What is the CHurch's Standpoint and View on: Bashing the United States of America or its Constitution?
"The Constitution and laws of the United States resemble a theocracy more closely than any government now on the earth, or that ever has been, so far as we know, except the government of the children of Israel to the time when they elected a king."
-Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 6:342
"Every Latter-day Saint should love the inspired Constitution of the United States…"
-Ezra Taft Benson, The Constitution - A Glorious Standard, Conference April 1976
"...I established the Constitution of this land, by the hands of wise men whom I raised up unto this very purpose."
-Doctrine & Covenants 101:80
"We have a divine mandate to preserve [the Constitution]. But unfortunately, today in this freedom struggle many gentiles are showing greater wisdom in their generation than the children of light."
-Ezra Taft Benson, Conference, April 1965
"There has not been another such group of men in all [the 200 years of our history] that even challenged the supremacy of this group."
-J. Reuben Clark,, Conference, April 1957
"I am going to bear my testimony to this assembly, if I never do it again in my life, that those men who laid the foundation of this American government and signed the Declaration of Independence were the best spirits the God of heaven could find on the face of the earth. They were choice spirits...inspired of the Lord."
-Wilford Woodruff, Conference, April 1898
"Every Latter-day Saint should be familiar with every part of this great document [the Constitution]. Such knowledge is essential to an understanding of the significance of the word of the Lord in the Doctrine and Covenants… Above all peoples on the face of the earth the Latter-day Saints should uphold, defend, and cherish this sacred document…"
-Joseph Fielding Smith, The Progress of Man, p. 298, 299
"We must learn the principles of the Constitution and then abide by its precepts. Have we read the Constitution and pondered it? Are we aware of its principles? Could we defend it? Can we recognize when a law is constitutionally unsound?"
-Ezra Taft Benson, BYU Devotional, 16 September, 1986
"…I speak to you about a subject that is very close to my heart and affects the worldwide Church…I desire, therefore, to speak to you about our divine Constitution, which the Lord said 'belongs to all mankind' (D&C 98:5) 'and should be maintained for the rights and protection of all flesh, according to just and holy principles' (D&C 101:77)"
-Ezra Taft Benson, Our Divine Constitution, Conference October 1987
"…we must learn the principles of the Constitution in the tradition of the Founding Fathers. Have we read the Federalist Papers? Are we reading the Constitution and pondering it? Are we aware of its principles? Are we abiding by these principles and teaching them to others? … Do we know what the prophets have said about the Constitution and the threats to it?"
-Ezra Taft Benson, Our Divine Constitution, Conference October 1987
-Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 6:342
"Every Latter-day Saint should love the inspired Constitution of the United States…"
-Ezra Taft Benson, The Constitution - A Glorious Standard, Conference April 1976
"...I established the Constitution of this land, by the hands of wise men whom I raised up unto this very purpose."
-Doctrine & Covenants 101:80
"We have a divine mandate to preserve [the Constitution]. But unfortunately, today in this freedom struggle many gentiles are showing greater wisdom in their generation than the children of light."
-Ezra Taft Benson, Conference, April 1965
"There has not been another such group of men in all [the 200 years of our history] that even challenged the supremacy of this group."
-J. Reuben Clark,, Conference, April 1957
"I am going to bear my testimony to this assembly, if I never do it again in my life, that those men who laid the foundation of this American government and signed the Declaration of Independence were the best spirits the God of heaven could find on the face of the earth. They were choice spirits...inspired of the Lord."
-Wilford Woodruff, Conference, April 1898
"Every Latter-day Saint should be familiar with every part of this great document [the Constitution]. Such knowledge is essential to an understanding of the significance of the word of the Lord in the Doctrine and Covenants… Above all peoples on the face of the earth the Latter-day Saints should uphold, defend, and cherish this sacred document…"
-Joseph Fielding Smith, The Progress of Man, p. 298, 299
"We must learn the principles of the Constitution and then abide by its precepts. Have we read the Constitution and pondered it? Are we aware of its principles? Could we defend it? Can we recognize when a law is constitutionally unsound?"
-Ezra Taft Benson, BYU Devotional, 16 September, 1986
"…I speak to you about a subject that is very close to my heart and affects the worldwide Church…I desire, therefore, to speak to you about our divine Constitution, which the Lord said 'belongs to all mankind' (D&C 98:5) 'and should be maintained for the rights and protection of all flesh, according to just and holy principles' (D&C 101:77)"
-Ezra Taft Benson, Our Divine Constitution, Conference October 1987
"…we must learn the principles of the Constitution in the tradition of the Founding Fathers. Have we read the Federalist Papers? Are we reading the Constitution and pondering it? Are we aware of its principles? Are we abiding by these principles and teaching them to others? … Do we know what the prophets have said about the Constitution and the threats to it?"
-Ezra Taft Benson, Our Divine Constitution, Conference October 1987
