Are Mormons Communists?
The opening of the 2008 Summer Olympics in China and the recent death of Soviet dissident Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn give us an opportunity to reflect on Communism…and Mormonism.
Have you ever heard someone in church say, “Communism is a good theory that just hasn’t worked out well yet,” or “Communism and the law of consecration are basically the same thing”? I’ve heard both statements and disagree with both.
Let’s define them
In the ideal communistic society, the central government owns all land, credit, means of communication and transportation, property, and the means of producing goods and services. There are no classes, no families, no free speech, and no religion. In short, under Communism individuals are forced to live with nothing, and government is their God.
In contrast, according to Ezra Taft Benson, “the law of consecration is a celestial law, not an economic experiment.” Individuals choose to give their property to the Church and decide how much they need back to support their family’s “wants and needs.” There is no coercion, and, most importantly, God is the cornerstone of the entire system.
Quotes
Here are some quotes from the Brethren.
Marion G. Romney (1979):
“Communism is the greatest anti-Christ power in the world today and therefore the greatest menace not only to our peace but to our preservation as a free people. By the extent to which we tolerate it, accommodate ourselves to it, permit ourselves to be encircled by its tentacles and drawn to it, to that extent we forfeit the protection of the God of this land.”
Ezra Taft Benson (1977):
“Communism introduced into the world a substitute for true religion. It is a counterfeit of the gospel plan…”
“Another notable counterfeit system to the Lord’s plan is collectivized socialism. Socialism derives its philosophy from the founders of communism, Marx and Engels. Communism in practice is socialism…Both communism and socialism have the same effect upon the individual–a loss of personal liberty.”
First Presidency (1936):
“We call upon all Church members completely to eschew Communism. The safety of our divinely inspired Constitutional government and the welfare of our Church imperatively demand that Communism shall have no place in America.”
Are Mormons communists?
Yes, Mormons are communists–only in the sense that we believe that our community around us is important. We should care for and help our neighbors in need, but we should choose to do it on our own. Communism may sound enticing to some people, but I doubt it does to the approximately 94 million who died under it and those who have survived it.
***Please read this stirring account of Ezra Taft Benson’s visit to the Soviet Union while he was the U.S. secretary of agriculture.***
What do you think?
