Messenger Magazine

Economic Freedom
(by Joseph W. Musser)

Posted on 5/1/2005 at 1:01:18 AM

Truth² holds no brief with any sort of “ism” that has for its aim the destruction of human liberty. Men who engage in movements which encourage religious intolerance, are actuated by the spirit of the evil one, whether they be churchmen or otherwise. The Gospel plan is based upon the “Free agency of man.” Men are at liberty to worship God as they choose, or not to worship Him at all, so long as they do not infringe on the liberties or rights of others. This is true also as pertaining to our government. We are guaranteed certain inalienable rights under the Constitution of the United States, and any movement tending to proscribe or deny such rights is anti-Christ and should be resisted in all proper ways. … 

And so with the Constitution. Any attempt to destroy it, or to change its clear meaning and intent, except through the orderly channel provided by the Constitution itself for amending the document, should be vigorously opposed. The Church is right in its advocacy of preserving this great human rights document. It is the foundation of American institutions and our government, at least in theory, is the best government now on the earth and of which we are familiar.

However, we must not loose sight of the fact that agencies other than Communism are gnawing at the vitals of our body politic today. Among these sinister forces is unrestrained and unregulated Capitalism – the direct antithesis of Communism. It is held by many, and with good reason, that Communism is a by-product of Capitalism, and is a force organized to resist the baneful effects of Capitalism. Communism, Fascism, Socialism, etc., as we view it, are the direct off-shoots of Capitalism and are organized to protect society therefrom. Capitalism is near kin to Imperialism, which is the direct opposite of Democracy, the principle of the American government … it will be difficult to convince a large number of the Saints that Communism is more destructive of free government than is the Capitalism as we know it today.

The Lord said, “It is not given that one man should possess that which is above another, wherefore (because of the destructive forces of Capitalism) the world lieth in sin.”³ For, said the Savior further, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”⁴

So far as the Saints are concerned, there should be no partisan Communists, Socialists, Republicans, Democrats, German, French, Danish or what-nots. A true Latter-day Saint is non-partisan; he works solely for the building up of God’s kingdom on earth. There can be no place in his religion for any sort of an “ism” that tends to divide or to subjugate. “If ye are not one ye are not mine,”⁵ is a measuring stick the Saints should abide by. “Honest men, and wise men should be sought for, diligently, and good men and wise men ye should observe to uphold; otherwise whatsoever is less than these cometh of evil.”⁶ Selfish partisanship measures men only by their party standards, the men themselves and their principles being secondary. …

Our advice to all Latter-day Saints is to refrain from upholding any and all doctrines not in accord with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Let the Saints gird themselves with the girdle of righteousness and cease mingling with and doing business in the ways of Babylon. Let them seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, that all necessary things may be added unto them. …

Economic freedom can never come to this land of Joseph except through the law upon which such freedom is based. With all the efforts being made to overcome the depression, there can be no substantial progress made until the people accept God’s law pertaining to economic equality; the present relief problems that are troubling the communities of Latter-day Saints, can only be solved in this way. Any other method will at best, bring but temporary benefits, resulting in conditions far more serious than they now are.

Truth magazine, 1st August 1936, Volume 2, No. 3, p. 37