Topic: Leadership, Matches 5 quotes.

We have heard men who hold the priesthood remark that they would do anything they were told to do by those who preside over them—even if they knew it was wrong. But such obedience as this is worse than folly to us. It is slavery in the extreme. The man who would thus willingly degrade himself should not claim a rank among intelligent beings until he turns from his folly.

A man of God would despise this idea. Others, in the extreme exercise of their almighty authority have taught that such obedience was necessary, and that no matter what the Saints were told to do by their presidents, they should do it without any questions.

When Elders [leaders] of Israel will so far indulge in these extreme notions of obedience as to teach them to the people, it is generally because they [the leaders] have it in their hearts to do wrong themselves.

Source: As published by Joseph Smith in the Millenial Star
Archive Volume 14, Number 38, Pages 593-595

Topics: Leadership; Obedience

We must have leadership in this nation whose voice will be clear; whose virtue, clarity, and certainty will give us the assurance that the course the government pursued under their leadership is right. Then we can put our whole heart and soul back of our government and sustain those who preside in government and feel toward them even as we do toward those who have been divinely chosen to guide and direct the affairs of the Church.

I hope and pray, my brethren and sisters, that we will not feel that politics has become so degraded that we are too good to participate. If any of us believe politics to be in that kind of state, we need only to enter into politics, go into it with our honesty and our integrity and our devotion to truth and to righteousness, and the standards will be raised. We cannot expect in this country a better government than the leaders are good, and so if we want a good government we must have good leaders. Let us participate in our mass meetings, in our party organization meetings, in our conventions; then when we go to the polls, we may have somebody worthy of our vote on our tickets.

May the Lord bless us to uphold and sustain the great Constitution of this nation and to maintain ourselves pure and unspotted from the sins of the world in all of our undertakings, and call down the blessings of our Heavenly Father upon us and upon our neighbors.

Source: Elder Henry D. Moyle
General Conference, April 1952

Topics: Leadership; Voting

Power In The Priesthood

We have the Priesthood of Almighty God, and if we are righteous and magnify it, and exercise it, there is no limit to what we can accomplish in the way of good, no matter how great are the mere numbers arrayed against us.

I pray that we may magnify the Priesthood, that we may have vision, that we may not be led astray by mere names, that we shall be able intelligently to examine governmental procedures, and that bringing our judgment to the matter of government, we shall have wisdom and unusual discernment in selecting men for office who will stand for government that is compatible with the gospel.

I have not heard of it, but I hope that in some of our international conferences the men who are our leaders are big enough to get down on their knees and ask for divine guidance. I have not heard that it was done at Casablanca; I have not heard that it was done at Washington; I have not heard that it was done in Quebec. It may have been. I hope it was. But when we can have men who realize that the solution to our problems must be in terms of the word of the Lord, then shall we have just government; then can we fight a just battle.

Source: Elder Joseph F. Smith
General Conference, October 1943

Topics: Christianity; Leadership; Responsibility; Voting

Duty Of Church Members To Be Leaders

There is still a tendency amongst us to place our hope and confidence for economic security in governmental and other welfare agencies rather than in our own industry. We have no business being carried away by the false panaceas of the world. We are the members of the Church of Christ. The Church and its members are to be leaders—not leaners—in the solution of the problems which confront us. We of the Church possess the “everlasting covenant, even the fulness of the gospel” (D.& C. 66:2), which is to be our guide in resolving all issues. On this subject the Lord hath thus spoken:

I have sent mine everlasting covenant into the world, to be a light to the world, and to be a standard for my people, and for the Gentiles to seek to it, and to be a messenger before my face to prepare the way before me. (D. & C. 45:9)

Source: Elder Marion G. Romney
General Conference, April 1943

Topics: Leadership

Integrity Fundamental

The foundation of a noble character is integrity. By this virtue the strength of a nation, as of an individual, may be judged. No nation can ever become truly great, and win the confidence of other peoples, which to further its own selfish ends will, for example, consider an honorable treaty as “a mere scrap of paper.” No nation will become great whose trusted officers will pass legislation for personal gain, who will take advantage of a public office for personal preferment, or to gratify vain ambition, or who will, through forgery, chicanery, and fraud, rob the government or be false in office to a public trust.

Honesty, sincerity of purpose, must be the dominant traits of character in leaders of a nation that would be truly great.

“I hope,” said George Washington, “that I may ever have virtue and firmness enough to maintain what I consider to be the most enviable of all titles—the character of an honest man.”

It was Washington’s character more than his brilliancy of intellect that made him the choice of all as their natural leader when the thirteen original colonies decided to sever their connection with the mother country. As one in eulogy to the father of our country truly said:

When he appeared among the eloquent orators, the ingenious thinkers, the vehement patriots of the Revolution, his modesty and temperate profession could not conceal his superiority; he at once, by the very nature of his character, was felt to be their leader. (Edwin Percy Whipple, Patriotic Oration, delivered in Boston, July 4, 1850.)

Men of sterling statesmanship, unknown or renowned, who strive to emulate his strength of character constitute today as always the greatest asset of our mighty and much beloved United States.

Source: President David O. McKay
General Conference, April 1943

Topics: Character; Leadership

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