MATERIALISM

The more I look at the world around me, the more I analyze the kinds of media that are propagated through television, the internet, the radio, etc., the more I realize how in love most of mankind is with the material world. It makes me sick to watch people sell their souls to make money; I often think of the way pornography, specifically hard core video pornography, continues to spread like a pandemic through the collective network we call the internet. Men whose sole purpose of spreading this disease to make money do so without any regard to the way it twists and changes the minds of those who become addicted. Perhaps they do regard what happens but have justified it due to their separation from God who teaches us through His Spirit that these things are contrary to our very nature and an enemy to the Plan of happiness and progress he has set forth to assist us in our fight to remember from where we have come and why we are here.

Indeed, perhaps instead of the old axiom "money is the root of all evil" it should say "materialism is the root of all evil." Money, after all, is used to buy or acquire various forms of material which have been organized into some form or another such as a home, car, or some sort of electronic device. In the end it's all just gross physical matter which has been organized or reformed into something. The great irony is that there is nothing essentially evil about the material world. God created this world after all. The problem, however, is that Satan, whom God has allowed to roam free with those spirits who follow him, twists the perceptions of men and tries to get us to fall down and worship the material world which, if you think about it, just another way to get you to worship him. Eventually he leads the children of men so far from the truth that begin to worship that which should be, and is, subject to us in the first place (we have dominion over the earth which means we respect and use material to bring about good works and the propagation of our race). Earlier I called this a "problem" but this is not really a problem for God, its a vital and necessary obstacle that we must overcome as imperfect beings. God ordained that things are like this. The essential "problem" is no accident, it's part of a natural, spiritual plan and the way in which God helps us discover and actualize our potential. Unlike many other Christians, as Latter-day Saints, we believe not in a heaven and hell dichotomy but rather an after life that is made up of various grades, or degrees, of glory.
From Elder Russel M. Nelson's "Scriptural Witnesses":

Paul referred to the three degrees of postmortal glory when he taught that “there is one glory of the sun, … another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars.”34 That glimpse into postmortal glory has been clarified by another scriptural witness. The Lord revealed that “the glory of the celestial is one, even as the glory of the sun is one.

“And the glory of the terrestrial is one, even as the glory of the moon is one.

“And the glory of the telestial is one, even as the glory of the stars is one.”35

The highest of these kingdoms, the celestial, is reserved for those who obey the law of that kingdom:

“They who are not sanctified through the law … of Christ, must inherit another kingdom, even that of a terrestrial kingdom, or that of a telestial kingdom.

“For he who is not able to abide the law of a celestial kingdom cannot abide a celestial glory.”36

These three degrees of glory relate to postmortal life. They relate to the immortality of the human soul. That gift of immortality became a reality because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

The "problem" of materialism is only a problem so long as one remains in darkness either out of ignorance or choice (rejecting the truth). God has given all mankind the tools and ability to know the TRUTH, to know the Lord. Those who do not shall "never such happiness know," because they will limit themselves spiritually.

I apologize if this post is a little disjointed, but my intention is not necessarily post "finished discourses" but rather short, personal entries akin to a sort of journal. I hope that this in some way sparks thought for you, my reader. I don't think I've written anything new or groundbreaking for you, but I hope the next time we have the chance to reject the sort of evil materialism of which I have spoken that we overcome the temptation to be sucked into the illusion but rather that we reject it and find a way to help others see beyond the illusion.

I took the brief overview of materialism found below from AllAboutPhilosophy.org (link to this article HERE).

Materialism - Definitions & Doctrines
Materialism can refer either to the simple preoccupation with the material world, as opposed to intellectual or spiritual concepts, or to the theory that physical matter is all there is. This theory is far more than a simple focus on material possessions. It states that everything in the universe is matter, without any true spiritual or intellectual existence. Materialism can also refer to a doctrine that material success and progress are the highest values in life. This doctrine appears to be prevalent in western society today. Materialism can also refer to the term, Cultural Materialism.

Materialism - Philosophies & Worldviews
Materialism and its theories can be traced as far back as the poem The Nature of Things, written in the first century B.C. by Lucretius. Other defining works include The System of Nature by Paul d'Holbach, Force and Matter by Ludwig Buchner, and the more recent research done by Richard Vitzthum, An Affirmative History and Definition (1996).

Materialism as a philosophy is held by those who maintain that existence is explainable solely in material terms, with no accounting of spirit or consciousness. Individuals who hold to this belief see the universe as a huge device held together by pieces of matter functioning in subjection to naturalistic laws. Since materialism denies all concepts of Special Creation, it relies on the Theory of Evolution to explain itself, making beliefs in materialism and evolution interdependent.

The first question this worldview should cause most of us to ask is, "If all that exists is matter only, where did the natural laws that govern it come from?" New scientific discoveries in the areas of biological complexity, cosmological design, quantum physics, and information theory bring these materialistic assumptions into doubt. A massive quantity of evidence demonstrates that the universe and its material aspects are connected by a network of energy, design and information. We now see much more than matter - we see the result of conscious creation.

Materialism - A Question of Belief
Materialism, at its simpler level, involves the focus on material "things" as opposed to that which is spiritual or intellectual in nature. We live in a world surrounded by and composed of matter. It is natural, therefore, that we may become distracted from spiritual or intellectual pursuits by material possessions, but this is frequently where problems occur. We can become obsessed by a desire to obtain them, or simply frustrated by the need to maintain them.

The questions this attitude should cause us to ask are, "Are material things really more important than anything else? Is material success the highest goal? If things are all there are, what's life all about? Why am I here at all? If life is really just about materialism, why should I even try to live a moral life? What does it matter how I treat others or how I live, as long as I have what I want? Why does what I believe about the origin of life matter?"

In a court of criminal law, a conviction arrived at by any jury requires proof beyond a shadow of a doubt. Current theories of materialism appear to be clouded by shadows and doubts. We needn't conclude that it is necessary to take a completely opposite view. After all, as C.S. Lewis once said, "God … likes matter. He invented it." Consider, instead, how what you choose to believe affects how you live, for as Lewis also said, "different beliefs about the universe lead to different behavior." What we believe must either be true of false. Before settling on the position you choose, you owe it to yourself to keep seeking the truth about life, death and the universe.