The racial beliefs of Brigham Young have been coming up lately as part of the Latter-day Saints discourse in light of the larger American debate over racism and police brutality. The problem is that most people, even the Saints themselves, are either completely misinformed or are entirely ignorant of who Brigham Young was, his impact on the American West, and his beliefs regarding race and slavery. This article is aimed at correcting these errors, exploring Brigham Young’s ideas on these issues, good and bad, and explaining why the Saints should take great joy in Brother Brigham’s legacy today despite his erroneous beliefs about race.
Category: Government
What Is God’s Latter-day Church and Kingdom?
An excellent article from early church history that testifies to the supreme authority of the Kingdom of God, the destiny of it to fill the world, the assurance that all the kingdoms of men will one day submit to it, and the power of trusting in the justice and mercy of God. A classic in Latter-day Saint literature.
How We Win: Part 3- The Way to Tomorrow
In Part 3 of 3 of my series about how to bring about true social change through nonviolence, I explore the power of nonviolence to bring about reconciliation, transforming our enemies into our friends, and to create a better world through mercy.
How We Win Part 2: Changing the Government
Last week, I began a series of articles explaining how we triumph over the government and its willingness to use violence and brutality to terrorize people into obedience. There we explored how you use effectively use the power of protesting to win the day. Here we continue that series by exploring the ways that we create lasting, meaningful, social change for today, tomorrow, and forever.
We Have Being Saying To Defund The Police For Decades Now
Voluntaryists have been calling for the defunding of the police for decades now. This is because we understand that incentives matter. The police will do what you pay them to do. When the State uses government power to incentive the militarization of the police then that is what we will get- police who who see their cities as battlefields and everyone in them as a threat to beaten or killed. If you want to change this you have to change not only the relationship of the police to the government, you have to sever it altogether.
How We Win: Part 1- The Protests
As people blanch at the ongoing riots and the breakdown of society that is the final outcome of the actions of the government, many are asking hard questions about the future. They want to know where we go from here and how we get there. In the “How We Win” series of articles, starting with this one, we will look at the immediate and long term tactics that will not only help the protests in the streets bring about change but will also help create the better tomorrow for all people that we all long for.
The US Government Has Declared War On Us
In response to the challenge that mass protests against police violence all across the nation pose to the position and influence of those in power, the governments of the cities, states, and nation itself have declared war against the people of the USA. Million of people are being placed under house arrests as if they were criminals, the military is being sent in to occupy various American cities, and the US President is threatening to us the US Army to forcibly invade and occupy American cities directly. In response to these acts of war against themselves, how should the people respond? What is the best way forward? Here we explore just those issues.
The Most Terrible Form of Idolatry is The Government
In 1854, William Lloyd Garrison stood up in the Broadway Tabernacle in New York City and delivered one of the most powerful anti-slavery speeches ever given. The value of this speech goes beyond its historical setting though. In this speech Garrison lays down the basic cause of liberty for all men and outlines exactly why any government that oppresses human liberty stands condemned and should be disobeyed. The principles herein are universal, especially for those seeking peace, liberty, and equality today. In a world riven by racist and nationalist violence -as is currently happening in America right now- Garrison’s words and his remedies especially apply more than ever:
“Show me the government which can be maintained only by destroying the rights of a portion of the people, and you will indicate the duty of openly revolting against it.”
The Government’s Unending War Against Society
Instead of focusing on the riots themselves I want to talk about the “intolerable conditions that exist in our society” that have given rise to them, that make people feel that the only way they can have their voice heard is by application of the torch and the rod to break, burn, and destroy. I want to talk about the State, how it has corrupted everything, and how to truly change it.
George Floyd’s Death Reveals The Nature of the State
The murder of George Floyd has set American society on fire once more with the injustice of the system. George’s murder, and the many others like him, reveal the brutal nature not only of policing but of the government itself. Here we explore the savage nature of the State and what can be done to change it.