savior's words at the Sermon on the Mount in the Old World and the Sermon at the temple in the New World.

19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and thieves break through and steal;
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. (3 Nephi 13)

One may think that the Savior tells them something new since this sermon generally marks the transition from the old covenant to the new. However, this is just a reiteration of an old covenant term. I noticed this in Exodus 19 as I read this post from Lord Wilmore and discussed this whole concept with him.

Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine (Exodus 19:5)

This is repeated in Psalm 135:4.

For the Lord hath chosen Jacob unto himself, and Israel for his peculiar treasure.

A covenant people is God's treasure. In return, the covenant people should collect treasures in heaven. Their treasure should be God and his word.

1 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;
2 So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;
3 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;
4 If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;
5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. (Proverbs 2)

We have seen on this blog before that Proverbs often speaks of wisdom personified as the female deity, or our Heavenly Mother as we would call her. The author advises to seek Wisdom as a treasure. The Book of Mormon prophets clearly understood this idea of heavenly treasures, even before the coming of Christ and his famous words in the sermon at the temple. Nephi-2 warns both his sons...

And now my sons, behold I have somewhat more to desire of you, which desire is, that ye may not do these things that ye may boast, but that ye may do these things to lay up for yourselves a treasure in heaven, yea, which is eternal, and which fadeth not away; yea, that ye may have that precious gift of eternal life, which we have reason to suppose hath been given to our fathers. (Helaman 5:8)

...and the people of Zarahemla

But behold, ye have rejected the truth, and rebelled against your holy God; and even at this time, instead of laying up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where nothing doth corrupt, and where nothing can come which is unclean, ye are heaping up for yourselves wrath against the day of judgment. (Helaman 8:25)

There is beautiful symmetry and balance in a covenant relationship when God reaches down to his people, makes them his treasure and draws them to him, while the people in turn reach upwards to lay up for themselves treasures in heaven. This covenant relationship is a binding of hearts because "where your treasure is, there will your heart be also". This is why Book of Mormon prophets consistently warn against seeking earthly riches

But wo unto the rich, who are rich as to the things of the world. For because they are rich they despise the poor, and they persecute the meek, and their hearts are upon their treasures; wherefore, their treasure is their god. And behold, their treasure shall perish with them also. (2 Nephi 9:30)

When God/the heavenly treasure is replaced by earthly treasures, their hearts are not seeking him and the covenant is violated. The end result is disastrous and the Book of Mormon conveys that message in no unclear terms. A very common sign of pride in the Book of Mormon is when the people does what Jacob describes in this quoted verse. The combination of "heart" and "riches" in the same sentence is found 13 times in the Book of Mormon, usually in the form of "set their hearts upon their riches" or similar.

I posted recently about the swords and treasures slipping away from the people right before they were destroyed, according to the prophecies of Samuel the Lamanite. Pondering the covenant relations of all this, I noticed that this is described as a consequence of a "curse of the land". Both the Jaredites and Nephites received a land of promise as part of a covenant. The Nephites were constantly reminded of the covenant, that like the Israelites of old, they would be blessed in the land if they kept the commandments. But in the end they didn't and the land was cursed. The curse of the land is also mentioned 5 times in the Book of Ether. It is a general principle conveyed in 1 Nephi 17.

38 And he leadeth away the righteous into precious lands, and the wicked he destroyeth, and curseth the land unto them for their sakes.

39 He ruleth high in the heavens, for it is his throne, and this earth is his footstool.

40 And he loveth those who will have him to be their God. Behold, he loved our fathers, and he covenanted with them, yea, even Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and he remembered the covenants which he had made; wherefore, he did bring them out of the land of Egypt.

The "curse of the land" is a sign of covenant violation, just as "prosper in the land" is a sign of covenant keeping. What kind of riches or treasures they searched for and where their hearts were, was apparently an important indicator of their covenant keeping. Let's have another look at the prophecies of Samuel:

18 And it shall come to pass, saith the Lord of Hosts, yea, our great and true God, that whoso shall hide up treasures in the earth shall find them again no more, because of the great curse of the land, save he be a righteous man and shall hide it up unto the Lord.

19 For I will, saith the Lord, that they shall hide up their treasures unto me; and cursed be they who hide not up their treasures unto me; for none hideth up their treasures unto me save it be the righteous; and he that hideth not up his treasures unto me, cursed is he, and also the treasure, and none shall redeem it because of the curse of the land.

20 And the day shall come that they shall hide up their treasures, because they have set their hearts upon riches; and because they have set their hearts upon their riches, and will hide up their treasures when they shall flee before their enemies; because they will not hide them up unto me, cursed be they and also their treasures; and in that day shall they be smitten, saith the Lord. (Helaman 13)

The land of promise became cursed because of wickedness, because the Nephites did not keep the commandments so they could prosper in the land as promised. Setting your heart upon riches and hiding treasures in the earth, symbolically binds your heart to the earth. Hiding your treasure "up unto the Lord" or laying up for yourself treasures in heaven, on the other hand, binds your heart upward towards God. There is a lesson here for all of us. What are our riches and where are our hearts?