The point had nothing to do with the type of vehicle used. It had everything to do with the use of money. It seems to me that God cares vey much about our choices when it comes to spending our money. If we insist on spending $80,000 on a new Mercedes, it is not because we want a reliable or even a comfortable car — reliablility and even some luxury cars could be purchased at a fraction of that $80,000. If we try to tell ourselves that God doesn’t care how we spend our money (or time, or talents forthat matter) then we are wresting the scriptures. He does care about those things.

Too easy. The early brethren had a dispute and petitioned God about their means of travel. It is in the D&C. He said they could ride in chariots for all he cared, there were more important things …

Makes for good reading, should have been in the Gospel Doctrine lesson about 3-4 months ago

I dont think its a matter of God not caring, I think its a matter of us not having the same cares as God. If we cared about the same things as God cared about, then I think we would have more correspondence with God. God’s interests and our own interests are typically quite divergeant, and thats why he may not care about what our interests are. If we reconcile ourselves to Him, then He will take greater interest in our day-to-day activities. If our lives are filled with inane materialistic self-indulgences, well, why would God take an active hand in that? He wouldnt. So, to the extent that we make ourselves of interest to Him, He will communicate with us.

Also, what if Mercedez Benz does a better job environmentally, treat their employees better, and have better business ethics than Ford (Pinto)? Should those things matter when I purchase a car or is the important thing just how I and those around me feel about it?

And if I have tons of money, give tons of it to charity and buying a Benz is no big deal (stewardship over my resources), then why not? Are you suggesting something inherently bad in these choices or does it vary from person to person?

You started getting to it in that last comment. I suspect God might indeed care if we buy a Mercedes or a Pinto. It has to do with proper stewardship over our resources like money. Some of these things (like luxury cars) easily could be grouped with the status symbols warned against in the scriptures usually under the code-name “costly apparel”. A luxury car (or other status symbols) could be “costly apparel” and God seems to care about that.

I certainly think that God does care that we are not oppressing others in “managing the creature” so as to amass wealth and prestige unto ourselves. He also, I believe, wishes us to be responsible stewards of this earth, and not to abuse its abundance. So I do think he cares when it comes to occupations that land you in the camp of the usurper.

But there are hundreds, perhaps thousands, of different kinds of cars to drive or careers that will provide sustenance for your family. God doesn’t care about your ride, I would suggest, and from my observations of the disasters that have been the careers of some very righteous people that I know, he doesn’t particularly care if you are successfully climbing the career ladder, as frustrating as that might be for us who want success and comfortable living. When Korihor teaches that man succeeds by management of the creature, he is actually telling the truth, but turning it into a half-truth by suggesting that when man is dead, that is the end thereof. By doing so, he suggests that unethical behavior in managing the creature is fine because there is no consequence after this life, no judgment according to works.