The accumulation of property is no guarantee of the development of character, but the development of character, or of any other good whatever, is impossible without property.

Source: William Graham Sumner
On Liberty, Society, and Politics (Liberty Fund)

Topics: Character

Cultural War

“One newspaper headline reads, “The Battle Lines Are Clearly Drawn for America’s ... Cultural War.” The article then asks: “Who determines ‘the norms by which we live . . . and govern ourselves”(?) Who decides what is right and wrong, moral and immoral, beautiful and ugly ...? Whose beliefs shall form the basis of law? ...

“Our (cultural) challenge is about ‘who we are’ and ‘what we believe’ “ (Patrick J. Buchanan, Salt Lake Tribune, 13 Sept. 1992, sec. A, p. 15).

Cal Thomas of the Los Angeles Times wrote that some see “the state as either equal or superior to God in human affairs. Theirs is an uninvolved god who trickles down blessings when we want them, but whose commands are to be ignored when he asks us to do something we don’t want to do.

“The fact is that our laws came from a standard of righteousness that was thought to promote the common good, or ‘general welfare.’ . . . That standard has been abandoned as biblical illiteracy has flourished, thanks in part to the state’s antipathy toward immutable and eternal truths.

“William Penn wamed, ‘If we are not governed by God, then we will be ruled by tyrants.’ One’s view of God and his requirements for our personal lives determines one’s view of the role of the state in public life....

“Benjamin Franklin ... observed that if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without God’s knowledge, ‘can an empire rise without his aid?’ “The late philosopher-theologian Francis Schaeffer wrote that ‘God has ordained the state as a delegated authority; it is not autonomous. The state is to be an agent of justice, to restrain evil by punishing the wrongdoer, and to protect the good in society. When it does the reverse, it has no proper authority. It is then a usurped authority and as such it becomes lawless and is tyranny.’ . . .

“This is what the culture war is about. It is a conflict between those who recognize an ... existing God who has spoken about the order of the universe, the purpose of the state and the plan for individual lives and those who think those instructions are unclear, or open to interpretation, or that God is irrelevant to the debate or doesn’t exist and we are on our own....

”(Thirty years ago) students could still pray and read the Bible in school, abortion was illegal and ‘gay rights’ meant the right to be happy. . . . The issue now is whether we will become our own god” (Cal Thomas, Salt Lake Tribune, 18 Sept. 1992, sec. A, p. 18).

No wonder Isaiah, speaking under inspiration, declared, “Neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord” (Isaiah 55:8). ...

Source: David B. Haight
General Conference, November 1992

Topics: Culture

Our Responsibility to America

If we are to protect this American base, we must realize that all things, including information disseminated by our schools, churches, and governments, should be judged according to the words of the prophets, especially the living prophet. This procedure, coupled with the understanding which will come through the Spirit of the Lord, if we are living in compliance with the scriptures, is the only sure foundation and basis of judgment. Any other course of action leaves us muddled, despondent, wandering in shades of gray, easy targets for Satan. If we fail in these pressing and important matters, we may well fall far short of the great mission the Lord has proffered and outlined for America and for His divinely restored Church.

Source: Ezra Taft Benson
Title of Liberty, pp. 88-91.

Topics: Citizenship

Politics of Freedom

Are we a political people? Yes, very political indeed. But what party do you belong to or would you vote for? I will tell you whom we will vote for: we will vote for the man who will sustain the principles of civil and religious liberty, the man who knows the most and who has the best heart and brain for a statesman; and we do not care a farthing whether he is a whig, a democrat, a barnburner, a republican, a new light or anything else. These are our politics.

Source: Brigham Young
Journal of Discourses 13:149.

Topics: Voting

Socialism

Thursday, 14.—“I attended a second lecture on Socialism... I said I did not believe the doctrine.”

Source: Joseph Smith
History of the Church, Vol.6, Ch.2, p.33

Topics: Socialism

Evils of Debt

Let us never forget that today we are in the biggest battle ever staged. Our opponent is socialism—the Welfare State—and the penalty of failure is enslavement. We must keep keep strong spiritually, morally and economically as individuals, families, communities and as a nation. Only in this course is safety.

Stewardship, not conspicuous consumption, Is the proper relationship of man to material wealth.

There may never be a more favorable time than now for most people to get their financial house in order so far as debt is concerned.

Yes, let us live within our income. Let us pay as we go. Let us “pay thy debt, and live!” Let us heed the counsel of the leadership of the Church. Get out of debt!

Source: Ezra Taft Benson
BYU - 1962

Topics: Debt; Socialism

True Statesmen

We have had Democratic Presidents, Whig Presidents, a pseudo-Democratic-Whig President, and now it is time to have a President of the United States; and let the people of the whole Union, like the inflexible Romans, whenever they find a promise made by a candidate that is not practiced as an officer, hurl the miserable sycophant from his exaltation, as God did Nebuchadnezzar, to crop the grass of the field with a beast’s heart among the cattle.

Source: Joseph Smith
1844, Documentary History of Church, Vol 6:207

Topics: Politics; Statesmanship

Government Welfare

We are placed on this earth to work and the earth will give us a living... 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.

Source: President David O. McKay
Church News 3/14/53

Topics: Communism; Welfare

Mission of the Elders

Besides the preaching of the Gospel, we have another mission, namely, the perpetuation of the free agency of man and the maintenance of liberty, freedom, and the rights of man.

Source: John Taylor
Journal of Discourses, Vol.23, p.63 - p.64, April 9th, 1882

Topics: Responsibility

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