“God Governs in the Affairs of Men”

This country has enjoyed the blessings that it does, because of reliance upon the Lord. Only a year later—1787—our great Constitution was drafted. I wonder how many in this congregation have read the Constitution in the last ten years? I want to tell you, brethren and sisters, it is the charter that stands between us and slavery, and it would be well for us to think upon that. May I read what Benjamin Franklin said about it. He said this at the time when debate was acrimonious, and there was dissension in the Congress:

“I have lived, sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth: that God governs in the affairs of men. Arid if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid?

“We have been assured, sir, in the sacred writings, that “except the Lord build the house they labor in vain that build it.” I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without His concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel. We shall be divided by our little partial local interests; our projects will be confounded, and we ourselves shall become a reproach and a by-word down to future ages. And what is worse, mankind may hereafter from this unfortunate instance, despair of establishing governments by human wisdom, and leave it to chance, war, and conquest.

“I, therefore, beg leave to move that henceforth prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessings on our deliberations, be held in this Assembly every morning before we proceed to business, and that one or more of the clergy of this city be requested to officiate in that service.”

Source: Elder Joseph F. Smith
General Conference, April 1946

Topics: Citizenship; Responsibility

Since the beginning of time man has been counseled to earn his own way, thereby becoming self-reliant. It is easy to understand the reason why the Lord places so much emphasis on this principle when we come to understand that it is tied very closely to freedom itself.

On this subject, Elder Albert E. Bowen said,

“The Lord must want and intend that His people shall be free of constraint whether enforceable or only arising out of the bindings of conscience.... That is why the Church is not satisfied with any system which leaves able people permanently dependent, and insists, on the contrary, that the true function and office of giving, is to help people [get] into a position where they can help themselves and thus be free.” (The Church Welfare Plan, Gospel Doctrine manual, 1946, p. 77.)

Many programs have been set up by well-meaning individuals to aid those who are in need. However, many of these programs are designed with the shortsighted objective of “helping people,” as opposed to “helping people help themselves.” Our efforts must always be directed toward making able-bodied people self-reliant.

I clipped the following article from the Reader’s Digest some time ago and have told it before, but it bears repeating. It reads: `In our friendly neighbor city of St. Augustine great flocks of sea gulls are starving amid plenty. Fishing is still good, but the gulls don’t know how to fish. For generations they have depended on the shrimp fleet to toss them scraps from the nets. Now the fleet has moved.

“The shrimpers had created a Welfare State for the . . . sea gulls. The big birds never bothered to learn how to fish for themselves and they never taught their children to fish. Instead they led their little ones to the shrimp nets.

“Now the sea gulls, the fine free birds that almost symbolize liberty itself, are starving to death because they gave in to the `something for nothing’ lure! They sacrificed their independence for a hand-out.

“A lot of people are like that, too. They see nothing wrong in picking delectable scraps from the tax nets of the U.S. Government’s `shrimp fleet.’ But what will happen when the Government runs out of goods? What about our children of generations to come?

“Let’s not be gullible gulls. We ... must preserve our talents of self-sufficiency, our genius for creating things for ourselves, our sense of thrift and our true love of independence.” (“Fable of the Gullible Gull,” Reader’s Digest, Oct. 1950, p. 32.)

The practice of coveting and receiving unearned benefits has now become so fixed in our society that even men of wealth, possessing the means to produce more wealth, are expecting the government to guarantee them a profit. Elections often turn on what the candidates promise to do for voters from government funds. This practice, if universally accepted and implemented in any society, will make slaves of its citizens.

We cannot afford to become wards of the government, even if we have a legal right to do so. It requires too great a sacrifice of self-respect and in political, temporal, and spiritual independence.

In some countries it is extremely difficult to separate earned from unearned benefits. However, the principle is the same in all countries: We should strive to become self-reliant and not depend on others for our existence.

Source: Marion G. Romney
Welfare Session of October 1982 General Conference

Topics: Socialism; Welfare

Self-Reliance

This great principle does not deny to the needy nor to the poor the I assistance they should have. The wholly incapacitated, the aged, the sickly are cared for with all tenderness, but every able-bodied person is enjoined to do his utmost for himself to avoid dependence, if his own efforts can make such a course possible; to look upon adversity as temporary; to combine his faith in his own ability with honest toil; to rehabilitate himself and his family to a position of independence; in every case to minimize the need for help and to supplement any help given with his own best efforts.

We believe [that] seldom [do circumstances arise in which] men of rigorous faith, genuine courage, and unfaltering determination, with the love of independence burning in their hearts, and pride in their own accomplishments, cannot surmount the obstacles that lie in their paths.

We know that through humble, prayerful, industrious, God-fearing lives, a faith can be developed within us by the strength of which we can call down the blessings of a kind and merciful Heavenly Father and literally see our handicaps vanish and our independence and freedom established and maintained.

Source: Henry D. Moyle
Conference Report, Apr. 1948, p. 5.

Topics: Self-Reliance; Welfare

Maintaining our Freedom

What is our position today? Take, for example, public affairs. I read recently a comment of one of our national statesmen, Adlai Stevenson, “Our condition has nothing to do with any deficiency of technology or resources. It is a matter of people forgetting that political freedom can be sustained only by continuing individual commitment.” As he continues: “The great German poet Goethe, who also lived through a crisis of freedom, said to his generation ‘What you have inherited from your fathers, earn over again for yourselves or it will not be yours.’ We inherited freedom. We seem unaware that it has to be remade and re-earned in each generation of man.”

Source: Elder Henry D. Moyle
April 1959 General Conference

Topics: Freedom

The known propensity of a democracy is to licentiousness [excessive license] which the ambitious call, and ignorant believe to be, liberty.

Source: Fisher Ames
a framer of the bill of rights

Topics: Democracy

We have seen the tumults of democracy terminate . . . as [it has] everywhere terminated, in despotism. . . . Democracy! savage and wild. Thou who wouldst bring down the virtuous and wise to thy level of folly and guilt.

Source: Gouverneur Morris
signer and penman of the constitution

Topics: Democracy

Peace - A triumph of Principles

Peace must be a triumph of principles. Selfishness and lack of patience seem to block the way. We cry out today with urgency, “Have mercy, O Lord, upon all the nations of the earth; have mercy upon the rulers of our land; may those principles, which were so honorably and nobly defended, namely, the Constitution of our land, by our fathers, be established forever.” (D&C 109:54.) The respected Winston Churchill once said, “The day will come when...victorious nations will plan and build in justice and freedom a house of many mansions, where there will be room for all.

Source: Marvin J. Ashton
General Conference, October 1985

Topics: Peace

No Place for Fear

So among the Latter-day Saints, particularly, there should be no fears, even in a world where many people are concerned about atom bombs, the hydrogen bomb; where many are fearing Communism and some are talking fearfully of a depression. There need be no fear in the hearts of Latter-day Saints. People who live the gospel, who keep the commandments, who trust in God and do that which is right, need never fear because God speaks peace to the honest in heart through his Spirit. Said the Lord in the 11th section of the Doctrine and Covenants:

And now, verily, verily, I say unto thee, put your trust in that Spirit which leadeth to do good—yea, to do justly . . to judge righteously; and this is my Spirit. (D&C 11:12.)

Source: Elder Ezra Taft Benson
General Conference, April 1954

Topics: Fear

True Freedom

Someone has said, “There are two freedoms; the false freedom where one is free to do what he likes, and the true freedom where one is free to do what he ought to do.”

I think it is appropriate and timely to discuss some things as they are and can be, as well as to consider the difference between loyalty and disloyalty as pertains to the true and false freedoms.

First, loyalty to true freedom principles or causes embraces love, dedication, faith, allegiance, willingness to sacrifice, and many other qualities that contribute to achievement and happiness.

Disloyalty to true freedom principles or causes embraces betrayal, unfaithfulness, disaffection, sedition, infidelity, and other qualities that contribute to failure, destruction, and unhappiness.

Loyalty to false freedom principles can only bring delusion, a counterfeit happiness, and eventual destruction. False freedom principles include such things as the abuse of one’s body by the use of drugs, liquor, and tobacco, as well as sexual immoralities. False freedom principles likewise include the spread of communistic doctrine and protest by force.

In reality, true freedom can only exist in doing what is right, in being loyal—yes, in doing what we ought to do.

Source: Elder Franklin D. Richards
General Conference, April 1969

Topics: Freedom

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