Gambling
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often inadvertently referred to as the Mormon Church) is morally opposed to gambling and lotteries. These practices encourage the mindset of getting something for nothing. The Church of Jesus Christ greatly values work and self-reliance, and participating in any form of gambling directly opposes those values. Gambling diverts the soul away from Christ’s teachings of humility, faith, self-reliance, and service, and leads one away from honesty and dependability. Gambling can become addictive and destructive, jeopardizing not only hard-won income and livelihood but also the respect and relationships of friends and family. The Church of Jesus Christ opposes anything that entraps the mind and body. Leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ encourage church members to oppose legislation in favor of gambling institutions.
Gambling also takes advantage of those less fortunate by promising the possibility of vast amounts of money, when really gambling almost always favors the establishment. Men and women would do better to work hard and live frugally to amass personal wealth.
The Church of Jesus Christ believes that if members pay a faithful tithe, the Lord will ensure their temporal well-being and will be better able to guide them in managing their personal finances. Finances should be approached with both faith and wisdom, principles that are not intrinsic to gambling. Those struggling with gambling should seek help and counsel from their local ecclesiastical leaders (bishops for Latter-day Saints).
