Benson Said it All.

ON April 13th, 1953, the to-be prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints,
Ezra Taft Benson, appeared on the cover of Time magazine.
He was the Secretary of Agriculture at the time.

The quote underneath his picture, in case you can't see it very well, says,

"No real American wants to be subsidized".

President Benson was known as someone well-versed in America's Constitution. He never minced words - how many prophets do? Later, when he was an apostle of our church, he said the following in 1978:

I would respectfully urge you to live by the fundamental principles of work, thrift, and self-reliance and to teach your children by your example.

It was never intended in God’s divine plan that man should live off the labor of someone else. Live within your own earnings. Put a portion of those earnings regularly into savings. Avoid unnecessary debt.

I would further counsel you to pay your honest tithes and contribute generously to the support of the poor and needy through the fast offerings. Then store at least a year’s supply of basic food, clothing, and fuel. Then you will find these blessings will accrue:

You will not be confronted with the danger of losing all you have because of inflation or depression.

You will have security that no government can provide, savings and supplies for emergencies.

You can ask God’s blessings and his protecting care on you and your family.

You are contributing to the solution of our country’s ills, rather than contributing to its problems.

…These are the foundation principles upon which all civilized government and our present civilization is built. To disregard them will lead to inevitable personal character loss and ruin. To disregard them as a nation will inevitably lead that nation to destruction.

…I wonder if we in America are rearing a generation that seemingly does not understand the fundamentals of God’s commandments or the principles upon which our country was founded. These principles are the secret to America’s greatness! The central issue before the people today is the same issue that inflamed the hearts of our Founding Father patriots in 1776 to strike out for independence. That issue is whether the individual exists for the state or whether the state exists for the individual.

Ezra Taft Benson, “America at the Crossroads,” New Era, Jul 1978, 3

Another great one to read is Our Divine Constitution, which is a talk given at October Conference in 1987.

Things to ponder before we vote next Tuesday.