America's Road To Socialism--Fact or Fiction? (Installment 3)

In the first installment of this four part series we reviewed what the latter day prophets have said about socialism. It is clear that the prophetic voice has warned us against the dangers socialism represent in undermining our free agency in the world.

In the second installment we took a brief look at the origins of socialism and the objectives outlined by the founders of this philosophy. We were able to see that much of what the early socialist thinkers outlined as hallmarks of a socialist nation have become visible in America over the past several decades.

Considering what has been laid out in the first two installments regarding socialism and the danger it poses to freedom and individual liberties, it becomes even more urgent that we determine whether it poses a legitimate threat to our country in our day. Are we indeed on a road to socialism in the United States of America today? There is an abundance of warnings circulating on the airwaves, in print, and on the Internet regarding the increasingly rapid move toward socialism we are experiencing today. In light of the warnings of the prophets in this dispensation, it is vital that we determine whether these claims are worthy of our attention, or if they are nothing more than exaggerated propaganda. It is my belief that the United States of America, the greatest beacon of freedom in all of human history, is being hijacked by those intent on ushering in a new age of socialism in this land. Whether you believe this or not is something you must determine by careful consideration of current events and through a thorough review of steps being taken by our federal government. As you are contemplating this important question, consider the 50 observations outlined in the following section. These are actual developments in our country that have been widely reported in the news media. I consider these 50 observations, along with many others, as evidence supporting the conclusion I’ve arrived at concerning the dangers to our country and way of life.

The following stories have been openly reported in major news outlets over the past two years. This is certainly not an exhaustive list of all milestones we have passed on the road to socialism. Undoubtedly there are many I have not included that are prominent in your mind. As you add your own observations to mine, the frightening path we are on becomes even more evident. These are listed in no particular order.

1. August 2008- Barak Obama proposes windfall profit taxes on oil companies. http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/08/obamas-proposed.html
   
2. October 3, 2008- Banks become subject to governmental controls by accepting funds from TARP (Troubled Asset Relief Program) under the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008.
   
3. October 13, 2008- The U.S. Treasury announced it would use TARP funds to assume equity stakes in nine major banks.
   
4. November 10, 2008- U.S. Government invests $40 Billion in taxpayer money to purchase preferred shares in AIG. Government now owns nearly 80% of the company. http://www.nydailynews.com/money/2008/11/10/2008-11-10_government_pumps_more_money_into_aig_inc.html
   
5. November 12, 2008- Secretary of Treasury Paulson announced no TARP funds would be used for the purpose outlined in the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act, which was to buy up troubled assets. This represents an entity of the federal government usurping authority not explicitly given it through proper legislation.
   
6. December 17, 2008- Secretary of Treasury Henry Paulson and Chairman of Federal Reserve, Bernanke coerced Bank of America to acquire Merrill Lynch. http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewarticle/articleid/2962840
   
7. February 4, 2009- President Obama announces cap on executive pay for banks who accepted TARP assistance. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/05/us/politics/05pay.html?_r=1&hp
   
8. March 29, 2009- President Obama “fires” CEO of General Motors. http://blog.heritage.org/2009/03/30/youre-fired-obama-fires-gms-ceo/
   
9. March 2009- Obama Administration and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geitner seek to be given authority to take control of any private company they determine to be a threat to the economy. http://abcnews.go.com/Business/Politics/story?id=7153542&page=1
   
10. April 21, 2009- Secretary of Treasury Timothy Geitner indicates he will not allow banks to repay TARP loans early, thereby maintaining governmental control. http://money.cnn.com/2009/03/27/news/economy/tarp_takeback/index.htm
    
11. April 2009- Obama administration gives mandate to Chrysler Corporation that they must merge with Fiat. http://www.denverpost.com/ci_12168835?source=rss
    
12. April 2009- Obama administration threatens to fire CEO of Citigroup. http://www.kxmc.com/getArticle.asp?ArticleId=365948
    
13. April 19, 2009- The Obama administration announces intent to convert shares the government owns in our country’s banks from preferred stock to common stock. This would give the government a voting majority in 19 private banks in the U.S. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/19/us-may-convert-bailouts-t_n_188784.html
    
14. Government will appoint the board of directors of the new Chrysler/Fiat merger. The majority of the directors will not be employees of either Chrysler or Fiat. The government appointed board will appoint a new CEO. http://www.denverpost.com/ci_12168835?source=rss
    
15. May 14, 2009- Official documents reveal that the nine largest banks in America were forced by the government to accept TARP bailout assistance whether they wanted it or not. http://article.wn.com/view/2009/05/14/US_forced_banks_to_take_bailout_money/
    
16. Ted Kennedy and Rep George Miller sponsor the ironically named Employee Free Choice Act, being co-sponsored by 225 Congressmen (222 Democrats, 3 Republicans) and 40 Senators (39 Democrats, 1 Independent). http://www.heritage.org/research/Labor/bg2027.cfm
    
17. Congress passes bill that targets taxation of AIG executive bonuses. This act represents government nullifying legally executed contracts. Passage of this legislation is also ex post facto, which is prohibited by the constitution (Article 1 Section 9). This action is an example of direct taxation against individual citizens who have not been convicted of any criminal wrongdoing. Add to these government usurpations of power the fact that both the Senate and the Obama administration were aware of the bonus contracts at the time bailout money was given. Additionally, no actions were taken against even more lucrative bonuses given to executives of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, both government agencies.
    
18. Cap and Trade legislation continues to be pushed in both houses of Congress to fight global warming. This would impose significant taxation on carbon dioxide emissions by energy producers and manufacturers. Global warming is being increasingly seen by many as nothing more than a vehicle to enact socialist inspired policies. According to the Heritage Foundation, “Cap and trade bills are nothing short of a government re-engineering of the American economy. And S. 2191, with its aggressive targets to reduce emissions from fossil fuel use, would put the nation on a path of serious economic harm not justified by any benefits”
    
19. May 2009- Government announces likelihood of becoming majority shareholder of GM, with speculation that ownership share could rise to as much as 70%. http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/05/27/likely-taking-majority-ownership-gm/
    
20. June 1, 2009- GM files for bankruptcy protection. As part of the restructuring, the government assumes a 60% ownership stake. http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSN3044658620090601
    
21. April 7, 2009- Homeland Security memo warns that those who don’t agree with a hard left agenda are extremist and pose a terrorist risk. This includes those who oppose abortion, illegal immigration, gun control legislation, expansion of social programs, same-sex marriage, as well as those who “stockpile food”, support U.S. sovereignty over one-world government, support state or local authority over federal authority, or recently returned from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. http://www.fas.org/irp/eprint/rightwing.pdf
    
22. April 23, 2009- Obama administration suggesting Miranda rates can be suspended in certain instances (example of taking away rights rather than protecting them). http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/23/obama-legal-team-wants-de_n_190852.html
    
23. Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi and other Democrats championing a return of the “Fairness Doctrine”, which would end conservative commentating on the radio airwaves. http://www.aim.org/aim-column/pelosi-support-return-of-fairness-doctrine/
    
24. The current budget from Obama administration increases entitlement programs by $700BB http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=111_cong_public_laws&docid=f:publ008.111.pdf
    
25. Moves toward socialized medicine in 2009 spending bill
    - $125MM more for government run community health centers ($2.2BB total)
    - $75MM to assist states in preparing to expand government healthcare
    
26. The 2009 Omnibus Spending bill contained 9,287 earmarks totaling close to $13 billion in taxpayer money collected from across the country. These funds would then be diverted to local projects. The earmark culture keeps Congress beholden to special interests and represents taxation without representation for citizens across the country. Imagine taxpayers from all 50 states contributing close to $6 million for the Kennedy institute in Boston, $2.5 million to renovate a building in Maysville, Kentucky, $4.75 million for a road in Montana, or $1 million to fight Mormon Crickets in Utah. http://www.heritage.org/Research/Budget/upload/porktable.html
    
27. 2010 census moved out of department of commerce and put under direct control of white house. http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/02/09/gop-sounds-alarm-obama-decision-census-white-house/
    
28. March 2009- Congress passes the “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009”, widely known as the second stimulus package (the first being the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 signed by President Bush on February 13, 2008) to deal with an economic recession. The cost of this package is over $787 billion. http://useconomy.about.com/od/candidatesandtheeconomy/a/Obama_Stimulus.htm
    
29. The 2009 Stimulus Bill allocated $24.7 billion to subsidize healthcare insurance premiums for unemployed.
    
30. The 2009 Stimulus Bill allocated $10 billion for construction of National Institutes of Health
    
31. The 2009 Stimulus Bill allocated $2 billion for Community Health Centers. CHC’s receive federal funding through the Department of Health and Human Services and provide low or no cost health services to low-income Americans. In many ways it is nationalized healthcare in embryo. There are currently over 4,000 CHC in the United States. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_Health_Center
    
32. The 2009 Stimulus Bill allocated $82.5 billion for aid to low income workers and the unemployed.
    
33. The 2009 Stimulus Bill allocated $19 billion for Health Information Technology. One of the primary purposes of federally funded Health Information Technology is to create a single database of patient information for all Americans. This gives government access to private healthcare information of every citizen. http://healthit.hhs.gov/portal/server.pt?open=512&objID=1211&parentname=CommunityPage&parentid=5&mode=2&in_hi_userid=10732&cached=true
    
34. The 2009 Stimulus Bill allocated $11 billion for smart grid technology.
    
35. The 2009 Stimulus Bill allocated $5 billion to weatherize modest income homes.
    
36. The 2009 Stimulus Bill allocated $2 billion for housing rental assistance.
    
37. The 2009 Stimulus Bill $8.8 billion to give to states to help with budgets. This fact should be particularly viewed in light of the quote by Elder Albert E Bowen, which essentially explains that by accepting federal stimulus dollars, states are surrendering a degree of their sovereignty.
    
38. Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) and Olympia Snow (R-ME) have introduced The Cybersecurity Act of 2009. This Act has several disturbing provisions, including giving the President authority at his discretion to shut down all Internet traffic, including privately owned and operated networks and gives the Secretary of Commerce “access to all relevant data concerning (critical infrastructure) networks without regard to any provision of law, regulation, rule, or policy restricting such access”. http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2009/04/cybersecurity-act
    
39. In his latest memoir, Barack Obama shares that he'd like to "recast" the welfare net that FDR and LBJ cast while rolling back what he derisively calls the "winner-take-all" market economy that Ronald Reagan re-ignited.
    
40. From 1990 to 2006 federal subsidy programs increased by 44%, from 1,176 to 1,696. http://www.cato.org/pubs/tbb/tbb_0611-41.pdf
    
41. The Obama Administration’s plan to reform healthcare will centralize more control in Washington and represent a huge leap toward true socialized healthcare, similar to what has been used in Europe and Canada. http://www.heritage.org/Research/HealthCare/bg2197.cfm
    
42. April 2009- President Obama continues to push for a restructuring of the college tuition assistance to make the federal government the only group able to lend money directly to students. Federal subsidies would no longer be available for private banks or other institutions to provide student loans. http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/04/24/obama-touts-plan-change-college-loan/100days/
    
43. Obama administration suggests mandatory civil service for youth ages 18 to 25. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0B7dOQwKm0
    
44. December 7, 2007- Senator Barack Obama introduced SB2433, also known as the Global Poverty Act. This bill will allocate $845 billion of U.S. taxpayer money to the United Nations. http://search.cnn.com/search.jsp?query=obama%20global%20poverty%20act&type=web&sortBy=date&intl=false
    
45. Barack Obama has suggested the government provide free childcare and universal preschool. http://www.education.com/magazine/article/Obama_Early_Childhood_Education/
    
46. Medicare Part D, signed into law in 2003 by President Bush. Under this program “Everyone with Medicare, regardless of income, health status, or prescription drugs used, can get prescription drug coverage”. The program cost an estimated $70 billion in 2007 and is expected to run 10 years costs of over $600 billion.
    
47. According to the Heritage Foundation in February of 2007, the long-term medical debt exceeded $32.4 trillion dollars. In fiscal 2008 Medicare benefits totaled $454 billion. http://www.heritage.org/research/healthcare/wm1344.cfm
    
48. May 21, 2009- Obama administration announces new automobile CAFÉ standards that must be achieved by 2016.
    
49. Legislation proposed to expand authority of FDA to increase oversight of the entire food distribution chain. http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/273479
    
50. Proposed taxation of drinks with sugar as an ingredient. This is just one of many examples of over-taxation to pay for expanding government programs. It also would set a dangerous precedent for government to expand taxation to other products it deems harmful. This type of action essentially reflects the attitude that citizens don’t know what is good for them, so government will use taxes to shape our behavior in a direction they deem to be in our best interest. http://www.reuters.com/article/bigMoney/idUS379000416120090512

After reviewing these 50 examples, it is hard to refute that there is a clear trend in the direction our country is taking. Even if only a portion of the 50 examples are actually brought to full fruition, the very intent to pass these various measures speaks volumes of the mind-set pervading our elected officials in Washington.

But perhaps the most disconcerting evidence of the general trend toward socialism in our country was manifest in a recent Rasmussen poll in which only 53% of respondents stated they believe capitalism is superior to socialism. The headline of an article covering the poll is significant. “New Poll Finds American Workers Turning Massively Towards Socialism: Unbelievable But True.” http://globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=13226

Returning to one of the most passionate and articulate defenders of freedom in the past century, Ezra Taft Benson stated the following.

“I do not fear the small, hard corps of subversives here in America so much as I do those who do not see the danger to freedom that is inherent in more and more centralization of power in government—and I fear especially those who do see the trend and don’t care.”

We can see the pattern toward greater government control and creeping (some may even say galloping) socialism that exists among our political leaders. It also appears there may be an emerging pattern among the citizenry of our nation who do not see the growing danger to our freedoms. If we will, we can take the steps necessary to open eyes and awaken the love of liberty that has become latent in too many of our fellow Americans. As we see these trends, I pray we will care. . . and stand up for freedom.

- Richard Parke

America's Road to Socialism -- Fact or Fiction? (Installment 2)

Let me apologize up front for the length of these posts. Now you can see why I divided this into four installments. Please bear with me and at least skim through the paragraphs. I think it will be worth your while.

In the first installment on the road to socialism in America we considered the question, “what have the prophets said about socialism?” It was clearly established that latter day prophets have been both plentiful and explicit in their warnings about the dangers of socialism (see posting from June 1).

This conclusion leads us to one of the most important questions we can ask ourselves at this time in history, “Is the United States really on a path that will lead to socialism?” In considering this question it is helpful to have an understanding of the history, origins, and tactics of socialism.

Brace yourself for a short tutorial on history. If you find this a bit tedious, skip ahead a couple of paragraphs. Otherwise, read on . . .

Some of the earliest socialistic philosophy surfaced during the French Revolution by Jean Jacques Rousseau and Gracchus Babeuf. Rousseau was a proponent of the state assuming responsibility for the needs of all people, and championed the equal distribution of wealth in order to accomplish this end. Babeuf asserted the idea that the poor should overthrow the rich and then distribute all property equally and hold it collectively. The Jacobin movement, also during the period of the French Revolution in the late 18th century, was another proponent of equal distribution of wealth and the state ensuring “social justice”.

However, the ideas that underlie the socialist philosophy really began to take shape and gain a following in the early 19th century, generally believed to be between the years 1820 and 1830. Charles Fourier and other utopian philosophers expounded the ideas of socialism as the manifestation of a perfect world. It was the followers of Fourier who brought socialism to the U.S. in an attempt to set up such utopian communities.

It is worth noting with extreme interest that the roots of modern socialism can be traced to the same period during which the restoration of the Gospel was taking shape. Consider that Joseph Smith received the First Vision in 1820 and the Church was organized in 1830. It is not difficult to beleive that as the Lord was restoring the true gospel to the earth, Satan would be in the process of establishing a great counterfeit in opposition to the “marvelous work and a wonder” transpiring during the same period. We know in the year 1843 that Joseph Smith attended multiple lectures on socialism by John Finch, a member of the first socialist society in America, founded in 1825. In response to these lectures Joseph Smith stated, “I did not believe the doctrine”.

The real strength of modern socialism came from the writings of two Germans, both infamous for inaugurating the era of communism. . . socialism achieved through revolution. Friedrich Engels and Karl Marx are acknowledged as the most influential thinkers in socialism as it exists today. The definitive work on socialism is The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx.

To really understand the phenomenon of socialism, and to begin to assess whether America is on a path toward it, we should look at the principles and strategy outlined in The Communist Manifesto. Referring to the Communist Manifesto, Engels wrote in the preface to the document “it is undoubtedly the most widespread, the most international production of all socialist literature.” There is little question that the goals, objectives, and tactics in the Communist Manifesto are the goals, objectives, and tactics of socialism.

Before we begin to take a quick look at the tactics Karl Marx outlined, consider the following statement Ezra Taft Benson reported to have heard directly from Nikita Kruschev in 1959. “We cannot expect Americans to jump from capitalism to Communism, but we can assist their elected leaders in giving Americans small doses of socialism until they suddenly awake to find they have Communism.”

With that in mind, it is worth pointing out that Karl Marx outlined 10 characteristics in the Communist Manifesto that describe a socialistic nation. He also suggests that in converting a nation from a democratic market-based economy to a socialist state, these characteristics should be pursued. Marx’s 10 points are as follows:

1. Abolition of propery in land and application of all rents of land to public purposes.
2. A heavy progressive or graduated income tax.
3. Abolition of all right of inheritance.
4. Confiscation of the property of all emigrants and rebels.
5. Centralization of credit in the ands of the state by means of a national bank with state capital and an exclusive monopoly.
6. Centralization of the means of communication and transport in the hands of the state.
7. Extension of factories and instruments of production owned by the state.
8. Equal obligation of all to work. Establishment of industrial armies.
9. Combination of agriculture with manufacturing industries.
10. Free education for all children in public schools.
    

It appears to me as if at least 7 of these objectives are already firmly entrenched in our country, or in some stage of implementation. Let’s look very briefly at a few of these points and how they may be manifesting in America today.

Graduated Income Tax- Many of our founding fathers warned against a graduated system of taxation as it distributes the tax burden disproportionately. They actually suggested excise taxes as preferable to a tax on property, including income, but specified that all taxation should be apportioned. There was a temporary income tax during the civil war, but it was a flat tax of 3% of annual income, and only lasted for 5 years. In 1887 the Socialist Labor Party in the U.S. began to lobby for a graduated income tax to be established. Coincidence??? The income tax as we know it today was authorized by passage of the 16th amendment in 1913. We have had a tax system advocated by Karl Marx since that time. While there is nothing inherently socialistic about income tax, and I believe responsible citizens should pay their income tax, a graduated tax that redistributes wealth is socialistic, and it is what we have in place.

Abolition of Right of Inheritance- H Verlan Anderson, BYU professor and later a member of the First Quorum of Seventy gave great insight into all of Marx’s 10 points. Specific to inheritance rights he explained, “by means of steeply graduated gift and inheritance taxes, this same result can be achieved. Large, medium, and even small estates can be destroyed upon the death of the owner by imposing a tax so high that the entire business must be liquidated to meet it. Under such a policy when a person dies, instead of allowing him to pass his property on to his widow and children, government confiscates the entire estate.” We have gift taxes, inheritance taxes (so called death tax), and estate taxes in place today.

Centralization of Credit/National Bank/Monopoly- The Federal Reserve bank was established in 1913 (1913 . . . really the entire Wilson era . . . was not a good time for freedom in our nation) by Woodrow Wilson. There is a monopoly in the management of credit, issuance of currency, and control of fiscal policy consolidated in the Federal Reserve. Our founding fathers, particularly Thomas Jefferson, warned repeatedly against the establishment of a national bank and surrendering monopoly control of the nation’s currency. Jefferson said that bankers represented a greater threat to freedom than standing armies. Lenin is known to have said that “the best way to destroy a capitalist system was to debauch the currency. By a process of inflation, governments can confiscate, secretly and unobserved, an important part of the wealth of their citizens”.

Centralization of the Means of Communication and Transportation- To be brief on this section, I’ll simply point out that rail travel in America is centralized under government control (Amtrak). The government is the majority owner of GM and Chrysler. New CAFÉ standards for vehicles threaten to put all car manufacturers in the U.S. out of business. They will not be able to compete with a subsidized GM that can operate at perennial losses, just as Amtrak does.

Equal Obligation Work/Establishment of Industrial Armies- Again, in an attempt at brevity due to the growing length of this post, I’ll simply suggest the political influence of labor unions. For some intriguing but disturbing information look into the twisted web of the SEIU (Service Employees International Union) and their ties to other shady groups such as ACORN.

Free Education for Children in Public Schools- I realize this may be a most controversial topic, due largely to the fact that public education is so thoroughly entrenched in our society. But consider whether there is a more powerful tool for socialist thinkers to propagate their message and establish their philosophies. While I think in Utah we have been insulated to a degree from the creeping dangers in public schools, there are many examples of the state deciding what is being taught and how, without input from parents. The “Big Bang” is taught as creation, organic evolution is taught as the origins of man, global warming is taught as the single largest public concern of our day, sexual alternatives are taught as virtues, abstinence is considered outdated and ineffective as compared to contraceptives, and religion and morality are prohibited. All of these examples are clearly outlined by Marx as essential to accomplishing a true socialist state. A recent news story out of California in which elementary school curriculum is now required to focus on the gay lifestyle is a case in point. Also consider that President Obama has suggested that all student loans should be administered by the government. This would allow the government to control who receives funds, which institutions the funds can be used for, what those institutions teach, and how the education should be targeted. As if academia was not severely skewed to an extreme liberal/socialistic agenda as it is. Please take note that in saying this I fully acknowledge that there are many very good and well-intentioned public school teachers. This is not an indictment on them. I have the greatest respect for many public school teachers, especially those in my own family. That does not negate, however, the powerful tool public education can be in the hands of socialist schemers, and that it is becoming more and more of a mechanism to this end in our nation.

Although there is MUCH, MUCH more that could be reviewed in connection with how the U.S. has moved sharply in the direction of what Karl Marx outlined as characteristic of a socialist state, I’ll let the foregoing suffice with one more quote, this time from the infamous socialist and first communist dictator of Russia, our friend Illyich Lenin.

Lenin said, "Corrupt the young, get them away from religion. Get them interested in sex. Make them superficial, destroy their ruggedness. Get control of all means of publicity and thereby: Get the peoples' mind off their government by focusing their attention on athletics, sexy books and plays, and other trivialities. Divide the people into hostile groups by constantly harping on controversial matters of no importance. Destroy the peoples faith in their natural leaders by holding up the latter to ridicule, contempt and obloquy. Always preach true democracy but seize power as fast and as ruthlessly as possible. Encourage government extravagance, destroy its credit, produce fear with rising prices, inflation and general discontent. Foment unnecessary strikes in vital industries, encourage civil disorders and foster a soft and lenient attitude on the part of government towards such disorders. By specious argument cause the breakdown of the old moral virtues: honesty, sobriety, continence, faith in the pledged word, ruggedness. Cause the registration of all firearms on some pretext, with the view of confiscating them and leaving the population defenseless."

What amount of this clever plan of Lenin's is abundantly evident in America today? Its a chilling thought! I believe it is clear from reviewing the context of socialistic strategy and tactics as outlined by the fathers of modern socialism, that America has started to go down a frightening road.

In the next installment we will review some recent developments in our nation that can be considered mileposts on the road to socialism.

One last thought before I close tonight. In looking through some commentary on a website in which hundreds of people blog and comment about the state of our country, I came across the following statement.

Apr 27, 2009, 4:23pm EDT

Well I agree its Socialism in a package called ‘Stimulus’, but keep in mind Obama’s administration has made no secret that socialism is their intent.

All I can say is Lord its in your hands.

For some reason I feel that God has people blinded for a reason.
Mooch

I pray none of us who believe in our country and the responsibility God has given each of us to stand up for what we believe to be right ever feel this way. It is left in the Lord’s hands only after we’ve done all we can. I don’t believe we’re there yet. President Hinckley admonished us to pray as if everything depended on the Lord, then go to work as if everything depended on us. It doesn't cut it to side-step our responsibility by just saying its in God's hands. I don’t believe God blinds people. I do believe He expects us to open our eyes.

Thanks,

Richard Parke

Sources:

http://www.historyguide.org/intellect/lecture21a.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communist_Manifesto

Book: "The Great and Abominable Church of the Devil" H. Verlan Anderson

Book: "The Red Carpet" Ezra Taft Benson

Prophetic Counsel In Our Day

I would like to thank each of you who have taken the time to read this blog. I will make every effort to publish well-thought out and well-researched posts. I hope you will continue to follow this blog, share it with others, and post comments about what you think regarding the subject matter.

As I began to immerse myself in the topic of liberty and our God given agency, I started to study the words of the prophets regarding the freedoms we enjoy in this country. The more I read the more I realized that the prophets and apostles in past decades have been very direct, explicit, and abundant both in their comments about freedom, as well as in their warnings about the threats we face in preserving it. This is clearly evident in the last posting on this site.

However, in the most recent past the warnings have not been as frequent, nor as direct. This was somewhat puzzling to me and caused me to do a great deal of pondering. After a few conversations with others who have expressed the same puzzlement, I thought I would take a moment and share some of the thoughts and feelings I have had on this matter. This is a case in which each of us need draw our own conclusions after making it a matter of individual study and prayer. Nevertheless, I hope the following thoughts on the matter can help direct your thinking and perhaps dispel some confusion.

Following are five thoughts you might want to consider:

First- The worldwide membership of the church has grown significantly in the past few decades. Whereas the majority of the membership was at one time centralized in the United States, it is now much more widely spread across the globe. In times past the message to the membership of the church could be directed primarily to citizens of the United States, and be focused on issues exclusive to our country. The brethren now must focus their comments and counsel to an increasing number of saints in other countries. It would not be wholly appropriate to reserve General Conference addresses for the saints in the U.S. only. Consider that, according to the official church website, there are 13.5 million members of the church in the world today. Only about 5.9 million members (or 44% of total church membership) are located in the U.S.

Second- We have been warned abundantly in the past of these very real dangers to our freedom. These warnings have been well documented and preserved, and are readily available to us today. Does what we have been given not suffice to properly warn us of the dangers with which we will contend in maintaining our freedoms? It sometimes feels like we are asking the Lord that if He’ll only tell us one more time, then we will believe and take action. If we are not prepared to heed the instructions we’ve already been given, will we be any more inclined to do so if the instructions are given yet again?

Consider the many warnings we have been given over the better part of the past 100 years about food storage. These warnings have become less frequent and less explicit in recent years. Do any among us consider this evidence that food storage is no longer an imperative? Of course not. We know that all the prophecies have not yet been fulfilled and our need to be self-sufficient in supporting our families is more important now than ever. It may very well be that the Lord has given so much warning of our need for temporal preparation that the prophets are now content to let the warnings of the past suffice, with occasional reminders to keep us on the correct path. Could this not be the case in reference to the preservation of our freedoms as well?

Third- There has been no reprieve whatsoever in the counsel to study and heed the teachings found in the Book of Mormon. This volume of scripture is replete with examples of governments becoming corrupt and the people losing freedoms. The Book of Mormon is but a small sample of the records kept by the Nephite nation over a span of 1,000 years, not to mention the records of the Jaredite civilization. As Mormon, who saw our day, was choosing what to include in the portion of the book we would receive, we cannot suppose he would waste precious space with things that would not be vital to us. We must then ask ourselves why he chose to include such histories as Captain Moroni’s struggle to preserve freedom, or of Amalikiah, the evil Nephite dissenter who used fraud and deceit to become king of the Lamanites and then sought to overthrow the freedom of the Nephites. Why did Mormon choose to include the accounts of secret combinations seeking to take over the government or of King Noah’s tyrannical reign over his subjects? There are clear parallels here between the words of the prophets in our dispensation. If it could be said 50 years ago that the Book of Mormon was written for our day, is it any less applicable today?

Fourth- I believe the brethren do continue to issue warnings about those influences that erode our freedom. They may not use the same direct language as the brethren used throughout the 20th century, but the warnings are most certainly there for those who have an ear to hear. Keep in mind that at various times the counsel of prophets has been given in such a way to allow only the spiritually attuned to comprehend their meaning. Even the Savior often placed His teachings within parables that required effort on the part of the listener to understand. If the Lord instructs his servants to speak boldly and directly at one time, and to refrain from a more direct approach at another, it does not minimize the importance of the message being delivered.

Consider the following examples.
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In the August 2005 issue of the Ensign, Gordon B. Hinckley stated the following.
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“The Book of Mormon narrative is a chronicle of nations long since gone. But in its descriptions of the problems of today's society, it is as current as the morning newspaper and much more definitive, inspired, and inspiring concerning the solutions of those problems. I know of no other writing which sets forth with such clarity the tragic consequences to societies that follow courses contrary to the commandments of God. Its pages trace the stories of two distinct civilizations that flourished on the Western Hemisphere. Each began as a small nation, its people walking in the fear of the Lord. But with prosperity came growing evils. The people succumbed to the wiles of ambitious and scheming leaders who oppressed them with burdensome taxes, who lulled them with hollow promises, who countenanced and even encouraged loose and lascivious living. These evil schemers led the people into terrible wars that resulted in the death of millions”
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Consider what President Hinckley is saying here. He may not have directly warned U.S. citizens to guard against creeping socialism in our nation, but he did warn against evil, scheming political leaders who oppress with burdensome taxes, issue hollow promises, and countenance and encourage loose and lascivious living. The presence of such political leaders led to the downfall of entire nations as chronicled in the Book of Mormon. I don’t find it difficult to relate this warning to the need to defend the political freedoms guaranteed by our constitution.

In 1999, President Hinckley stated the following.

“[The Constitution] is the keystone of our nation. It is the guarantee of our liberty. That original document, with the Bill of Rights, constitutes the charter of our freedom. Through all of the years that have followed we have had some ambitious men who have sought to subvert the great principles of the Constitution...”

To whom do we believe President Hinckley was referring in this statement, if not political leaders who pose a grave threat to our constitution and the freedoms it guarantees? Would President Hinckley take the time to outline this fact for us if there were not a reason for us to be aware?

Another statement from President Hinckley in 2007.

“[The war in heaven], so bitter, so intense, has never ceased. It is the war between truth and error, between agency and compulsion….His enemies have used every stratagem in that conflict. They’ve indulged in lying and deceit. They’ve employed money and wealth. They’ve tricked the minds of men. They’ve murdered and destroyed and engaged in every kind of evil practice to thwart the work of Christ.”
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The war between agency and compulsion is clearly seen in the efforts of collectivist philosophies based upon the fundamental premise of socialism. Proponents of socialism have indulged in lying and deceit. They have employed untold amounts of money and wealth, and they continue to trick the minds of men as they employ every kind of evil practice to achieve their ends. Do we not see in this a warning just as real as when President Benson warned us to eschew socialism in all its forms or spoke of secret combinations in our midst?
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Elder Thomas S. Monson, as a member of the first presidency stated the following in 1988.
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“We live in a complex world with currents of conflict everywhere to be found. Political machinations ruin the stability of nations, despots grasp for power, and segments of society seem forever downtrodden, deprived of opportunity, and left with a feeling of failure.”
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A political machination, it should be noted, is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as “a scheming or crafty action or artful design intended to accomplish some usually evil end”.

To whom do we suppose President Monson was referring in this statement? It would be unwise to assume that these political machinations apply only to other countries, but the U.S. is somehow immune to such evils. If we assume President Monson was speaking to us, as much as to citizens of other nations, is this statement so different in content from when another member of the first presidency, J. Reuben Clark, stated that our real enemy is socialism, which embodies everything President Monson spoke of?

There are many other examples that could be given, but I think the aforementioned suffice to illustrate that the content of the warnings from our prophets have not changed in recent times, even if the language has changed. We cannot become so dependent upon being spoon fed from our leaders that we fail to digest what they are putting on our plates.

“He who hath ears to hear, let him hear.” (Matthew 11:15)

Fifth- Perhaps more important than any other consideration, what has been said by the prophets is vital to our welfare both in this life and in eternity. I know of no instance of a prophet or apostle in our day stating that the words of prophets and apostles in the 2oth century relative to threats to our freedom no longer apply. Even if there was never another mention made by a living prophet or apostle relative to the need to preserve the freedom of our nation and stand against the tyranny that threatens it, would that lessen the validity of what has been said in the past?
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When the Lord gave instructions that the doctrine of plural marriage should no longer be practiced by the saints, a prophet of God issued a proclamation making this known to the world. Had such a proclamation not been made by a living prophet, the law of plural marriage would still be in full force. In the absence of a prophetic statement nullifying or amending what has been said by past prophets of this dispensation, we ignore their council at our peril.

The Prophet Joseph Smith stated that the Constitution of our land would hang as if by a thread, and only the elders of Israel would be able to save it. Until this prophecy has been fulfilled, I believe it would be unwise to trifle with the warnings we’ve received from prophets and apostles who have been called of God by revelation to minister to us in this last dispensation. If we do not give heed, how will the elders of this church stand up to preserve our constitution?

President Brigham Young prophesied that "when the day comes in which the Kingdom of God will bear rule, the flag of the United States will proudly flutter usullied on the flag staff of liberty and equal rights, without a spot to sully its fair surface; the glorious flag our fathers bequeathed to us will then be unfurled to the breeze by those who have power to hoist it aloft and defend its sanctity. How long will it be before the words of the prophet Joseph Smith will be fulfilled? He said if the Constitution of the United States were to be saved at all it must be done by this people."

If we fall into the trap of believing that what the prophets have said applied only to an earlier day, we will be unable as individuals, or as a people, to bring these prophesies to fruition.

Finally, Elder Ezra Taft Benson, as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, delivered an address in the April 1965 session of General Conference entitled “Not Commanded In All Things”. In this address Elder Benson outlines seven ways in which the adversary is keeping good members of the church from standing up to engage in the fight to preserve our freedom. I would commend all to follow the link below and read this important talk.

If we follow the prophets, especially the living prophet, we will never be deceived and never go astray!

As I’ve pondered this issue, these are the considerations that have guided my direction and helped me determine my approach to the issue of defending liberty in our day. I hope this can be of some help to others who have asked themselves the same question.

Richard Parke

America's Road to Socialism -- Fact or Fiction? (Part I)

In the April 1961 General Conference, Elder Ezra Taft Benson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles stated, “when socialism is understood, we will realize that many of the programs advocated, and some of those already adopted in the United States, fall clearly within the category of socialism” The next year in an address given at BYU Elder Benson stated, “our opponent is socialism—the welfare state—and the penalty of failure is enslavement.”

If a prophet of God made these statements almost 50 years ago, we would do well to consider whether the warning is still valid. Since our society and nation cannot remain stationary, we have either continued on the path toward socialization that Elder Benson warned against, or we have changed course to one that runs in concert with the principles of individual freedom upon which our nation was first founded, and upon which God’s plan of happiness for his children was built.

There are two fundamental questions members of the church in America should ask themselves.

1) What have the prophets said about socialism?
2) Is the United States of America currently on a path that will lead to socialism?

Honest answers to these two questions should define our course and dictate our actions. There are only two ultimate destinations to which government can lead, liberty or tyranny. Which of these two destinations is our nation approaching?

In this first of four installments exploring the road to socialism as it applies to our nation today, we will review what the prophets have said regarding socialism. Let us consider a small sampling of their words.

“The plain and simple issue now facing us in America is freedom or slavery. . . Our real enemies are communism and its running mate, socialism. . . The paths we are following, if we move forward thereon, will lead us to socialism or communism, and these two are as like as two peas in a pod in their ultimate effect upon our liberties.”

- J. Rueben Clark, First Presidency
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“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.”

- Elder Ezra Taft Benson, Quorum of Twelve Apostles
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“We are discarding, even in this great nation of freedom-loving people, a God-given constitution of freedom, inspired for free men that they might worship according to the dictates of their own conscience, for the doctrines of collectivism produced to enslave mankind and rob them of all freedom and make them puppets of dictators rather than children of our Heavenly Father, living in freedom, at liberty to exercise their God-given agency.”

- Elder Henry D. Moyle, Quorum of Twelve Apostles
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“One of the moving forces in the civilized nations of the world . . . goes by the name of socialism. . . In other words, there is to be a general confiscation, or, as viewed by many minds, a wholesale robbery in the name of law, and the establishment of a tyranny greater than any form of oppression ever known to the world.”

- Elder Charles W. Penrose, Quorum of Twelve Apostles
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“We must not let complacency blind our eyes to the real dangers threatening to destroy us. . . our government is facing the greatest crisis in its history. . . we have traveled far into the soul-destroying land of socialism.”

- President David O McKay, President of the Church
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“There is no such thing as getting something for nothing. That cannot be done. The individual may seem to obtain gratuities out of the treasury without giving anything in return. But that is a delusion. In the first place, somebody had to work to accumulate the taxable property and earn the income from which the money is taken in the form of taxation and put into the treasury. There is no other way for it to get there. It is the fruit of someone’s toil.

“But besides and beyond this, the individual or state or municipality which takes anything from the Federal Treasury always finds certain conditions attached. The government demands as a condition of the gift certain supervisory rights, or the right to prescribe enabling conditions. Thus, the recipient gives, if not money, something which may be infinitely more precious. He has been compelled to exchange some freedom of action, to part with a degree of independence, and to recognize a degree of direction from another never before owed.”

- Elder Albert E. Bowen, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
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“No Latter Day Saint and no true American can be a socialist or a communist or support programs leading in that direction. These evil philosophies are incompatible with Mormonism, the true gospel of Jesus Christ.”

- Elder Ezra Taft Benson, Quorum of Twelve Apostles

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“I preached on the stand about one hour on the 2nd chapter of Acts, designing to show the folly of common stock [holding property in common]. In Nauvoo, everyone is steward over his own.”

- Prophet Joseph Smith
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“. . . no government can exist in peace, except such laws are framed and held inviolate as will secure to each individual the free exercise of conscience, [and] the right and control of property.”

- D&C 134:2
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“The united order is nonpolitical. It is therefore totally unlike the various forms of socialism, which are political, both in theory and in practice. They are thus exposed to, and riddled by, the corruption which plagues and finally destroys all political governments which undertake to abridge man’s agency.”

- Elder Marion G. Romney, Council of Twelve Apostles
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“Our homes are not as strong unless we are using [the Book of Mormon] to bring our children to Christ. Our families may be corrupted by worldly trends and teachings unless we know how to use the book to expose and combat the falsehoods in socialism. . .”

- President Ezra Taft Benson, President of the Church
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“As our modern societies follow the course which led to the fall of Rome and other civilizations which succumbed to the deceptive lure of the welfare state and socialism, I think it not inappropriate for me to emphasize again the Lord’s plan for the temporal salvation of His mortal children.”

- Elder Marion G Romney, Quorum of Twelve Apostles
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“We heard Brother Taylor's exposition of what is called Socialism this morning. What can they do? Live on each other and beg. It is a poor, unwise and very imbecile people who cannot take care of themselves.”

- Brigham Young, President of the Church
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I attended a second lecture on Socialism, by Mr. Finch; and after he got through, . . . I said I did not believe the doctrine.”

- Prophet Joseph Smith

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“As bearers of the priesthood, we have been placed on earth in troubled times. We live in a complex world with currents of conflict everywhere to be found. Political machinations ruin the stability of nations, despots grasp for power, and segments of society seem forever downtrodden, deprived of opportunity, and left with a feeling of failure.”

- Thomas S. Monson, First Presidency
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“The Book of Mormon narrative is a chronicle of nations long since gone. But in its descriptions of the problems of today's society, it is as current as the morning newspaper and much more definitive, inspired, and inspiring concerning the solutions of those problems. I know of no other writing which sets forth with such clarity the tragic consequences to societies that follow courses contrary to the commandments of God. Its pages trace the stories of two distinct civilizations that flourished on the Western Hemisphere. Each began as a small nation, its people walking in the fear of the Lord. But with prosperity came growing evils. The people succumbed to the wiles of ambitious and scheming leaders who oppressed them with burdensome taxes, who lulled them with hollow promises, who countenanced and even encouraged loose and lascivious living. These evil schemers led the people into terrible wars that resulted in the death of millions”

- President Gordon B. Hinkley, President of the Church

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“From my own experience in business and as a lawyer and church worker, and from my firsthand observations in this country and other countries of the world, there appears to me to be a trend to shift responsibility for life and its processes from the individual to the state. In this shift there is a basic violation of the law of the harvest, or the law of justice. The attitude of "something for nothing" is encouraged. The government is often looked to as the source of wealth. There is a feeling that the government should step in and take care of one's needs, one's emergencies, and one's future. Just as my friend actually became a slave to his own ignorance and bad habits by refusing to accept the responsibility for his own education and moral growth, so, also, can an entire people be imperceptibly transferred from individuals, families, and communities to the federal government.”

- Elder Howard W. Hunter, Quorum of Twelve Apostles

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“What is the real cause of this trend toward the welfare state, toward more socialism? In the last analysis, in my judgment, it is personal unrighteousness. When people do not use their freedoms responsibly and righteously, they will gradually lose these freedoms. . . .”

- Elder Howard W. Hunter, Quorum of Twelve Apostles

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"Our anxiety has been increased when we have listened to the attempts of men in high stations to stir up class hatreds that contradict the age-old constitutional guarantee of free enterprise."

- Elder Harold B. Lee, Quorum of Twelve Apostles

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“Now I tell you it is time the people of the United States were waking up with the understanding that if they don't save the Constitution from the dangers that threaten it, we will have a change of government.”

- Elder Joseph Fielding Smith, Quorum of Twelve Apostles
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“In the United States of America, the Constitution vouchsafes individual freedom, and let us pray also that the Lord will frustrate the plans of the Communists who would deprive us of freedom.”

- President David O. McKay
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“Be true to the Constitution of the United States, to the Bill of Rights. Do not let any theories of immigrants or misguided politicians induce you to do anything that will deprive us of our liberties as vouchsafed by that immortal document.”

- President David O. McKay

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“We believe it is the duty of the members of the Church to see that this Republic is not subverted either by any sudden or constant erosion of those principles which gave this Nation its birth. In these days when there is a special trend among certain groups, including members of faculties of universities, to challenge the principles upon which our country has been founded and the philosophy of our Founding Fathers, I hope that Brigham Young University will stand as a bulwark in support of the principles of government as vouchsafed to us by our Constitutional Fathers.”

- President David O. Mckay

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“I hope that the membership of this Church will not be deceived into thinking that other plans, other forms of government, other systems of direction whatsoever, are desirable. I want to say to you without any hesitation that no form of government in the world can be compared favorably with the government God gave to us. This is his plan.”

- President George Albert Smith

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“Yet, we have people who would like to change that and bring some of those forms of government that have failed absolutely to make peace and happiness and comfort any other place in the world, and exchange what God has given to us—the fullness of the earth and the riches of liberty and happiness. Yet, there are those who go around whispering and talking and saying, "Let us change this thing." I am saying to you that to me the Constitution of the United States of America is just as much from my Heavenly Father as the Ten Commandments. When that is my feeling, I am not going to go very far away from the Constitution, and I am going to try to keep it where the Lord started it, and not let anti-Christs come into this country that began because people wanted to serve God.”

- President George Albert Smith

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“However, there are many people, many men and women in this land, some of whom may be friends or relatives who are misguided by the idea that the Constitution of the United States isn't as fine a system of government as they have in Russia or Germany or Italy or some other part of the world [note that Russia, Germany and Italy all had collectivist (socialistic) forms of government. Communism in Russia, Nazism (national socialism) in Germany, and fascism in Italy], notwithstanding the fact that the Lord himself said that he raised up the very men who framed the Constitution of the United States and directed that the membership of this Church should pray for and sustain those who represented the Constitution of this land.”

- President George Albert Smith

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“But Communism [it should be remembered that several prophets and apostles, including David O McKay, J Rueben Clark, and Ezra Taft Benson have compared communism and socialism as being essentially the same, only with different methods or reaching the same end] is not a political party, nor a political plan under the Constitution; it is a system of government that is the opposite of our Constitutional government, and it would be necessary to destroy our government before Communism could be set up in the United States. Communism undertakes to control, if not indeed to proscribe the religious life of the people living within its jurisdiction, and that it even reaches its hand into the sanctity of the family circle itself, disrupting the normal relationship of parent and child, all in a manner unknown and unsanctioned under the Constitutional guarantees under which we in America live. Such interference would be contrary to the fundamental precepts of the Gospel and to the teachings and order of the Church.”

- President Heber J. Grant

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“We again warn our people in America of the constantly increasing threat against our inspired Constitution and our free institutions set up under it. The same political tenets and philosophies that have brought war and terror in other parts of the world are at work amongst us in America. The proponents thereof are seeking to undermine our own form of government and to set up instead one of the forms of dictatorships now flourishing in other lands. . . .
. . . Communism and all other similar isms bear no relationship whatever to the United Order. They are merely the clumsy counterfeits which Satan always devises of the gospel plan. . . . Latter-day Saints cannot be true to their faith and lend aid, encouragement, or sympathy to any of these false philosophies. They will prove snares to their feet.”

- President Heber J. Grant

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“I think the administrators are apostatizing very fast from the principles that the fathers of this nation instituted." It has become quite a question now-a-days, whether men can be preserved in their rights or not, whether men can worship God according to the dictates of their conscience or not, or whether we are living in a land of freedom or not.”

- President John Taylor

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“With numerous others, I am greatly disturbed at the rapid move of our government to socialism and what seems to be an approach toward dictatorship; with a controlled Supreme Court, the administration continues to impose more and more demands upon the people…Taxes are becoming back-breaking, expenditure and waste are alarming. The Church must remain independent and furnish its own funds for all its own adventures and projects. The government seems too anxious to give, give, give to the poor, to the aged, to the schools, to everyone, and blinded people feel they are getting something, whereas they pay it to the government so that the government can after great overhead expense return a part of it to the people. And every time a gift returns to the people–a so-called gift–it comes with fetters binding and tying and enslaving. For every block of funds given to the people, they lose a bigger block of liberty.”

- Elder Spencer W. Kimball, Quorum of Twelve Apostles

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Now that we’ve clearly seen the view of prophets and apostles regarding socialism and the danger it poses to freedom and individual liberties, it becomes even more urgent that we determine whether it poses a legitimate threat to our country today. There is an abundance of warnings circulating on the airwaves, in print, and on the Internet regarding the increasingly rapid move toward socialism we are experiencing today. In light of the warnings of the prophets in this dispensation, it is vital that we determine whether these claims are worthy of our attention, or if they are nothing more than exaggerated propaganda.

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The next installment will review the methods that have been outlined by the fathers of socialism to turn a free countrly into a socialistic state.

For further information on the view of prophets on this topic, refer to these two monumental addresses.

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FREEDOM AND FREE ENTERPRISE

Ezra Taft Benson, Quorum of Twelve Apostles

Hear in Elder Benson's own words:

http://www.viddler.com/explore/AwakeAndAriseOr/videos/139/

Or read the text:

http://www.libertyetc.org/truth/Ezra%20Taft%20Benson%20-%20Freedom%20and%20Free%20Enterprise.php

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IS SOCIALISM THE UNITED ORDER?

Marion G. Romney, Quorum of Twelve Apostles

http://members.tripod.com/~runwin/socialism.html

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- Richard Parke