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Show The Paper That Dares To Take A Stand Page 10 The Utah Independent December 18, 1975 A PLEA FOR AMERICA Continued from page 7 The failure of elected officials to develop a welfare program that is based on work and which will restore dignity to the individual. We talk about cleaning up our water resources, our landscapes, national parks, and atmosphere. Suppose $120 billion were availabl to do this. Then we think of the horrendous cost of crime, the cost c smoking, the cost of gambling, and the cost of insurance and commodities because of recklessness, irresponsibility, shoplifting, and dishonesty. The problem is reduced down to an individual matter of man keeping the commandments of God and the laws of his society. What The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-da- y contribute to solutions on domestic issues. Saints is doing to We are urging our church membership to stabilize the family unit. teach and emphasize that the key to family stability is a happy marriage based on family worship. Divorce Indeed, at a recent general conference of A thes deplored. Church held in Salt Lake City, President Spencer W. Kimball said, We decry divorce and feel that there are relatively few divorces which are justifiable. Great care should be taken in forming marriage alliances; then both parties should do their utmost to keep these marriages happy ones. We are actively engaged in teaching fathers to be compassionate e mothers in the home. Fathers are comfathers, and mothers manded to take the lead in all spiritual matters. We encourage parents to teach their children fundamental spiritual principles that will instill faith in God, faith in their family, and faith in their country. These principles are embodied within an attractively prepared family home evening manual. Families are urged to hold a family night at least once a week. We have found that this program has met with great success. We teach and reteach to our church membership the fundamental principles of work, thrift, dignity, and so that the individual can eradicate from his life all tendencies toward idleness, unnecessary debt, and waste. n 1936, during the midst of the depression, the Church estabn lished its welfare plan. Its primary purpose was and is to set up, in so far as it might be possible, a system under which the curse of idleness would be done away with, the evils of a dole abolished, and independence, industry, thrift and self respect be once more established amongst our people. The aim of the Church is to help the people to help themselves. Work is to be as the ruling principle of the lives of our Church membership. ( Conference Report, October 1936, p. 3. Italics added.) full-tim- self-relian- ce well-know- The program is premised on the principle that all men (the infirm and sick are in a different category) are entitled to have the opportunity to earn and acquire the necessities and the essential comforts of life, which embrace food, clothing, shelter, hospitalization, education, amusement and cultural activities, and, above all, opportunity for spiritual growth and joy. No true citizen, while physically able, will voluntarily shift from himself the burden of his own support. If the individual cannot support himself, he should look to his family for assistance. If the family cannot help, the Church may as a dole, but in exchange for provide necessary sustenance-n- ot earned labor. It was never intended that man should live off the labors of someone else. Therein lies the key to sound economic management in the home as well as the nation. able-bodi- ed We urge our members to stay out of debt, to save what we can from our income, to store at least a year's supply of food, clothing, and other necessities, to pay a full tithing, and to support the poor and needy. following these principles, we believe four immediate benefits accrue to the individual: (1) He will not be confronted with the danger of losing all he has should inflation or depression occur; (2) he will not be aiding in contributto nationwide inflation; (3) he will have savings and supplies for ing emergencies; and (4) he may receive the blessings of God and His protecting care. ky We encourage all of our young people to acquire as much, advanced training and education as will befit their chosen vocation so that they will be well trained to make a contribution to their society. is well recognized that Utah, in terms of educational training, takes a back seat to no state in terms of per capita advanced education. Outsiders who have studied our system attribute this success to such fundamental teachings of the Church as the glory of God is intelligence, and if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come. nt President Brigham Young insisted: Learn everything that the children of men know, and be prepared for the most refined society upon the face of the earth, then improve upon this until we are prepared and permitted to enter the society of the blessed the holy ( Discourses of Brigham angels that dwell in the presence of God Young, p. 254.) We educate not only for time, but for eternity, and we demonstrate this by the fact that we willingly tax ourselves to support a Church Educational System, which provides religious training in connection with secular studies at the high school and college level. We urge people to support the Constitution and our free institutions set up under it. of the United States nt is a part of our faith that the Constitution of the United States was inspired by God. We reverence it akin to the revelations that have come from God. The Church, out of respect for the rights of all its members to have their political view's and loyal- ties, must maintain the strictest possible neutrality. We have no intention of trying to interfere with the fullest and freest exercise of the political franchise of our members under and within our Constitution, which the Lord declared He established by the hands of wise men whom He raised up unto this very purpose (D&C 109:54). The Church does not yield any of its devotion to our convictions about safeguarding the American principles, the establishment of government under federal and state constitutions, and the civil rights of men safeguarded. by these. We warn our people about false political isms that have crept into our midst, revolutionists who use the technique that is as old as the human race a fervid but false solicitude for the unfortunate over whom they thus gain mastery and control. We have consistently warned our people against the insidious nature of communism, which debases the individual, robs him of his agency, and makes of him an enslaved tool of the state to which he must look for susteSaints cannot be true to their faith nance and religion. Latter-da- y and lend aid, encouragement, or sympathy to false ideologies such as socialism and communism. The official Church position on communism remains unchanged since it was first promulgated in 1936: We call upon all Church members completely to eschew Communism. The safety of our divinely inspired Constitutional government and the welfare of our Church imperatively demand that Communism shall have no place in America. ( Improvement Era, August 1936, p. 488.) Let history bear witness that when the infamous extermination order was issued by the governor of the state of Missouri, and when twelve thousand defenseless citizens who had done no wrong were exiled from their homes, they sought refuge elsewhere and then formal redress of the injustices done against them through the courts of the land, even to the President of the United States. We did not then urge our people to revolt against unjust persecution, corrupt public officials, or their civil government, but to seek redress through constitutional means. We urge the same process for all minorities today. We encourage our Church members to vote, to seek out good, wise, and honest men for public office, and to assume an active part in their community to improve it. I Ihe historic position of the Church has been one that is con-- j jI cerned with the quality of man's contemporary environment I as well as preparing him for eternity. In fact, as social and political conditions affect mans behavior now, they obviously affect eternity. LJ The growing worldwide responsibilities of the Church make it inadvisable for the Church to seek to respond to all the various and complex issues involved in the mounting problems of the many cities and communities in w'hich members live. But this complexity does not absolve members as individuals from filling their responsibilities as citizens in their own communities. We urge our members to do their civic duty and to assume their responsibilities as individual citizens in seeking solutions to the problems that beset our cities and communities. g With our mission, as far as mankind is concerned, Church members cannot ignore the many practical problems that require solution if our families are to live in an environment conducive to spirituality. Where solutions to these practical problems require cooperative action with those not of our faith, members should not be reticent in doing their part in joining and leading in those efforts where they can make an individual contribution to those causes which are consistent with the standards of the Church. wide-rangin- Individual Church members cannot, of course, represent or commit the Church, but should, nevertheless, be jixiously engaged in the the good causes, using gospel of Jesus Christ as principles of their constant guide. The Church urges its members to be efficient users of our resources, and to avoid waste and pollution, and to clean up their own immediate environment, or that over which they have control. t was Goethe who said, Let everyone sweep in front of his own door, and the whole world will be clean. We have made an appeal to all Church members to clean up their premises, to plant gardens and trees, and then to use efficiently that which they grow. We have found that our members have responded well to this appeal, thus becoming more and responsibly concerned for our neighbors and our environment. Above all, we urge our Church members to heed strictly the commandments of God, particularly the Ten Commandments, for their happiness, peace, and prosperity. we reiterate that it is the belief of our people that as as we regard God as our Sovereign and uphold His we shall be free from bondage and protected from external danger. As a means of emphasizing this during this Bicentennial year, we have prepared four Bicentennial family home evening lessons, which will be distributed to all Church members in the United States of America. We are asking fathers and mothers to teach the story of America to their children, to tell of its spiritual foundation, and to emphasize how that freedom can be preserved. self-relia- nt 5$ Continued on page II |