Recently as I’ve studied the scriptures with renewed interest, certain topics and passages have continually jumped out at me. Those are succoring the poor and needy, and the importance of liberty. These topics may not seem to have much in common. But through studying these areas, I have gained a greater understanding of the importance of free agency, and the charge we have been given to care for those in need.
I never thought that Religion and Politics had much to do with each other. In fact, they seem to clash frequently. But through understanding some of my religious beliefs, I have restructured some of my political leanings. This has occurred by studying the founding principals of our country, and the conflicting plans of Satan and Jesus Christ.
In the news today, we hear a lot about bank and company bailouts, increased taxation of the wealthy, budget deficits, social welfare, nationalized health insurance and so on. Our country is deeply divided over social and economic issues. I’ve always tried to understand where people of opposing opinions are coming from. If we can first understand that most people hold firmly to their differing viewpoints because they believe it is morally right, then perhaps we wouldn’t judge each other so harshly. We all come from different backgrounds and have had different experiences-- which shape our individual worldviews. We need to respect each other and learn to carry on constructive conversation about our opposing viewpoints.
I live in the most Red state in the country. I was raised Republican but have always based my political viewpoints and decisions based on what I personally believed about certain issues, and not strictly on the Republican platform. I’ve had family members and friends express shock at my recent voting record. As certain news stories appear that upset my deeply conservative associates, some have expressed to me that they can’t believe I voted as I did…as if I single handedly put our current president into office. Let me first clarify a luxury I had. I live in Utah. The popular and electoral vote was going to the Republican no matter how I voted. With that understanding, I felt safe in voting for the candidate I personally liked best, knowing that if I turned out to be wrong, my vote had no affect on the outcome.
With that off my chest, I must confess-- my views have been more in line with socialists than I realized. As friends and family have passionately expressed to me their fears that our country is slipping into socialism, I’ve shrugged my shoulders wondering inwardly what was so bad about that? I didn’t know exactly what all socialism entailed, but if it meant helping the poor and needy at the expense of the wealthy, I was all for that!
I grew up in an environment where there was constant financial pressure. There were times when there was not enough food to eat. The phone line, electricity and water were shut off all too often. We’d run out of toilet paper and not be able to afford more until the next paycheck. This was a huge inconvenience!
We struggled. Yet both of my parents are some of the hardest working people I know. Despite having eight children of their own, they were always taking people in who needed a place to stay. This didn’t help their financial situation, but they take seriously the charge to care for the needy, widowed, orphaned and sick. They have shown true charity as they have given even when it seemed like that had nothing to give.
There were times growing up when we had to seek help from our church. We also were on food stamps and Medicaid. If it weren’t for Medicaid, my little sister would have died due to chronic illness that required very expensive treatment. Never during these times of assistance were my parents NOT working. In fact, during the worst period of financial stress, my father was working 3 jobs while my mother ran a daycare out of our home.
Needless to say, I bristle when I hear people verbally bash those in need of government assistance. While I admit that I’m sure there are some people who take advantage of social welfare programs, there are plenty who are hard working Americans who have simply fallen on hard times. These people have worked hard, paid their taxes, and through no fault of their own, find themselves in situations where they require help. It is humiliating for them to seek that help, but when you have hungry, uninsured children; what do you do? I’m grateful that those programs were available to us. Since that time, I am positive my father has more than paid back the welfare he received through payment of his taxes.
Growing up in a family where the lack of money was a constant source of stress and worry, it was hard not to envy those who seemed to have so much more. The worldwide gap between the ultra wealthy and the poor is enormous. Yet aren’t we all children of God? He created this earth for all of us, yet a few end up with most of its riches. I thought this was incredibly unfair. Especially when those with great wealth seemed to squander it on houses, boats, cars, jewelry and an excess of materialism, while other people in the world were starving.
The idea of taxing the rich to give to the poor just made sense. If the rich were going to be selfish and hoard all the wealth, they deserved to have some of it taken away in order to help those who had very little.
During recent political discussions, I have heard many conservatives rant and rave about the injustice of wealth redistribution. They complained about socialism creeping into our government and a new era of rewarding irresponsibility. During these tirades (See Fox News) they berate, insult and belittle the poor and the needy calling them “lazy” and “losers.”
The scriptures are perfectly clear when it comes to helping the poor and needy. King Benjamin taught:
“Ye yourselves will succor those that stand in need of your succor; ye will administer of your substance unto him that standeth in need; and ye will not suffer that the beggar putteth up his petition to you in vain, and turn him out to perish. Perhaps thou shalt say: The man has brought upon himself his misery; therefore I will stay my hand, and will not give unto him of my food, nor impart unto him of my substance that he may not suffer for his punishments are just-”
(Mosiah 4:16-17 emphasis added)
“And if ye judge the man who putteth up his petition to you for your substance that he perish not, and condemn him, how much more just will be your condemnation for withholding your substance, which doth not belong to you but to God.”
(Mosiah 4:22 emphasis added)
Alma also taught the people of the church to impart of their substance according to that which he had. And if they had more abundantly they should impart more abundantly. (Mosiah 18:27)
But there was a verse that I had never noticed before in my studies that really caught me off guard. After Alma’s counsel, he stated clearly:
“And thus they should impart of their substance of their own free will…”
(Mosiah 18:28 emphasis added.)
Now I apologize to those who so desperately tried to explain this to me. The point that people were trying to make was that it isn’t right for the government to FORCE people to help the poor. I heard the “force” statement, but what spoke louder to me was the anti social welfare sentiment. I wasn’t making the connection that forcing people to do anything, is against God’s nature. I know that the scriptures teach the importance of free agency and that God lost one third of his children in the pre-existence to Satan over the free agency argument. But I didn’t see the harm in taxing the rich to help the poor. After all, the rich would still be rich. And none of it belonged to them anyway, right? Everything belongs to God…BUT, if we are taught not to steal, then property rights must mean something to God after all.
As my mind began opening up to new possibilities, I started mulling over some of my socialist beliefs. I began to realize how similar they are to Satan’s plan.
Satan’s plan actually sounded pretty good. He would force everyone to be good so that everyone could return to Heavenly Father again. What’s wrong with everyone being good? Heavenly Father wanted us to all come back to him didn’t He? Why would God risk letting us choose if it meant that so many would choose wrong and never return?
In comparison, it sounds perfectly reasonable that those who have plenty should give to those who have little. Why should one man be hungry when another has plenty to share? Even better, if he refuses to share, which he probably will, just take it away from him and give it to the poor man. Let everyone be equal.
The key component to both arguments is that a man is forced to do good.
Free agency was so important to God and His eternal plan that he was willing to lose one third of His children to Satan. He was willing to send us to earth with no guarantee that we would all return. Yet he mercifully provided a way to return if we chose to follow His plan.
So now I understand the foundation of the argument against socialism, against government welfare, against excess taxing and spending. But yet I have benefited from government programs. How do I reconcile this? What would people do if these programs did not exist? Isn’t a little socialism okay?
Ezra Taft Benson answered this question in an article published in 1968 titled “The Proper Role of Government.” He stated:
“In reply to the argument that a little bit of socialism is good so long as it doesn’t go too far, it is tempting to say that, in like fashion, just a little bit of theft or a little bit of cancer is all right, too! History proves that the growth of the welfare state is difficult to check before it comes to its full flower of dictatorship. But let us hope that this time around, the trend can be reversed. If not then we will see the inevitability of complete socialism, probably within our lifetime.”
Socialism leads to communism. And once we enter that door, it is easy to keep sliding down the path-- giving up one freedom at a time. In recent years we have sacrificed our freedom and privacy for the benefit of our safety and security from terrorists. Now we are sacrificing freedom for the benefit of our economic security. After so many fought and died to gain our independence and freedom, we are gradually trading our birthright for a bowl of pottage.
A big part of the problem is that if we don’t appreciate and value what we don’t understand, then like Esau, we’ll easily trade it away for the hopes of something better or more immediately rewarding, not realizing that the thing we gave away was more precious than all the safety and security in the world.
In 1950, Mark E. Peterson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said about the Constitution:
“Nobody is going to risk very much to save an instrument which he does not understand, nor is he going to jeopardize his life or property to preserve principles he does not accept.”
I am actively studying daily, the principles of the founding fathers and the rights given to us in the Constitution. It has been an extremely rewarding experience to learn about the men that God himself raised up to establish our nation. Most Americans know very little about these great men. I have heard it argued that the founding fathers are irrelevant to our times because they presided over a nation that was significantly smaller, existed mainly on the east coast, and had completely different challenges and circumstances. These people fail to appreciate that if it weren’t for the divinely inspired constitution, they wouldn’t enjoy the rights and freedoms they have today, nor would they be living in the most prosperous nation in the world.
Wilford Woodruff said:
“Those men who laid the foundation of the American Government and signed the Declaration of Independence were the best spirits the God of Heaven could find on the face of the earth. They were choice spirits, not wicked men. General Washington and all the men that labored for the purpose were inspired of the Lord.”
I would challenge everyone to study the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence and history of the founding of our nation. We can’t appreciate something we have no knowledge about. Satan knows he can’t just sweep in and rip all of our rights and freedoms away in an instant. If a communist country attacked us for the purpose of taking over our country and gaining power and authority over us, you can bet every American would stand ready to defend their country, families, liberty and freedom.
Satan is more successful with subtle approaches. If he can successfully convince a few that they are doing mankind a great service by providing for the poor and essentially taking care of all temporal needs, then these men and women will benevolently pursue this righteous purpose by using means that the father of lies whispers into their ears. Compel, force, and coerce people to take care of the poor.
Satan doesn’t care about the poor, but he does revel in watching us lose our freedoms one by one. He doesn’t care by what means we lose those freedoms, as long as eventually we have lost the right to choose.
It is understandable that those who are not easily “lulled away into carnal security” and do not blindly think “All is well in Zion” are very angry. But I would caution them to be careful where they direct their anger. Do not heap the blame on the poor. Do not fling insults and ridicule at those who are working hard to support their families but still come up short. This kind of attitude does nothing to further our cause. In fact, it makes it easier for people to justify in their minds that they are absolutely correct…the rich won’t help the poor, so they must be forced.
Others become so fearful of the path they see us on that they over reach and talk about over throwing the government or seceding from the union. This goes against all reason and against the mandate of God. We are “One nation under God.” Those who wish to destroy the nation instead of seeking out positive ways to educate people about basic liberties are just as bad as those who would lead us to communism and just as dangerous. Oh how Satan loves to see the nation divided. No doubt the Civil War brought him great satisfaction. Again, he doesn’t care how we are destroyed. Any effective method will suffice.
There are so many good people throughout this nation. Despite our weaknesses, we are better than we give ourselves credit for. I know of many righteous and good families who are wealthy and give generously to those in need. They are shining examples of what Christ taught and how he wants us to live. If enough people with means did all they could to take care of the poor among them, what need would we have for government programs and social welfare?
My opinions and ideas are still forming as I continue to study the scriptures and the values and principles our country was founded upon. But I feel my thoughts are on the right path. Every news story I see now regarding a social or economic debate is easily solved in my head as I ask: Are we being forced, or do we get to choose?
Do we have any choice in big bank bailouts? No. They are using our tax dollars to bail out these companies. And if we don’t pay our taxes, we go to jail. That’s force. What about Universal health care? In theory it sounds good. Everyone gets health insurance. But who pays for it? Our tax dollars-- which all are compelled to pay.
Ezra Taft Benson gave a great example in his article on “The Proper Role of Government.” His argument is that the government cannot have a power that a single individual couldn’t have. People created and empowered the government. So any powers the government has can only come from the people.
“Suppose pioneer “A” wants another horse for his wagon, He doesn’t have the money to buy one, but since pioneer “B” has an extra horse, he decides that he is entitled to share in his neighbor’s good fortune, Is he entitled to take his neighbor’s horse? Obviously not! If his neighbor wishes to give it or lend it, that is another question. But so long as pioneer “B” wishes to keep his property, pioneer "A" has no just claim to it.
If “A” has no proper power to take “B’s” property, can he delegate any such power to the sheriff? No. Even if everyone in the community desires that “B” give his extra horse to “A”, they have no right individually or collectively to force him to do it. They cannot delegate a power they themselves do not have. This important principle was clearly understood and explained by John Locke nearly 300 years ago:
“For nobody can transfer to another more power than he has in himself, and nobody has an absolute arbitrary power over himself, or over any other, to destroy his own life, or take away the life of property of another.” (Two Treatises of Civil Government, II, 135; P.P.N.S. p. 93)
In regards to social issues: Does the government have a right to say who can or can’t marry? No. People have the right to pursue whatever course brings them happiness. But as we’ve seen by example in states that have legalized same-sex marriage, if a pastor, priest or bishop refuses to perform such marriages that have now been deemed legal, then they are breaking the law. So in essence they can be forced to do something they believe to be morally wrong.
As Thomas Jefferson spent 17 days working on the rough draft of the Declaration of Independence, he struggled tirelessly to include a least eight of the “ancient principles” he had come to admire. Among these principles he held to was the following:
“Among the most important of the unalienable rights are the right to life, the right to liberty, and the right to pursue whatever course of life a person may desire in search of happiness, so long as it does not invade the inherent rights of others.”
People have the right to live their lives in ways others may find to be morally wrong. But that is their right. However, once their rights invade the inherent rights of others, that is unconstitutional. A person could not force another person to perform a marriage they feel is morally wrong. The government certainly has no right to do so either!
The same goes for abortion. Yes a mother has a right to do whatever she wants with her body. However, when her rights infringe on another human being, namely the unborn baby, then her rights end. Satan has been tricky in trying to get around this argument since everyone believes that murder is wrong. He merely puts into question whether or not a fetus is a person at all.
We live in a choice and Promised Land. God has actively preserved this land as a place of freedom and liberty for the sole purpose of building the kingdom of God upon the earth. How could it happen in a place where there was no religious freedom? We must be active participants in preserving that liberty, especially as it is threatened on every hand with obvious brutal attack--and more subtle and crafty worldly reasonings that are formed for the express purpose of destroying our freedoms one by one. We must study the constitution so we understand what our rights are. We must be active in our communities and not stand by the side in hopes that someone else will take up the banner of freedom for us.
Elder John A. Widtsoe stated:
“The troubles of the world may largely be laid at the doors of those who are neither hot nor cold; who always follow the line of least resistance; whose timid hearts flutter at taking sides for truth. As in the great Council in the heavens, so in the Church of Christ on earth, there can be no neutrality.” (lbid., p 440)
I’ve always loved my country. But I grow to love her more everyday. I have a greater appreciation for those who sacrificed their lives for the freedom I enjoy. Let us not dishonor their sacrifice by letting these rights slip away because we think we can get something better in return. My generation has not held the same passion and fervor for this great nation as that of my parents and grandparents. But I see that changing. I see people my age becoming aware of what is happening, and striving to educate themselves. Let us all take up the banner of liberty and preserve this great country that the Lord has created for us and never take for granted these sacred freedoms and liberties.
Sources
Kimber, Glenn J., and Julianne S. Kimber. America In History and Prophecy
God-Family-Country Publishing, 2007.
The Book of Mormon. Salt Lake City, UT. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1981.
Benson, Ezra Taft. “The Proper Role of Government” http://www.libertythroughcapitalism.com
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