By David A. Edwards Church Magazines
David A. Edwards, “Enough Stuff: Five Tips for Tackling Materialism,” NewEra, Dec 2010, 34–37
Find out how to ensure that your life is not defined by your stuff.
We all need stuff—stuff to wear, stuff to eat, stuff for home, stuff for school. And, of course, beyond the necessities there's also the stuff we want but don't really need, as well as the stuff we dream about but could never afford. There's big stuff and little stuff, girl stuff and guy stuff, stuff for work and stuff for play, stuff for now and stuff for later. It seems the world is filled with stuff.
If we're not careful, we can have a hard time seeing past all that stuff. Material possessions (both those we have and those we want) can obstruct our view of who we really are and what life is really about.
Add to this stuff the persistent prattle of marketing and advertising, and you're in a tough spot as a teenager today. So how do you call a halt to the onward march of materialism in your life? The scriptures and modern prophets—and even modern science—give some suggestions.