The following lost LDS Classic is an article I came across recently in my readings of older church writings. Though the author for the article is unknown, the editor of the Deseret News during this era was David O. Calder. What makes it interesting is the way in which it clearly lays out the limits on our obedience to the laws of man and the supremacy of God’s law. Further, it offers fuller, more correct interpretations of scriptures such as D&C 98: 4-6 which are often today used to justify our expected obedience to the State but which, properly understood, command that first and above all, we be loyal to God and His commandments no matter what the orders of the government may be. That man’s laws may make illegal that which God has commanded means nothing to the Saint who has dedicated his or her life to God. We are to obey God in all things, even if it means breaking the laws of men, even if it means suffering trial, hardship, suffering, and death for doing so. As the article points out, this is in fact the very test of life – to see if we follow God in all things no matter how all the powers of Earth and Hell may rage against us for doing so.
Tag: The Kingdom is antithesis to the State
The Great Fiction of the State
With all the evils perpetuated upon society by those in power, because of the constant robbery, harassment, and violence everyone is constantly subjected to and under threat of, it seems like it wouldn’t be hard to rally people against the evils of the State. Yet, for many there is no organization for which they would more kill and die for, no idea for which they would sacrifice more, even their children, than the government, for the State. As a result the natural question we must ask ourselves is why; why do so many give so much to and do so much for that which does them so much harm and which lives off of the masses as one great parasite draining away the vital wealth and liberty of the people until it becomes so bloated and fat and society so enfeebled that everything collapses into chaos under the weight of its failures. Here I seek to answer this question and, drawing upon as diverse thinkers as Frédéric Bastiat, Robert Houghwout Jackson, and King Benjamin, I believe I have come upon three essential insights that help explain why people engage in such pious veneration of and develop such powerful loyalty to the State. After exploring these ideas of why people believe so ardently in the Great Fiction of the State, I present the solutions to the lies of the Sate and the most effective way we can help to transform the world, liberating humanity from the yoke of the State and securing greater liberty and prosperity for ourselves and our posterity for all time.