#4. Accumulate what you can actually take with you.

How are your eternal investments doing? Material things are an important part of our moral experience (ie, a safe place to live, food to eat, healthy environments, etc.) but I often let my view of what is eternal get a little clouded. Here are two examples of things that have great eternal returns and the things we often confuse them with:

• A nice house vs a happy home. There is absolutely nothing wrong with a nice house. I hope to have one someday, but I won't be able to take it with me. I hope to be able to make my home a beautiful place, but I don't need to wait to do that. In fact, you don't need money for that. Elder Uchtdorf made this clear when he spoke to the women of the Relief Society. We don't NEED money to create things of beauty. And I would argue that one of the most beautiful things is a happy home. Over the last few years, I have spent a great deal of time living in "temporary" homes and homes that are unfinished--it isn't easy to live with the chaos, and I have been happier and more peaceful when things have been settled, but I have learned that a home does not equal happiness. It is tool that can help or a possession that can control.
• Education vs Entertainment. Again, this is not either/or. We can and should have both. But we won't take movies or games or even books with us. Our season tickets and favorite TV shows will be irrelevant. But we will keep what we've learned and who we've become as we've used our knowledge in hopefully becoming wise. Maybe learning can be a form of entertainment. It is for my kids. And me too. I actually think of the pioneers when I consider how I'm doing in this area; they worked hard, played hard and found joy in learning, even to the point of sacrificing to build, support and send their children to schools and universities. Shouldn't we do the same?

Some other eternal investments that will never deflate in value:

• Faith
• Love
• Relationships
• Service

So, start accumulating things that will last and that will pay dividends now and forever.