George R. Gallagher: You have misunderstood my comments. I say this respectfully. While we are to be conservative with our resources and to protect our natural resources as good stewards of the Earth, political Conservatism does not follow Christian principles. I understand about the freedom to ‘choose’. However, what the Conservatives promote for freedom, especially economically, only allows freedom for a very small percentage of the population, ie,. the wealthy and big corporations. They need to be regulated for the protection of the people. We all need to follow laws, including our national leaders and the wealthy. While we all have rights too, we, the people, need protection from the ‘big’ guys. Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles wrote about The Tyranny of Gross Wealth Inequality. We are seeing signs of this in our great nation now. Relegating the ‘common’ people, the poor, the disabled, the widows, and the orphans to poverty is not freedom. True freedom is freedom for all and includes protections for us, the people. Our great nation and our Earth are for all of us. To whom more is given, more is expected. We all cannot do things the same way. God created us as individuals. There is no ‘one size fits all’. Another note about ‘freedom’ is that Conservatives really do NOT truly honor freedom, as many aim to pass laws that dictate how they ‘think’ we should live. They are not leaders of the Church providing guidelines. They are national leaders. We are to have agency in our personal lives. We are accountable for our choices. That does not change. They way of approach hurts many innocent people because they propose cuts to programs that help the vulnerable people in the name supporting what they think is right. Certainly, we want to do right. I am referring to Planned Parenthood for one example. I do not believe that abortion for ‘convenience’ is right. However, PP is NOT about abortions. The primary function is to provide affordable or free, if necessary, health care to people who do not have other access. PP provides health screenings and counseling for pregnancy, for example. PP provides support every step along the way. Being pro-life is about quality of life. It has to be more than just being born. This is not a perfect world. People need help along the way. Christ lived the ultimate example of this. He fed the hungry and comforted the distressed. He performed many miracles for ‘common’ people because we are all precious. I know you know this too. However, I think that some of the Conservative nation leaders are ‘out of touch’ with reality. Their ‘worldly’ success has become greed. It is this greed that will hurt our great nation more than wars. This is a ‘war within’. This is not true peace or freedom. I appreciate your reading my thoughts on my perspectives. We all have the right to expression. I do not claim to be any authority or guru, but I know and feel what I observe. The best government would be the Law of Consecration. However, the world is not ready. This cannot work unless everyone, especially the powerful and wealthy truly observe it. I even learned in Church that the Church recognizes this cannot be done in the true sense. We pay our tithing. That is what we can do now. It is fair. This is what Progressives or Liberals in government promote to encourage strength and fairness in our communities and our country. Those who have greater income and resources contribute more. They should be doing so. However, many of the Conservatives are trying to reverse these policies. Their policies lead to greater ‘gaps’, inequality, and contentions. Again, I really do not think that is true peace or freedom. Again, thank you for reading. We may have to agree to disagree. That is fine. May God bless you.

Pamela Burt & Gina Coke: You’ve misconstrued the Gospel with Politics. Conservatives are not “Haters,” nor are Liberals “Liberal” in the classic(dictionary definition) sense. Political “Liberals” believe that government must take over the role of “caring” for the populace, as well as insinuating itself into all aspects of our lives for our own “Good.” Do you remember what the war in Heaven was about? It was about non-compulsory freedom to choose. Do you see anything of the Gospel in a government which is continually trying to usurp our freedoms by arrogating to itself the responsibility of decision-making for us by redistributing through taxation? Satan was the first Socialist in creation. “Liberalism,” and “Progressivism” are merely the gateways to Socialism. How does letting the government make our decisions for us differ in any way from Satan’s plan? What becomes of our “Free Agency” when the controlling Liberal>Progressive>Socialist program is in force? Amen to your freedoms when Satan’s plan “Succeeds” on Earth…it almost has!

Pamela Burt, I appreciate you and your message you shared. I agree with you. We are all God’s children. Heavenly Father loves all of us. I also cannot understand why so many fellow members (wonderful members) of our great Church uphold political policies (those of the Republican Party) that do NOT benefit the people, all the people. We are to care for the widow, the orphan, the disabled, and the poor, just as Jesus taught through the examples of His life.

I’d like to see a copy of that social contract and have my legal obligation in it pointed out to me. If I violate that contract, can I be taken to the court of law and be forced to pay damages? When the progressives say “Hey, here is a class of people in need. Hey look, there is a class of people that have wealth. Lets petition the government to take from those that have and give to those that have not” That is the very definition of plunder. Government going outside of its legitimate authority of the things it is supposed to tax for and putting extra strains on the tax payers to pay for those things. Pamela stated that she believes in using government to take care of the “least of these.” It’s in the bible, don’t you know. Show me where I can get a copy of this social contract, show me my obligation to it, since I legally did not consent to a single thing, show where it is Constitutional and show me where I sin if I defy it. All I want are explanations. If this is not plunder, explain where I’m mistaken. Take my favorite lobby. As a taxpayer, I am paying an organization to provide birth control products to women so that they can use there bodies as amusement park rides. I don’t think it is morally right to tax me for that. But progressives do. Plunder. I guess if you deny its existence, it makes it moral and honest.

While some of these comments come from a sincere perspective, I believe they are essentially strawman arguments. The Gospel does not teach that compulsory anything from society is evil. The analogies to Satan in the preexisitence to free breakfasts at school are utterly preposterous.

No liberal believes that govt force in enforcement of the tax code which is distributed by a popularly elected body of representatives BTW, is a subsitute for a willing heart. No one believes compulsory charity will save you. That is not the point. Your willingness to see those tax dollars go to help bring minimal sustenance is probably a sign of good things though. That’s an individual thing and it’s on you.

Providing minimal needs to our citizenry is a form of investment and arguably domestic security, and it’s decided on by our elected representatives. Calling it plunder is asinine. Look up social contract.

Why is it that when a conservative gets philosophical with a liberal, the discussion ends? The underlying belief of the progressive, Mormon or not, is that progressives are smart, conservatives are dumb. Intelligence, or the appearance of it is important to the progressive. I could site the contributors that announce their impressive academic pedigree as a reason they are progressive. And yet, when clarification is requested about mixing progressivism and the true Gospel of Christ, nothing. If the conservative is dumb and wrong, the progressive should be able to slam dunk his or her point. I spent years living outside of Utah and moved back. What I deal with frequently is what I call the “finger wagging Mormons.” The Mormons that think the mission Christ and righteousness should come through government. It’s not enough that one tries to live his life as he sees the Savior would want him to. No, the finger waggers look upon him and make a judgement that he is not doing enough. I have ben told that I need to pay more taxes, I must drive a smaller car, or even, some of my property should be confiscated from, through government, then I would be righteous.
So explain. What I see the what liberal Mormons want is plunder. Plunder through government, plunder through taxation. From a gospel stand point, justify plunder. I asked before, if plunder is legal, is it honest? I have an income. I have a duty to my family. How to I have a duty to someone else that a portion of my income should be taken from me? Tommorrow’s lesson is on being honest. I wonder at times if we truly believe in being honest. C’mom, tell me how I have this wrong.

The difference between “liberals” & “conservatives” was clearly shown in the pre-existence. The people who self-identify as “liberals” and “progressives” are essentially conforming and/or aspiring to a mode of living under government compulsion. Liberal “charity,” a.k.a.“redistribution” at the point of a gun or threat of imprisonment, is not Christ-like charity. It much more closely conforms to the plan offered by Lucifer in the great debate over the two plans presented to all of us. The bigger we allow the government to grow, the more we will ultimately come to suffer under its constraining and arbitrary rules.

The so-called “conservative” position ideally should reflect what the Prophet Joseph Smith famously said: (We) teach them correct principles and then let them govern themselves." As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, the choice should be clear – do we want a government of Bernie Sanders, Barack 0bama and Hillary Clinton, or do we want a government limited to providing national defense and essential, constitutionally-
permitted services? I would hope that all of us would choose to follow the prophet.

I’m quoting Pamela, "Democrats believe in using government to help ALL of us, the “least” of us, and the “greatest of us”. Does that sound at all familiar to anyone who’s ever read the Bible or any other scripture? Democrats believe that healthcare, money, education, and all other resources are to be shared equally by all of us as we are all equal and therefore all equally deserving."
Here is the problem I have with Progressivism mixed with the true Gospel of Christ. I’ve looked through the Gospels, Nephi 3, conference talks back to 1971 and I can’t find anywhere that states GOVERNMENT should be used to fulfill the charitable mission of the Savior. This is not a tenant of Gospel. In fact, the only interaction Christ had with government at the time, as far as I can tell, is when he had to pay taxes and when he was crucified.
Unfortunate for the Mormon Progressive, me as a non-party affiliate, the belief I have is my full participation in the Plan of Salvation. Meaning, the maximum opportunity for me to chose for myself in what ever the topic is. Christ has both hands stretched out to us, offering himself fully. We have the choice to accept him or not. While government, has one palm stretched out offering the recipient the free stuff, while the other hand is in a clenched fist, demanding from the provider. There is no choice, only the threat of force. Government is force. Plain and simple.
Pamela believes that as one who is assigned to pay taxes due to my income level, I should be forced to be provide for here charitable purposes, which she believes she stands side by side with Christ. This coicides with her statement, "Democrats believe in using government to help ALL of us, the “least” of us, and the “greatest of us”. And if I decide I don’t want to participate in her charity, I would face and armed agent of government to either convince me of my wrong ways, fine me or cast me into prison or even through violence.
I firmly believe that no one has the authority to act over be save he/she can sight through law (and gospel principle) where they have such justification. Here is what I ask of Pamela and any other progressive Mormon who believes what she states in her quote from above. Clarify this for me, because I don’t get it.
Site the specific part of the Constitution, Section and Article, that give the Federal Government authority to have this unlimited power to tax one person for the purpose of another. By the way, the General Welfare clause is defined by the enumerated powers.
Show me the scripture or conference talk that tells me I am damned to hell if I am not coerced into charity through taxation.
Show me how I incur a debt when one falls in need without any agreement or contract.
Show me how I am more righteous when my freedom to choose for myself whether to support a thing or not is taken away from me through government force and taxation.
Then to add to my confusion, progressives always toss around separation of church and state. This believe is mixing them together. How does this work?