If there's a church out there that spends more time and effort in religious settings discussing financial matters with its membership than the LDS Church does, I'd like to see it.  Debt and proper financial management (not to mention gambling) are frequent topics in General Conference and other settings.

I attended a stake fireside some years ago where the entire focus from start to finish was managing money.  I don't think the name of Jesus Christ was referenced once in any of the talks, other than in the standard closing tag.  Undoubtedly, this emphasis on purely secular matters of financial management will be off-putting for some towards a church that ostensibly should be more concerned about spiritual things.

And yet, from D&C we can read:

Wherefore, verily I say unto you that all things unto me are spiritual, and not at any time have I given unto you a law which was temporal... Behold, I gave unto him that he should be an agent unto himself; and I gave unto him commandment, but no temporal commandment gave I unto him, for my commandments are spiritual, they are not natural nor temporal...  (D&C 29:34-35)

Are financial topics still spiritual topics at heart?  Considering that according to some accounts, an estimated 70% of divorces are linked to money problems in some way, if a principle gave one’s marriage a 70% greater chance of staying together, would that then be a spiritual topic?

All things considered, Latter-Day Saints should be the world leaders in handling money properly.  Church leaders discuss it all the time (J. Reuben Clark's remarks about interest--quoted again by Pres. Monson in a recent conference talk--has got to be one of the most widely quoted statements by any GA in Church history...), and most Church members have regularly read the principle in the Book of Mormon about seeking first the kingdom of God before you seek for riches (see Jacob 2:18)

Reality is a little different, though.  Bankruptcy is high in Utah, many members struggle with money matters, and--worse than that--seem oddly preoccupied with money, to the extent that there's a lot of borrowing, and chasing after 'get-rich-quick' schemes, more than you might expect for being a 'spiritual' people.  New 'Quick cash' locations seem to pop up here in Utah Valley every month, not to mention various multi-level marketing companies that represent nothing more than complex pyramid schemes have taken root throughout the valley as well.  (Not technically 'scams' as they offer genuine products and are usually upfront about their terms, but still a little questionable ethically-speaking, and not a wise investment.)

There are a few possible reasons for this:

World influence:  Probably the simplest explanation.  Church members aren't made of stone.  They live in the real world just like everyone else--getting caught up in the secular luxuries that society pushes upon them: new flatscreen plasma TVs, iPods, nicer cars, etc.  And when you get two to three new credit card applications in the mail every week and/or hear about great (interest-only, adjustable rate) loans, it's hard not to be tempted to take the plunge and buy things.
 
Young families:  More of a strictly LDS issue.  In the secular world (middle class and above, anyway) people rarely start a family before the college degree is in hand and a 'real' job is in place.  In LDS culture, on the other hand, you'll frequently find 21-year-old freshly returned missionaries getting married and having their first kid before they are even a sophomore in college--years away from that first 'real' job ...and 'real' income.

One cannot underestimate the pressure that financial struggles can bring, especially the LDS men who, by divine decree, are given the primary responsibility to earn money for the family.

As a single guy, I could sleep in a tent if I had to, and I’d be okay.  Financial struggles weren’t that worrying.  Under no circumstances, though, would I be letting my wife and kids sleep in a tent--for an LDS male, that's one of the most emasculating things imaginable—and I know that's not a unique opinion among LDS men.  Guys with families have much greater financial needs…and thus greater financial worries.
 
It's understandable, then, that the temptation would be there to find some way to get more money faster.  Not to buy a yacht, or a gold-encrusted watch, but for family security and support.  No one wants to struggle day after day with a $7.50 an hour college student job for years and years, while going to school at the same time, and having a wife and kids to feed.

Would LDS families in such positions be more susceptible to 'special offers', which claim you can earn four to five figures a month with only a little work...after you pay the entry fee, of course.  Who wouldn’t be tempted by those interest-only adjustable loans with such a low monthly payment—don’t my wife and kids deserve a nice house with a yard to live rather than in someone’s basement apartment?

(We know a 'struggling student' couple where the husband joined a local sales organization where you have to pay $1000 up front and $100 a month for the 'privilege' of selling their products.  Surprise, surprise—it has been very difficult for him to sell enough to make up his expenses every month...  Why job offers that require you to pay money to work don't send great big red warning lights flashing above the heads of more people is a real mystery.   Seriously, is there that big a difference between jobs like these and simply buying $100 worth of lottery tickets each month, hoping for that one big score?)

Entitlement:  This one is harder to quantify, but on a psychological level I believe this can be a real factor in the lives of many Saints.  A guy will think: I've served a mission, I got married in the temple, I pay my tithing, my wife stays at home and takes care of the kids instead of working like she's 'supposed' to.  I'm doing everything right.  I should not be struggling financially.  The Lord owes me.

You see, this person has read the scriptures saying money isn't that important...but he's also read the scripture in Malachi that says the windows of heaven will be opened such that they won't have room to receive it all.  (And he isn’t convinced that the reference is only to spiritual riches)

And he's read the passage immediately after Jacob says 'before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God' which says: "after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches, if ye seek them;" (Jacob 2:19)  And he knows that that scripture is almost certainly not a reference to only ‘spiritual riches’ given the context.

It's easy for righteous men and women to think that they should be entitled to some measure of financial success: If it’s the Lord’s will that the husband provide for his family, isn’t he entitled to some tangible blessings of wealth on occasion?

Perhaps that is one reason that when those aforementioned 'get rich quick' schemes come along, the temptation is there to think, "This is the Lord blessing me with an opportunity for wealth as a reward for my righteousness.  This must be on the level...after all, the people who founded this MLM company and who are giving me this offer are all Church members!'

My wife and I have been there: we've been approached by two or three different members of our ward who discuss the great company they are involved in and how with a little effort we can be making money selling great products like them.  We recognize that being involved in a religious community built on trust makes it easy to think ‘hey, I’ve got tons of people I can recruit and sell to’.  Are Church members perhaps too trusting that their fellow ward members have their best interests at heart when money and business becomes involved?
 
Money management is, admittedly, very difficult to learn for anyone--requiring as it does both discipline and patience.  However, the fact remains: I would expect the LDS community to be clear leaders in the financial management world, and I’m not sure we’re there.  There is more to proper financial planning than simply “not gambling”.  Or, stated another way, “gambling” can take on other forms beyond slot machines and lottery tickets.