Thoughts on Government

Elizabeth gave me a copy of some excerpts and quotes from Ezra Taft Benson, LDS church President. President Benson had great insights, of course, into government having served 8 years as President Eisenhower's Secretary of Agriculture.

In light of the ongoing agenda of the current administration, I found some of his quotes, well, prophetic and spot on:

"The important thing to keep in mind is that the people who have created their government can give to that government only such powers as they, themselves, have in the first place. Obviously, they cannot give that which they do not possess, so the question boils down to this: What powers properly belong to each and every person in the absence of and prior to the establishment of any organized governmental form? A hypothetical question? Yes, indeed! But, it is a question which is vital to an understanding of the principles which underlie the proper function of government.(An Enemy Hath Done This, pp. 129-30.)"

What powers properly belong to each and every person prior to the establishment of any government?

Without much commentary--except to say that this question rings very true for me--let me share a follow up quote that seems to address much of the recent social initiatives before congress as of late:

"The proper function of government is limited to those spheres of activity within which the individual citizen has the right to act. By deriving its just powers from the governed, government becomes primarily a mechanism for defense against bodily harm, theft and involuntary servitude. It cannot claim the power to redistribute money or property, or to force reluctant citizens to perform acts of charity against their will. Government is created by the people. No individual possesses the power to take another's wealth or to force others to do good, so no government has the right to do such things either. The creature cannot exceed the creator. (The Constitution: A Heavenly Banner, p. 9)"


That's why so many people cry "Socialism!" as the agenda of this current administration unfolds.

In another quote, President Benson states that the government is a group of citizens who have been hired to carry out specific responsibilities. Tax money is raised so that these individuals can perform those functions, such as protect the country from invasion, prosecute criminals, enforce a uniform business standard. But I object when the government lends out that money (or worse, borrows additional money) to serve other social purposes.

I think people struggle to see the problem in Federal funding and Social Programs because yes, it is a kind thing for one man to give to another. But, is it right that I require you to give of your substance?

A certain man hired someone to guard their house while he was at work. When this man comes home, he finds the security officer in his place. The security guard asks for more payment.

"Heavens, why? I paid you what we agreed to. Does the defense system need upgrading?"
"No."
"Does the wage I paid you not pay your bills as my security guard?"
"No."
"Then what is it?"
"Well, while you were at work, I saw that your neighbor's house needed mending so I used the funds you left me to repair their roof."
"Did I hire you to mend their roof?"
"Well, no."
"Okay, well--I hired you to do a specific job. I gave you money so that you would be able to do that job. If you leave this job undone to pursue other interests--as noble and well-intentioned as they are--you breached your end of our employment agreement and I have chosen the wrong man for the job."

There is a place for charity work, but that is on the part of individual citizens.

Programs like Social Security, No Student left Behind, Medicare and Medicaid fail to work and yield true results because they are based on the same unworkable concept that Satan based his plan for salvation on.

You can't save everyone because everyone has agency and must take specific steps on their own.

Justice must be preserved, and that's why there is a Savior--to step in and right those wrongs. It is government's role to provide justice. But mercy is an individually applied principle. There is no one size fits all. Each case must be individually handled which is something a government cannot and should not have that responsibility to address.