Wealth and Poverty are conditions associated with riches, learning, and need among the people. The people “began to be distinguished by ranks, according to their riches and their chances for learning”. Some were “ignorant because of their poverty,” while others received “great learning because of their riches” (3 Nephi 6:12).
In prosperous circumstances, people did not send away those who were naked, hungry, athirst, sick, or unnourished, and they “did not set their hearts upon riches” (Alma 1:30). Alma saw “great inequality among the people,” with some despising others and turning away from the needy, naked, hungry, athirst, sick, and afflicted (Alma 4:12).