1. Deciding to be self-reliant in your personal finances is the first step in preventing the bonds of debt or poverty from overtaking you; if you are already subject to these trials, deciding now to get better control over your finances is the first step toward relieving yourself of that temporal and spiritual burden.  If you can make the decisions now that will lead to financial self-reliance in the future, you will be so much farther ahead in life. Prepare now by becoming a wise financial steward and you will avoid many of the problems of those who do not understand the place of wealth in their lives: debt, bankruptcy, failed marriages, poverty, etc.

2. The Nephite prophet Jacob shared with us the purpose of wealth in our lives. He counseled us that if we seek wealth, we should do it for the right reason:

After ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches, if ye seek them; and ye will seek them for the intent to do good—to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted. (Jacob 2:18–19)

Riches are given to help us fulfill our missions here on earth, raise righteous families, move the kingdom forward, and help and serve others. Remember D&C 14:7 and D&C 11:7: “Behold, he that hath eternal life is rich.” Eternal life is the ultimate wealth we are seeking.

3. The four principles for understanding and using wealth wisely are:

1. Ownership: Everything we have or are is a gift from God. It is important we remember that the things we have are not ours, but are on loan from a loving Father. We can incorporate this principle into our lives by learning that when we share with others, we are only giving back to God what was His in the first place.
2. Stewardship: We are stewards over the things the Lord has blessed us with; we must learn to be better stewards over our blessings as we will be held accountable for our stewardships at some point in the future. We can incorporate this principle into our lives by learning as much as possible so that we can become the best stewards we can over the blessings our Heavenly Father shares with us.
3. Agency: The ability to choose is a God-given gift. It is important because we need to use this gift wisely so we can return and live with God eternally. We can incorporate this principle in our lives by studying all aspects of our decisions and decision-making processes so we can make the best decisions possible.
4. Accountability: We are the final decision makers in life. This idea is important because we must learn to choose wisely among all the differing choices offered to us. We can incorporate this principle into our lives by setting good goals and then making wise choices to help us attain those goals.

4. The prophet Jacob said seeking for riches is acceptable if we first seek the Kingdom of God, and if we seek riches for the right intent—for righteous purposes. He said:

But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God. And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches, if ye seek them; and ye will seek them for the intent to do good-to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted. (Jacob 2:18-19)

Before we seek for riches, we should seek for the Kingdom of God.