You Will Be Happier

Like Alex, more and more people today are drowning in unmanageable debt. President Thomas S. Monson has warned against excessive debt. He says it is commonly accepted in today's culture, but we will be happier by living within our means than we would be if we were "constantly worrying about how to make the next payment on nonessential debt."1 Elder Marvin J. Ashton (1915–1994) cited statistics showing that nearly 90 percent of divorces could be traced back to quarrels and accusations over finances.2 When a single adult accumulates debt and later brings it to a marriage, the debt is likely to become an instant wedge between spouses.

Of course, because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we understand that there is always a path of redemption, as long as we make a firm and unyielding commitment to follow the path He would have us follow. A later reprinting of Elder Ashton's talk included a debt-elimination calendar that can help us quickly and permanently rid ourselves of the bondage of debt.3