LDS Prophets Warn Against Communism

It's not new. Latter-day Saints confusing communism with anything good seems to always happen. And so today, I've pulled together a video and quotes of the prophets warning people against this very dangerous form of government. Indeed, for Latter-day Saints, we know that anything that robs us of the freedom to choose is merely a continuation of the battle we fought in heaven before coming to earth. See Revelations in the King James Version of the New Testament for further details on that.

But thanks to a sweet Facebook friend, I have this video to share with you:

Ezra Taft Benson, 1966, Brigham Young University

Ezra Taft Benson, 1961

"No true 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." (Conference Report, October 1961, p.74) 

Ezra Taft Benson dedicated his life to God and the defeat of communism, which he knew to be the antithesis of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In his book A Witness and a Warning, he gives a stern warning to the members of the Church to eschew all things related to communism.

David O. McKay, 1939 Conference Report

(Two other messages in the volume should be read carefully in connection with this "Warning." June 1939 and April 6, 1942.)

WARNING TO CHURCH MEMBERS

With great regret we learn from credible sources, governmental and others, that a few Church members are joining directly or indirectly, the Communists and are taking part in their activities.

The Church does not interfere, and has no intention of trying to interfere, with the fullest and freest exercise of the political franchise of its members, under and within our Constitution which the Lord declared:

"I established by the hands of wise men who I raised up unto this very purpose," (D&C 101:80) and which, as to the principles therefore, the Prophet, dedicating the Kirtland Temple, prayed should be "established forever." (D&C 109:54) But communism 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.

Since communism, established, would destroy our American Constitutional government, to support Communism treasonable to our free institutions, and no patriotic American citizen may become either a Communist or supporter of Communism.

To our Church members we say: Communism is not the United Order, and bears only the most superficial resemblance thereto; Communism is based upon intolerance and force, the United Order upon love and freedom of conscience and action; Communism involves forceful despoliation and confiscation, the United Order voluntary consecration and sacrifice.

Communists cannot establish the United Order, nor will Communism bring it about. The United Order will be established by the Lord in His own due time and in accordance with the regular prescribed order of the Church. Furthermore, it is charged by universal report, which is not successfully contradicted or disproved, that Communism undertakes to control, if not indeed to proscribe the religion life of the people living within its jurisdiction, and that it even reaches it 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.

Communism thus being hostile to loyal American citizenship and incompatible with true Church membership, of necessity no loyal American citizen and no faithful Church member can be a Communist.

We call upon all Church members completely to eschew Communism. The safety of our divinely inspired Constitutional government and welfare of our Church imperatively demand that Communism shall have no place in America.

Heber J. Grant

J. Reuben Clark

David O. McKay

NOTE: David O. McKay, CR, October, 1939, pp.103-14; CR, April 1951, pp.96-97; CR, April, 1960 pp.25-26; BYU Address, May, 1960

Thus, we as Latter-day Saints can see how strongly our prophets and apostles have attempted to steer us from the dangerous entrapment of communism. Any form of government tampering with the U.S. Constitution would be in direct violation of that which the leaders of our church hold so dear, the establishing of a government that allowed for the growth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ worldwide.

The Fourth Article of the Thirteen Articles of Faith, the very tenets of our faith, state: We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Anything that would stand in the way of us sharing this glad message to the world, would be the antithesis of all that God, and therefore His Church, stands for; it would behoove Latter-day Saints, indeed all Americans, to heed these warnings.

Recommended Reading: The Constitution: A Heavenly Banner by Ezra Taft Benson

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Copyright 2011. All rights reserved by Candace E. Salima.