My Socialist Manifesto

With all the talk of "Socialism" being bantered about before the election and now all of the fear that the country is slowly descending into "Socialism" and my post a while ago about the seeming contradiction of many members of the church in their commitment to the Law of Consecration but their total fear of "Socialism", I did a little more research for my own benefit and found some interesting articles pertaining to the LDS church and socialist ideas.

I have been sent several videos and texts of talks that Ezra T. Benson gave pertaining to the United Order and the evils of "Socialism". It is interesting that he says that the students at BYU should avoid using goverment loans and grants to pay for their education, but I wonder if the church owned university followed his advice and did not accept federal money from Pell Grants and Student Loans?

Another interesting article was from Elder Romney which mainly expressed the differences he sees between the United Order/Law of Consecration and the worlds definition of "Socialism". He makes some good points/arguments about the differences and the similarities. He points out that the similarities are

"Both (1) deal with production and distribution of goods; (2) aim to promote the well-being of men by eliminating their economic inequalities; (3) envision the elimination of the selfish motives in private capitalistic industrial system."

I like that he agrees that the capitolistic industrial system promotes selfish motives.

And now for the differing view by the man who tried to institiute the United Order, Brigham Young. I found this Proclamation on the Economy on the "Mormons for Equality and Social Justice" website. Check it out for some differing views from others within the LDS Church.

This is one of my favorite parts from the Proclamation. I think I am going to have it crocheted and framed as a wall hanging and give it to my friends and family members for Christmas to hang next to the "Proclamation on the Family";)

"One of the great evils with which our own nation is menaced at the present time is the wonderful growth of wealth in the hands of a comparatively few individuals. The very liberties for which our fathers contended so steadfastly and courageously, and which they bequeathed to us as a priceless legacy, are endangered by the monstrous power which this accumulation of wealth gives to a few individuals and a few powerful corporations"

Some interesting scriptures from the Bible. It is also interesting to note that many of the ancient christians lived in what were essentially socialist communes. Which is one of the reasons the Empire felt threatned by them.

“For I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened: But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality: As it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing over; and he that had gathered little had no lack.” - 2 Corinthians 8:13-15

“And all that believed were together, and had all things common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.” - Acts 2:44-45

After reading all of these articles it seems to me that the difference is simply in the way that the egalitiarian society was acheived. One, because of voluntary charity and compassion for others and managed by the Church and the other one mandated and managed by the State. The end goal was the same, a distribution of wealth and the establishment of an egalitarian society.

I am not arguing that a purely socialist political system where there is no private ownership of property is a good thing, I don't think it is and I agree that we need to be self-sufficient and that as a society we need to be wary of becoming beholden to the State. But I also think that there is a place for more socialist leaning ideas. Some of the ideas and policies that make this country so great like public lands, schools, and other policies that help those in need are essentially socialistic ideas. It is the clash of ideas between conflicting philosophies such as capitolism and socialism that has made this country work in my opinion. I think we do need to be wary of socialist programs that would slowly erode our freedoms but on the same hand we need to be just as wary of capitolist systems that would accumulate wealth into the hands of few indviduals or corprations.