Our Responsibility As Citizens

“We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers and magistrates, in obeying, honoring and sustaining the law.”

In the light of this declaration every real Latter-day Saint is a good citizen. He is loyal to civil authority, an observer of law, a supporter of those who make and enforce the law. But this is not all. Good citizenship requires something more of a person than to be loyal to authority and to be law-abiding.

We are living under democratic forms of government. This puts certain responsibilities upon the shoulders of the citizens, upon those who enjoy the privileges of the franchise. The voters elect the officers, those who make, interpret, and execute the laws. The government will, therefore, be good or bad depending on the character, wisdom, ability and efficiency of its officers. To have a good government we must have good officers, and to have good officers the voters must do, their duty. They must enter politics, that is, take an active part in all those forms, processes and functions needful to elect and stand by and support good officers.

The government cannot be left to, professional politicians to elect themselves and to rule in their selfish interests. If this were done the people would suffer from unjust laws, unjustly and oppressively administered. Experience abundantly testifies to this truth.

Source: Elder Joseph F. Merrill
General Conference, October 1932

Topics: Citizenship; Politics

Know The Truth And Follow It

Now, if a citizen is to do well his part in securing good government he must be well informed on public questions and problems. The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that man cannot be saved in ignorance and that the glory of God is intelligence. These are fundamental doctrines with us. Hence to please our Father in heaven, we must continually strive for wisdom, knowledge, intelligence we must keep growing in God-like attributes.

Can we vote intelligently and wisely unless we are informed on the questions and candidates at issue? But does not good citizenship require us to vote in this manner? I think so. We then should make a careful study of these questions, study them open-mindedly and as fully and deeply as circumstances will permit. To do this we must not be bound by a spirit of partisanship. Principles and policies should guide us rather than self-seeking politicians. We should follow the truth rather than deceptive propaganda.

But how shall we know the truth? Learn all the facts pertaining to the case, interpret them fairly, justly, truthfully, and with a sincere desire to be wise and to act for the best good of all, at least for the majority. Then we shall not be far from the truth. Good citizenship requires that we shall not be carried away from a safe anchorage by misleading propaganda, fostered by selfish interests.

Source: Elder Joseph F. Merrill
General Conference, October 1932

Topics: Citizenship; Politics; Responsibility

One evening last May when I was passing through Butte, Montana. I read in an evening paper that the head of the Montana division of the women’s organization for national prohibition reform “appealed to the women of Montana to join and support the organization in its efforts to restore law and order, to safeguard the homes and family ties in the nation through prohibition repeal. * * * The direct objects of this women’s organization,” the state leader announced, “are the closing up of speak-easies, the abolition of gin mills and roadhouses; putting the bootlegger out of business, taking the profits out of crime, and the restoration of respect for law.”

All of them are perfectly worthy objectives and undoubtedly all good people will stand for them. But behold the means by which it is proposed to attain them! Did you ever hear of anything more deceptive? Yet many accept this propaganda, convinced that the objectives and the means are as logically connected as are cause and effect in the natural world. Of course this particular propaganda takes account of two facts. First, that people in general are very forgetful, and second, that millions of voters in America had not yet reached the legal voting age when national prohibition went into effect. From observation and personal experience they know little or nothing of the old saloon days and the almost intolerable evils, linked with, and attendant upon, the liquor traffic. And people are forgetful, very forgetful. Many of the older people now favoring the repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment seem to have forgotten the old conditions, and knowing that conditions today relative to liquor drinking are not so good as they ought to be, appear to be ready to “jump from the frying pan into the fire” as a result of the repeal propaganda.

Among other thing’s it is said that repeal will bring back prosperity, reduce crime, stop racketeering and do many other very desirable things. Experienced, as well as informed people all know that repeal will make all these matters worse, much worse, instead of better. But in times like these any propaganda that promises relief from present ills appears to many as does a straw to a drowning man—a safe support or a secure anchorage. Hence the condition of the times produces the very atmosphere in which wild propaganda of various kinds flourish.

Source: Elder Joseph F. Merrill
General Conference, October 1932

Topics: Prohibition

Seeking Government Help

But to return to our point—that of seeking help from the government, whether it be a local or national government. This search, of course, takes many forms. That governments in times like these (and in certain cases at all times) ought to give the help needful to keep people from suffering for the necessities of life. I do not question at all but think it entirely proper. I said there are many raids upon public treasuries. Do you believe this? If so, what are you going to do about it? We cry “reduce expenditures, cut down taxes.” Yes, we are all in favor of doing these very things except when it appears that doing them will adversely affect us. Then we face about, “Do it to the other fellows but not to us,” seems to be our attitude. Many illustrations might be given but thee will not permit me to do it. You can all name them yourselves.

“Soak the rich” is a popular cry, appealing to the unthinking multitudes who seldom stop to analyze it from the standpoint of right and wrong and to reason out what the consequences of such a policy would be. I refer to this cry as another propaganda that a good citizen and certainly a Latter-day Saint should carefully examine before accepting or having anything to do with it.

Source: Elder Joseph F. Merrill
General Conference, October 1932

Topics: Government, Spending; Welfare

Live Blamelessly Before The Lord

In these brief moments I refer to a few only of the propagandas with which the country is being flooded; and I do this for the purpose of urging all with whom I may have influence to live blamelessly before the Lord. To do this requires, I believe, that we shall be true and loyal to our respective governments, as well as to the Church of Christ, of which we are members. Membership in each organization carries duties and obligations. And to discharge these satisfactorily for our best good and for the best good of our fellow men and acceptably to God must we not be clear-headed, thoughtful, studious, well-informed, fair, just, unselfish, and have a love for God as well as for man in our hearts?

Source: Elder Joseph F. Merrill
General Conference, October 1932

Topics: Citizenship

The Law Breaker Of Today

The law breaker of twenty years ago was a cringing, shabby, repulsive creature who shyly attempted to hide himself in alley ways and other dark places. But conditions have changed. The law breaker of today is wearing fine clothes, flashy jewelry, he owns and drives high-powered speed boats and high-powered motor cars; his pockets are bulging with money. These are the racketeers, the gangsters, the bootleggers and kidnapers, who, equipped even with machine guns, have such power, influence and financial strength that they are actually threatening the very life of our government; they are undermining the foundation of our republic. Surely the citizens of the nation should be alarmed, they should be aroused when the very existence of our government is in peril.

Source: Elder Richard R. Lyman
General Conference, October 1932

Topics: Law, Respect For

Functions Where Law Is Broken

For many years I have sent a personal questionnaire to those for whom I have had opportunity to vote asking candidates for public office to advise me confidentially or otherwise whether or not they live in accordance with the law, whether they favor the enforcement of the law, and in addition I have urged them if elected to join me in a resolution not to participate in any function, social or otherwise, where the law is broken.

Source: Elder Richard R. Lyman
General Conference, October 1932

Topics: Law, Respect For

The condition of our country with respect to lawlessness and anarchy is such that John J. Pershing says, “We are at war!” that the conditions confronting the United States today are more serious than those we faced in France. (American Magazine, June, 1932, p. 15.)

Vote Only For Those Who Respect The Law

I appeal to you in this serious hour, when “we are at war,” when the conditions confronting us are more serious than those we faced in France, to cast your ballots for those candidates only who are law abiding, who have real respect for the law and who want it enforced. If the people of the country generally will vote for law breakers, if they will elect such men to public office, then with certainty will government of the people, by the people and for the people vanish from the earth.

Source: Elder Richard R. Lyman
General Conference, October 1932

Topics: Law, Respect For; Voting

God Have Mercy On Us

What strength, what value will there be in any law, even in that law which protects us in our property rights, if we degenerate to such a degree that the law breaker has to be arrested by a man who is equally guilty of breaking the law; that when he who is guilty is brought before the bar, that bar which is supposed to be a bar of justice, he has as his prosecutor a district, a city or a county attorney who is himself as guilty as the one he is to prosecute? What an unfortunate condition will prevail if we reach such a situation that the individuals who constitute the jury are as guilty of law breaking as is the man whose guilt they are expected to discover. And then finally, if in addition to all of this, the judge or the justice who occupies the exalted place upon the bench does not himself have respect enough for the law to live in accordance with its provisions, God have mercy on us, for when this condition prevails government of the people, referred to by Abraham Lincoln, will surely be perishing from the earth.

Source: Elder Richard R. Lyman
General Conference, October 1932

Topics: Law, Respect For

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