Topic: Responsibility, Matches 82 quotes.

Let me add one final stop to your American journey. The place—Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia the tomb of America’s unknown soldier. Today the remains of three servicemen from three wars lie there. The inscription reminds us, “Here rests in honored glory an American soldier known but to God.” There are in addition 4,724 other unknown servicemen buried in Arlington, and all across the nation and the world. I have seen the crosses, row upon row, marking the places where lie America’s honored dead, literally in the thousands. What did it cost them that this nation might remain “the land of liberty”? How shall we honor them, you and I?

In two ways it seems to me: First, by striving to make our citizenry the righteous people the Lord requires of us. And second, by telling the story of what the Lord has done for you and me and this great church, and why.

Source: Elder Paul H. Dunn
General Conference, October 1975

Topics: Responsibility

In a despotism, an absolute monarchy, where the king rules, and the people only submit, great is the obligation of the king, but the individual citizen’s obligation is correspondingly less. In our own government, where the people rule, each individual citizen is a ruler in the nation and great is his responsibility; great are the obligations that rest upon him by reason of that citizenship, for he himself is a ruler, a sovereign, and helps to form and fashion the government of which he is one of its rulers. If we have good government it is because the individual citizens are good. If we have a bad government it is because the individual citizens are bad. That applies not only to the nation at large, but to the state, to the county and to the city.

Source: Elder Rulon S. Wells
General Conference, October 1921

Topics: Government, Forms of; Responsibility

We should continue to speak out for freedom and against socialism and communism as President McKay has consistently admonished us. We should continue to come to the aid of patriots, programs and organizations which are trying to save our Constitution through every legal and moral means possible.

Source: Elder Ezra Taft Benson
General Conference, October 1963

Topics: Citizenship; Responsibility

[W]e should help those who have been deceived or who are misinformed to find the truth. Unless each person who knows the truth will “stand up and speak up” it is difficult for the deceived or confused citizen to find his way back.

Source: Elder Ezra Taft Benson
General Conference, October 1961

Topics: Responsibility

[W]e should not make the mistake of calling people “communist” just because they happen to be helping the communist cause. Thousands of patriotic Americans, including a few Latter-day Saints, have helped the communists without realizing it. Others have knowingly helped without joining the party. The remedy is to avoid name-calling, but point out clearly and persuasively how they are helping the communists.

Source: Elder Ezra Taft Benson
General Conference, October 1961

Topics: Education; Responsibility

[E]ach member of the priesthood should set his own house in order. This should include:

1. Regular family prayer, remembering especially our government leaders.

2. Getting out of debt.

3. Seeing that each member of the family understands the importance of keeping the commandments.

4. Seeing that the truth is shared with members of the family, with neighbors, and with associates.

5. Seeing that each member is performing his duties in the priesthood, in the auxiliary organizations, in the temple, and in the civic life of the community.

6. Seeing that every wage earner in the home is a full tithepayer and fulfilling other obligations in financial support of the kingdom.

7. Providing a one-year supply of essentials.

In doing these things a member of the Church is not only making himself an opponent of the adversary, but a proponent of the Lord.

Source: Elder Ezra Taft Benson
General Conference, October 1961

Topics: Responsibility

All of us as Americans have a patriotic responsibility not to contribute to the inflation danger by needlessly building still higher the mountain of total debt. All of us as individuals—and above all, as members of families—have an obligation in conscience not to mismanage our resources.

Yes, there is a tendency for all of us to want to “keep up with the Joneses,” but even though our income is low we have plenty of company. This should make it easier to live within our income and resist borrowing from the future except in cases of necessity—never for luxuries.

Source: Elder Ezra Taft Benson
General Conference, April 1957

Topics: Economics; Responsibility

Intelligent Voting Commended

Brethren and sisters, the obligations of American citizenship are numerous and sometimes heavy. But to a genuine Latter-day Saint, diligently trying to keep the commandments of God, it is a real pleasure to bear these responsibilities. May I remind you that among the greatest of them is the duty of wise voting. Perhaps few, if any, of us fully meet this responsibility. To do so we must keep ourselves informed of the necessary pertinent facts relative to candidates, remain free from the influence of prejudice and all deceptive propaganda, give no support of any kind to demagogues and their deceptive promises, but be willing to labor and to sacrifice as much as necessary that our government and our country shall be kept free from the hands of those who would despoil them.

Source: Elder Joseph F. Merrill
General Conference, October 1940

Topics: Mass Media; Responsibility; Voting

When we look down one hundred years and see the origin of our Constitution, when we contemplate all its trials and triumphs, when we realize how completely the principles upon which it is based have met every national need and every national peril, how devoutly should we say with Franklin, ‘God governs in the affairs of men,’ and how solemn should be the thought that to us is delivered this ark of the people’s covenant and to us sealed with the test of a century. It has been found sufficient in the past, and it will be found sufficient in all the years to come, if American people are true to their sacred trust. Another centennial day will come, and millions yet unborn will inquire concerning our stewardship and the safety of the Constitution. God grant they may find it unimpaired; and as we rejoice to-day in the patriotism and devotion of those who lived one hundred years ago, so may those who follow us rejoice in our fidelity and love for Constitutional liberty.

Source: President Grover Cleveland
in Philadelphia at the centennial exercises in honor
of the drafting of the Constitution in 1887

Topics: America, Future; America, History; Responsibility; US Constitution

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