Alma 1:29-33

29 And now, because of the steadiness of the church they began to be exceedingly rich, having abundance of all things whatsoever they stood in need—an abundance of flocks and herds, and fatlings of every kind, and also abundance of grain, and of gold, and of silver, and of precious things, and abundance of silk and fine-twined linen, and all manner of good homely cloth.

30 And thus, in their prosperous circumstances, they did not send away any who were naked, or that were hungry, or that were athirst, or that were sick, or that had not been nourished; and they did not set their hearts upon riches; therefore they were liberal to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, whether out of the church or in the church, having no respect to persons as to those who stood in need.

31 And thus they did prosper and become far more wealthy than those who did not belong to their church.

32 For those who did not belong to their church did indulge themselves in sorceries, and in idolatry or idleness, and in babblings, and in envyings and strife; wearing costly apparel; being lifted up in the pride of their own eyes; persecuting, lying, thieving, robbing, committing whoredoms, and murdering, and all manner of wickedness; nevertheless, the law was put in force upon all those who did transgress it, inasmuch as it was possible.

33 And it came to pass that by thus exercising the law upon them, every man suffering according to that which he had done, they became more still, and durst not commit any wickedness if it were known; therefore, there was much peace among the people of Nephi until the fifth year of the reign of the judges.

Alma 1:29-33

The Nephite church has grown.  The people have followed its teachings and principles.  Subsequently, they began to be a wealthy people.  They had large flocks, herds, an abundance of grain, gold, and silver as well as silk and linen.

Is it possible the Nephites had silk?  Doesn’t it come from Japan?  Daniel C. Petersen responds.

If, by "silk," we are required to understand only the fiber spun into a cocoon by the Asian moth Bombyx mori, there may well have been none in the Nephite New World. However, many cloths are known to have existed in the Americas, deriving from both plant and animal sources, that are virtually indistinguishable from silk proper. (Furthermore, few Americans-emphatically including the uneducated frontier farm boy Joseph Smith-would have had even the slightest clue as to their precise actual names. "Silk" would be about as close as they could come.) As one account of the question summarizes the available data, "Mesoamerica . . . exhibits almost an embarrassment of riches for the 'silk'. . . of Alma 1:29. All but the most trivializing critics should be satisfied with the parallels."[1]

In all societies, there is income inequality.  In Nephite society, the wealthy voluntarily helped the poor.  “While any economic system except consecration produces inequalities, during periods of at-one-ment under the judges, inequality was moderated by voluntary redistributions…”^[2]

Their riches were earned in the proper spirit, as described by Jacob, Think of your brethren like unto yourselves, and be familiar with all and free with your substance, that they may be rich like unto you.  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 2:17-19).

The wealthy were generous in their donations.  “In contrast to the confusion among economists about the causes of economic development, the Book of Mormon offers a simple solution. It teaches that economic prosperity depends on the spiritual condition of individuals as shown by their unity, caring, and voluntary sharing.” ^[3]

When the lives of the people are in harmony with the Lord’s will, all of the essential factors that produce the blessings God deigns to give to his children seem to come into line. Love and harmony prevail. Even the weather, the climate, and the elements seem to respond. Peace and tranquility endure. Industry and progress mark the lives of the people.[4]

All received help, young and old, bond and free, male and female, church member or not.  Those who were in need were helped.

Good Samaritanism is contagious. Providing in the Lord’s way humbles the rich, it exalts the poor, and sanctifies both (see D&C 104:15–18). The giver helps those in need by sharing what he has received. The receiver accepts the offering with gratitude. As the receiver rises to his full potential, he then is able to reach out to help others.[5]

Interestingly enough, those that were in the church were much better off than those who did not belong to the church. Those that were not in the church practiced some strange things.  Among these were sorceries, idolatry, babblings, idleness and envyings. 

We again see the wicked turning to “costly apparel.”  They have to strut and show off, letting all know just how cool they are.  Sins included murder, theft, robbery, and sexual sins. 

The law did punish those whenever it was possible.

Knowing that they could be punished, they stopped committing such public sins.  Things settled down and there was peace for the next few years.

The Book of Mormon contrasts the economic prosperity of members of the Nephite church with that of those who did not belong to the church. This contrast provides evidence of the economic advantages of loving one another and the economic disadvantages of loving things. In one era, members of the church "did prosper and become far more wealthy than those who did not belong to their church" (Alma 1:31) … Instead of serving one another they indulged in "idleness, and in babblings, and in envyings and strife; wearing costly apparel; being lifted up in the pride of their own eyes; persecuting, lying, thieving, robbing, committing whoredoms, and murdering" (Alma 1:32). All of these evil tendencies had the effect of creating a self-interested elite, thereby reducing opportunities to specialize and trade, and increasing economic inequality.[6]

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[1] Yet More Abuse of B. H. Roberts, Daniel C. Peterson, Maxwell Institute, accessed January 15, 2015.

[2] "No Poor Among Them," Lindon J. Robison, Maxwell Institute, accessed January 15, 2015.

[3] Economic Insights from the Book of Mormon, Lindon J. Robison, Maxwell Institute, accessed January 15, 2015.

[4] The Lord Will Prosper the Righteous, Dean L. Larsen, October 1992 Conference.

[5] “Go, and Do Thou Likewise,” H. David Burton, April 1997 General Conference.

[6] "No Poor Among Them," Lindon J. Robison, Maxwell Institute, accessed January 15, 2015.