Topic: Government, Matches 21 quotes.

American And European Ideals

“Governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed.” That also is God’s doctrine the doctrine of common consent, exemplified at every Church, stake or ward conference, where the names of the presiding authorities are regularly placed before the people, to see whether they will sustain them as their leaders and teachers. This they manifest by giving or withholding their consent.

Compare this doctrine with the notion once prevalent in European as in Oriental countries, that the king or hereditary ruler of a nation was the owner of that nation, the proprietor not only of the land, but of the people living upon it. They all belonged to him and he might dispose of them as he saw fit, not being accountable to any human power for his actions. When a reigning princess married the monarch of another realm, all her dominions and all her subjects went with her as part of the bridal dowry.

Source: Elder Orson F. Whitney
General Conference, October 1926

Topics: Government

Coercion In Government Not The Lord’s Way

The Lord Himself has always favored government by the people. You will remember that in the days of Samuel the Prophet the Lord instructed him to let the people have whatever form of government they desired. They clamored for a dictator, a king, and because the Lord respected the right of free-will and human choice, because He recognized the right of men to govern themselves, and that it is better that humanity be self-governed, even though they are poorly governed, than to be compelled to obey even the divine law, He told the Prophet to let the people have a king, a dictator, since they insisted upon it. And the Bible tells us that after the decision of the Israelites to have a king, their dictatorial rulers wasted the substance of the people, they took away their personality and their freedom, and oppressed them with heavy taxes and other burdens. Instead of making a government for the people, as in a democracy, the people became the subjects of the dictators who did not rule for the good of the many but to bring power, wealth and idleness to a few.

Our government is founded on the principle laid down by the Lord Himself: that a man is capable of self-government. This is in harmony with the divine intent expressed by the Creator when He said:

“Let us make man in our image, after our likeness and let them have dominion . . . over all the earth.”

This important statement of man’s right and ability to rule is expressed in our Declaration of Independence thus: “Governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed.” And no doubt those forms of government in which there is an assumption to rule without the consent of those who are to be governed are responsible for that forceful expression, “Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God.”

Source: Elder Richard R. Lyman
General Conference, October 1940

Topics: Free Agency; Freedom, Loss of; Government; Government, Ideal; Taxes

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