Topic: Communism, Matches 23 quotes.

Three Systems of Plunder

The sincerity of those who advocate protectionism, socialism, and communism is not here questioned. Any writer who would do that must be influenced by a political spirit or a political fear. It is to be pointed out, however, that protectionism, socialism, and communism are basically the same plant in three different stages of its growth. All that can be said is that legal plunder is more visible in communism because it is complete plunder; and in protectionism because the plunder is limited to specific groups and industries. 4 Thus it follows that, of the three systems, socialism is the vaguest, the most indecisive, and, consequently, the most sincere stage of development.

But sincere or insincere, the intentions of persons are not here under question. In fact, I have already said that legal plunder is based partially on philanthropy, even though it is a false philanthropy.

Source: Frederic Bastiat
The Law

Topics: Communism; Law; Legal Plunder; Socialism

We are placed on this earth to work and the earth will give us a living. . . . It is our duty to strive to till the earth, subdue matter, conquer the glebe, take care of the flocks and the herds. It is the government’s duty to see that you are protected in it, and no other man has the right to deprive you of any of your privileges. But it is not the government’s duty to support you.

I shall raise my voice as long as God gives me sound or ability, against the communistic idea that the government will take care of us all, and that everything belongs to the government. . . .

It is wrong! No wonder in trying to perpetuate that idea, that men become anti-Christ, because those teachings strike directly at the doctrines of the Savior.

No government owes you a living. . . . You get it yourself by your own acts—never by trespassing upon the rights of your neighbor, never by cheating him. You put a blemish upon your character the moment you do.

Source: David O. McKay
Church News, 14 Mar. 1953, pp. 4, 15.

Topics: Communism; Responsibility; Welfare

Democracy alone cannot promise perfect freedom, but its freedoms promise opportunity. And those freedoms legitimize the privilege of an individual’s pursuit of happiness.

Yet freedom does nothing to guide that search. It is much easier to advocate freedom than it is to determine what to do with it. That is one of the challenges facing newly liberated countries.

Indeed, Fourth of July celebrations will be different this year. Throughout our lifetimes, many have understood freedom solely in terms of an ideological struggle. We have been taught to contrast freedom to bondage, liberty to totalitarianism, capitalism to communism, or democracy to despotism.

Now as communism has collapsed in some nations, and as new democracies have arisen, the tempo in the battle of ideology winds down. President Havel described 1989’s “revolutionary changes in Europe as those which will enable us to escape from the rather antiquated straitjacket of this bi-polar view of the world” (Address to joint session of the United States Congress, February 21, 1990).

The remarkable crumbling of communism now brings us to a new era of freedom without the foe to which we have been accustomed virtually all of our lives. But as the zealous fervor for communism wanes, so might the zealous fervor for democracy also fade. That risk is real.

Source: Elder Russell M. Nelson
Address given 1 July 1990 at the Freedom Festival at Provo, UT.

Topics: Communism; Democracy

The United Order

On February 9, 1831, at Kirtland, the Prophet received the first great revelation on the United Order. We find other revelations bearing upon that subject, the more important concerning it (though it was touched upon in many of the others) are sections 42, 51, 56, 70, 72, 78, 82, 85, 90, 101, and 105. The United Order has not been generally understood, and I think that I may repeat here again what I said on another occasion: that the United Order was not a communal system. It was an individualistic system. Every man was to own his own property. He was required, however, to give the surplus thereof for the benefit of the poor and for the building up of the Church. The United Order and communism are not synonymous. Communism is Satan’s counterfeit for the United Order. There is no mistake about this and those who go about telling us otherwise either do not know or have failed to understand or are wilfully misrepresenting.

The Lord tried us for three years to see if we could not set up the United Order; we could not. So then at Fishing River on June 22, 1834, following the dissolution of Zion’s Camp, the Lord told us that we should give up the United Order and that he would not reestablish it until Zion was redeemed, and that time has not yet come.

Between that time, June 22, 1934, and July 8, 1838, we again had no regular financial system.

On July 8, 1838, the Prophet prayed: “Oh Lord! show unto thy servant how much thou requirest of the properties of thy people for a tithing.” In response to that prayer the Lord gave the revelations now incorporated in the D&C as sections 119 and 120. In the revelation printed as section 120, the Lord said:

Verily, thus saith the Lord, the time is now come, that it [the tithing] shall be disposed of by a council, composed of the First Presidency of My Church and the bishop and his council, and by my high council [the Twelve]; and by mine own voice unto them, saith the Lord. Even so. Amen.

Source: President J. Reuben Clark, Jr.
General Conferenc, October 1943

Topics: Communism; United Order

The “Communist Manifesto” drafted by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels for the Communist League in 1848 is generally regarded as the starting point of modern socialism. (Ibid., p. 890.)

The distinction between socialism, as represented by the various Socialist and Labour parties of Europe and the New World, and Communism, as represented by the Russians, is one of tactics and strategy rather than of objective. Communism is indeed only socialism pursued by revolutionary means and making its revolutionary method a canon of faith. Communists like other socialists, (1) believe in the collective control and ownership of the vital means of production and (2) seek to achieve through state action the coordinated control of the economic forces of society. They (the Communists) differ from other socialists in believing that this control can be secured, and its use in the interests of the workers ensured, only by revolutionary action leading to the dictatorship of the proletariat and the creation of a new proletarian state as the instrument of change. (Encyclopedia Britannica, 1946 ed., Vol. 20, p. 895.)

Source: Elder Marion G. Romney
General Conference, April 1966

Topics: Communism; Socialism

The position of this Church on the subject of Communism has never changed. We consider it the greatest satanical threat to peace, prosperity, and the spread of God’s work among men that exists on the face of the earth.

Source: President David O. McKay
General Conferece, April 1966

Topics: Communism

We condemn the outcome which wicked and designing men are now planning, namely: the worldwide establishment and perpetuation of some form of Communism on the one side, or of some form of Nazism or Fascism on the other. Each of these systems destroys liberty, wipes out free institutions, blots out free agency, stifles free press and free speech, crushes out freedom of religion and conscience. Free peoples cannot and do not survive under these systems. Free peoples the world over will view with horror the establishment of either Communism or Nazism as a worldwide system. Each system is fostered by those who deny the right and the ability of the common people to govern themselves. We proclaim that the common people have both this right and this ability.

Source: President J. Reuben Clark, Jr.
General Conference, October 1942

Topics: Communism

I have been preaching against Communism for twenty years. I still warn you against it, and I tell you that we are drifting toward it more rapidly than some of us understand, and I tell you that when Communism comes, the ownership of the things which are necessary to feed your families is going to be taken away from us. I tell you freedom of speech will go, freedom of the press will go, and freedom of religion will go.

Source: President J. Reuben Clark, Jr.
General Conference, October 1941

Topics: Bill of Rights; Communism

The founders of this great republic had faith in the economic and political welfare of this country because they had faith in God. Today it is not uncommon to note an apologetic attitude on the part of men when they refer to the need of God governing in the affairs of men. Indeed, as has already been said, the success of communism depends largely upon the substitution of the belief in God by belief in the supremacy of the state.

Source: President David O. McKay
General Conference, April 1952

Topics: Christianity; Communism; Free Agency

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