The most common rationalization is I want to be rich so that I can give more to the poor. This usually means using the scripture Jacob 2:18-19 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.

This scripture is the only one that gives an actual reason for seeking riches out of all that say not to. If you look at the scripture closely you will see that it says that the only reason to get riches is to give them away.

In practice what usually happens is people want to keep the majority of it: live in a large house, have expensive cars, have vacation homes, boats, expensive vacations, and they promise to increase their offerings to the poor. This isn’t really following the spirit of the scripture at all.

Hugh Nibley states this in the most succinct and devastating way possible:

“Elders of Israel are greedy after the things of this world. If you ask them if they are ready to build up the kingdom of God, their answer is prompt—”Why, to be sure we are, with our whole souls; but we want first to get so much gold, speculate and get rich, and then we can help the church considerably. We will go to California and get gold, go and buy goods and get rich, trade with the emigrants, build a mill, make a farm, get a large herd of cattle, and then we can do a great deal for Israel.

I have heard this many times from friends and relatives, but it is hokum. What they are saying is, “If God will give me a million dollars, I will let him have a generous cut of it.””

I’ve also heard more than a few people mention some rich people in the church or elsewhere who seem to give more to charity than the rest of us

All of that is completely debunked with Luke 21: 1-4

“And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury.

And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites.

And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all:

For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.”

In other words Jesus isn’t impressed with the crumbs of the rich but in the sacrifice of all you have.