What is the CHurch's Standpoint and View On: Communism/Socialism?
“Well, the era through which we are passing is no exception. On the flyleaf of the book, The Naked Communist, by W. Cleon Skousen, we find this quotation, (and I admonish everybody to read that excellent book of Chief Skousen’s) : ‘the conflict between communism and freedom is the problem of our time. It overshadows all other problems. This conflict mirrors our age, its toils, its tensions, its troubles, and its tasks. On the outcome of this conflict depends the future of mankind.”
-Prophet David O. McKay, Conference Report, Oct. 1959, p. 5
“Communism destroys man’s God-given free agency... Latter-day Saints cannot be true to their faith and lend aid, encouragement, or sympathy to any of these false philosophies. They will prove snares to their feet.”
-Prophet David O. McKay, see R. Clayton Brough, His Servants Speak, 1975, p. 77
“We believe in a moral code. Communism denies innate right or wrong. As W. Cleon Skousen has said in his timely book, The Naked Communist: The communist ‘has convinced himself that nothing is evil which answers the call of expediency.’ This is a most damnable doctrine. People who truly accept such a philosophy have neither conscience nor honor. Force, trickery, lies, broken promises are wholly justified.”
-Prophet Ezra Taft Benson, Conference Report, April 1960, p. 9
“No true Latter-day Saint and no true American can be a socialist or a communist.”
-Prophet Ezra Taft Benson, as quoted in The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power, by D. Michael Quinn
“The so-called civil rights movement as it exists today is used as a Communist program for revolution in America.”
-Prophet Ezra Taft Benson, Civil Rights: Tool of Communist Deception, 1968, p. 3
“There are some who apparently feel that the fight for freedom is separate from the Gospel. They express it in several ways, but it generally boils down to this: Just live the gospel; there’s no need to get involved in trying to save freedom and the Constitution or stop communism.... Should we counsel the people, ‘Just live your religion – there’s no need to get involved in the fight for freedom?’ No we should not, because our stand for freedom is a most basic part of our religion.”
-Prophet Ezra Taft Benson, General Conference talk, October 1966
"Communism is Satan's counterfeit for the gospel plan…it is the greatest anti-Christ power in the world today and therefore the greatest menace...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."
-Marion G. Romney, of the First Presidency, Ensign, September 1979
"As we have progressed the mist has been removed, and in relation to these matters, the Elders of Israel begin to understand that they have something to do with the world politically as well as religiously, that it is as much their duty to study correct political principles as well as religious..."
-Journal of Discourses 9:340
"President McKay lists the areas our preaching should cover and admonishes us to include in our preaching what governments should or should not do in the interest of the preservation of our freedom. Do we preach what governments should or should not do as a part of the gospel plan...or do we refuse to follow the Prophet by preaching a limited gospel plan of salvation? The fight for freedom cannot be divorced from the gospel - the plan of salvation."
-Ezra Taft Benson, BYU Address, October 25, 1966
"The fight against godless communism is a very real part of every man's duty who holds the priesthood...truly it can be called, 'a continuation of the war in heaven.'"
-Ezra Taft Benson, Conference, October 1961
"There are some who feel that the fight for freedom is separate from the gospel. They express it in several ways, but it generally boils down to this: Just live the gospel; there's no need to get involved in trying to save freedom and the Constitution or to stop communism. Of course, this is dangerous reasoning, because in reality you cannot fully live the gospel without working to save freedom and the Constitution, and to stop communism...our stand for freedom is a most basic part of our religion."
-Ezra Taft Benson, Conference, October 1966
"Each priesthood holder should use his influence in the community to resist the erosion process which is taking place in our political and economic life. He should use the political party of his choice to express his evaluation of important issues. He should see that his party as working to preserve freedom, not destroy it. He should join responsible local groups interested in promoting freedom and free competitive enterprise, in studying political issues, appraising the voting records and proposed programs, and writing to members of Congress, promoting good men in public office and scrutinizing local, state, and federal agencies to see that the will of the people is being carried out. he should not wait for the Lord's servants to give instruction in every detail once they have announced the direction in which the priesthood should go. Each member should exercise prayerful judgment and then act."
-Ezra Taft Benson, Conference, October 1961
"Many of the Latter-day Saints have surrendered their independence; they have surrendered their free thought, politically, and we have got to get back to where we are not surrendering the right. We must stay with the right and if we do so God will bless us."
-Heber J. Grant, Conference, October 1941
"Every member of the priesthood should understand the divine plan designed by the Lord to raise up the first free people in modern times."
-Ezra Taft Benson, Conference, October 1961
"I attended a second lecture on Socialism, by Mr. Finch; and after he got through, I made a few remarks, alluding to Sidney Rigdon and Alexander Campbell getting up a community at Kirtland, and of the big fish there eating up all the little fish. I said I did not believe the doctrine."
-Joseph Smith, History of the Church, Vol. 6, p. 33
"What can they do? [socialists] Live on each other and beg. It is a poor, unwise and very imbecile people who cannot take care of themselves."
-Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, 14:21
"…the world have generally made great mistakes upon these points. They have started various projects to try to unite and cement the people together without God; but they could not do it. Fourierism [Francois Fourier was a French socialist and writer], Communism — another branch of the same thing and many other principles of the same kind have been introduced to try and cement the human family together. And then we have had peace societies, based upon the same principles; but all these things have failed, and they will fail, because, however philanthropic, humanitarian, benevolent, or cosmopolitan our ideas, it is impossible to produce a true and correct union without the Spirit of the living God,…"
-John Taylor, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 18, p. 137
"Our real enemies are communism and its running mate, socialism…these two areas like as two peas in a pod in their ultimate effect upon out liberties…"
-J. Reuben Clark of the First Presidency, Church News, September 1949
"...I have yet to see or hear of its [socialism] freeing the hearts of men of selfishness and greed or of its bringing peace, plenty, or freedom. These things it will never bring, nor will it do away with idleness and promote 'industry, thrift and self-respect,' for it is founded, in theory and in practice, on force, the principle of the evil one."
-Marion G. Romney, Conference, April 1966
"When we fail to put the love of God first, we are easily deceived by crafty men who profess a great love of humanity, while advocating programs that are not of the Lord…revolutionists…[are] 'using a technique that is as old as the human race - a fervid but false solicitude for the unfortunate over whom they thus gain mastery, and then enslave them. They suit their approaches to the particular group they seek to deceive.' [quoting First Presidency] That timely counsel…could have saved China and Cuba if enough people knew what the Communist masters of deceit really had in mind when they promised agrarian reform."
-Ezra Taft Benson, Conference October 1967
"We should continue to speak out for freedom and against socialism and communism as President McKay has consistently admonished us. We should continue to come to the aid of patriots, programs and organizations which are trying to save our Constitution through every legal and moral means possible."
-Ezra Taft Benson, Conference, October 1963
"We must ever keep in mind that collectivized socialism is part of the communist strategy. Communism is fundamentally socialism. We will never win our fight against communism by making concessions to socialism."
-Ezra Taft Benson, Conference, October 1961
"The socialistic-communist conspiracy to weaken the United States involves attacks on many fronts. To weaken the American free-enterprise economy which outproduced both its enemies and allies during World War II is a high priority target of the communist leaders. Their press and other propaganda media are therefore constantly selling the principles of centralized or federal control of farms, railroads, electric power, schools, steel, maritime shipping, and many other aspects of the economy -- but always in the name of public welfare."
-Ezra Taft Benson, Conference, October 1961
"No true Latter-day Saint and no true American can be a socialist or a communist or support programs leading in that direction. These evil philosophies are incompatible with Mormonism, the true gospel of Jesus Christ."
-Ezra Taft Benson, Conference, October 1961
"Civilized governments are threatened by internal and destructive agencies in the form of Communism. This secret organization assumes different names and forms. It is Communism in France, Socialism in Germany, Internationalism in Spain and Italy, Nihilism in Russia, and similar sentiments and principles are cloaked under a variety of titles in America and Great Britain. All these organizations are opposed in spirit to all the restraints of law and order. Now let me call your attention to the fact that in February, 1831, Joseph Smith received a revelation on this very subject, which no doubt many of you are familiar with. Reference is also made along the same lines in the Book of Mormon."
-Reed Smoot, Conference 1933
"We may first observe that communism and socialism--which we shall hereafter group together and dub Statism--cannot live with Christianity nor with any religion that postulates a Creator such as the Declaration of Independence recognizes. The slaves of Statism must know no power, no authority, no source of blessing, no God, but the State...."
-J. Reuben Clark, Jr., Deseret News, Sept. 25th 1949; as quoted by Ezra Taft Benson, Conference, April 1963)
"We believe that our real threat comes from within and not from without, and it comes from that underlying spirit common to Nazism, Fascism, and Communism, namely, the spirit which would array class against class, which would set up a socialistic state of some sort, which would rob the people of the liberties which we possess under the Constitution, and would set up such a reign of terror as exists now in many parts of Europe."
-The First Presidency, excerpt from a Letter to the US Treasury, 1941
"If the doctrines of these three men [Charles Darwin (evolution), Karl Marx(communism-socialism), Maynard Keynes(liberalism/socialist economics)] were to become the basic philosophy of our way of life, we as a people would fail as has no other generation before us since the days of Noah."
-Ezra Taft Benson, MIA Conference, June 1966
"...our young people are being indoctrinated with a Marxist philosophy and I am fearful of the harvest. The younger generation is further to the left than most adults realize. The old concepts of our Founding Fathers are scoffed and jeered at by young moderns..."
-The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, p 321
"We should become informed about communism, about socialism, and about Americanism. What better way to become informed than by first studying the inspired words of the prophets and using that as a foundation; against which to test all other material."
-Ezra Taft Benson, Conference, October 1961
"It is time, therefore, that every American and especially every member of the priesthood, become informed about the aims, tactics, and schemes of socialistic-communism."
-Ezra Taft Benson, Conference, October 1961
"Members of the Church are free to join anti-communist organizations if they desire and their membership in the Church is not jeopardized by doing so. The Church is not opposing the John Birch Society or any other organization of like nature..."
-The First Presidency, Church News, March 1963
Basically it can be summed up like this; the church is against socialism in all of its evil forms including but not limited to ‘socialized medicine’, and encourages all of its members to be ‘self-sufficient’ and not rely on the merits of other men to support you for you. This is why the church is not run like a ‘welfare state’ and even those who receive aid are asked to work for it. (Brigham Young made members move a pile of rocks from one location to another, and then back again before giving them aid) If you support socialism/communism in any of its evil forms (communism being referred to as Satan’s law to counter Jesus’s law of consecration) you should no longer even be allowed to hold a temple recommend; “Do you support, affiliate with, or agree with any group or individual whose teachings or practices are contrary to or oppose those accepted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?” There is no grey area here to argue amongst ourselves over this; accept this through revelation and prayer or take your chances somewhere else; those are your only options.
-Prophet David O. McKay, Conference Report, Oct. 1959, p. 5
“Communism destroys man’s God-given free agency... Latter-day Saints cannot be true to their faith and lend aid, encouragement, or sympathy to any of these false philosophies. They will prove snares to their feet.”
-Prophet David O. McKay, see R. Clayton Brough, His Servants Speak, 1975, p. 77
“We believe in a moral code. Communism denies innate right or wrong. As W. Cleon Skousen has said in his timely book, The Naked Communist: The communist ‘has convinced himself that nothing is evil which answers the call of expediency.’ This is a most damnable doctrine. People who truly accept such a philosophy have neither conscience nor honor. Force, trickery, lies, broken promises are wholly justified.”
-Prophet Ezra Taft Benson, Conference Report, April 1960, p. 9
“No true Latter-day Saint and no true American can be a socialist or a communist.”
-Prophet Ezra Taft Benson, as quoted in The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power, by D. Michael Quinn
“The so-called civil rights movement as it exists today is used as a Communist program for revolution in America.”
-Prophet Ezra Taft Benson, Civil Rights: Tool of Communist Deception, 1968, p. 3
“There are some who apparently feel that the fight for freedom is separate from the Gospel. They express it in several ways, but it generally boils down to this: Just live the gospel; there’s no need to get involved in trying to save freedom and the Constitution or stop communism.... Should we counsel the people, ‘Just live your religion – there’s no need to get involved in the fight for freedom?’ No we should not, because our stand for freedom is a most basic part of our religion.”
-Prophet Ezra Taft Benson, General Conference talk, October 1966
"Communism is Satan's counterfeit for the gospel plan…it is the greatest anti-Christ power in the world today and therefore the greatest menace...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."
-Marion G. Romney, of the First Presidency, Ensign, September 1979
"As we have progressed the mist has been removed, and in relation to these matters, the Elders of Israel begin to understand that they have something to do with the world politically as well as religiously, that it is as much their duty to study correct political principles as well as religious..."
-Journal of Discourses 9:340
"President McKay lists the areas our preaching should cover and admonishes us to include in our preaching what governments should or should not do in the interest of the preservation of our freedom. Do we preach what governments should or should not do as a part of the gospel plan...or do we refuse to follow the Prophet by preaching a limited gospel plan of salvation? The fight for freedom cannot be divorced from the gospel - the plan of salvation."
-Ezra Taft Benson, BYU Address, October 25, 1966
"The fight against godless communism is a very real part of every man's duty who holds the priesthood...truly it can be called, 'a continuation of the war in heaven.'"
-Ezra Taft Benson, Conference, October 1961
"There are some who feel that the fight for freedom is separate from the gospel. They express it in several ways, but it generally boils down to this: Just live the gospel; there's no need to get involved in trying to save freedom and the Constitution or to stop communism. Of course, this is dangerous reasoning, because in reality you cannot fully live the gospel without working to save freedom and the Constitution, and to stop communism...our stand for freedom is a most basic part of our religion."
-Ezra Taft Benson, Conference, October 1966
"Each priesthood holder should use his influence in the community to resist the erosion process which is taking place in our political and economic life. He should use the political party of his choice to express his evaluation of important issues. He should see that his party as working to preserve freedom, not destroy it. He should join responsible local groups interested in promoting freedom and free competitive enterprise, in studying political issues, appraising the voting records and proposed programs, and writing to members of Congress, promoting good men in public office and scrutinizing local, state, and federal agencies to see that the will of the people is being carried out. he should not wait for the Lord's servants to give instruction in every detail once they have announced the direction in which the priesthood should go. Each member should exercise prayerful judgment and then act."
-Ezra Taft Benson, Conference, October 1961
"Many of the Latter-day Saints have surrendered their independence; they have surrendered their free thought, politically, and we have got to get back to where we are not surrendering the right. We must stay with the right and if we do so God will bless us."
-Heber J. Grant, Conference, October 1941
"Every member of the priesthood should understand the divine plan designed by the Lord to raise up the first free people in modern times."
-Ezra Taft Benson, Conference, October 1961
"I attended a second lecture on Socialism, by Mr. Finch; and after he got through, I made a few remarks, alluding to Sidney Rigdon and Alexander Campbell getting up a community at Kirtland, and of the big fish there eating up all the little fish. I said I did not believe the doctrine."
-Joseph Smith, History of the Church, Vol. 6, p. 33
"What can they do? [socialists] Live on each other and beg. It is a poor, unwise and very imbecile people who cannot take care of themselves."
-Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, 14:21
"…the world have generally made great mistakes upon these points. They have started various projects to try to unite and cement the people together without God; but they could not do it. Fourierism [Francois Fourier was a French socialist and writer], Communism — another branch of the same thing and many other principles of the same kind have been introduced to try and cement the human family together. And then we have had peace societies, based upon the same principles; but all these things have failed, and they will fail, because, however philanthropic, humanitarian, benevolent, or cosmopolitan our ideas, it is impossible to produce a true and correct union without the Spirit of the living God,…"
-John Taylor, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 18, p. 137
"Our real enemies are communism and its running mate, socialism…these two areas like as two peas in a pod in their ultimate effect upon out liberties…"
-J. Reuben Clark of the First Presidency, Church News, September 1949
"...I have yet to see or hear of its [socialism] freeing the hearts of men of selfishness and greed or of its bringing peace, plenty, or freedom. These things it will never bring, nor will it do away with idleness and promote 'industry, thrift and self-respect,' for it is founded, in theory and in practice, on force, the principle of the evil one."
-Marion G. Romney, Conference, April 1966
"When we fail to put the love of God first, we are easily deceived by crafty men who profess a great love of humanity, while advocating programs that are not of the Lord…revolutionists…[are] 'using a technique that is as old as the human race - a fervid but false solicitude for the unfortunate over whom they thus gain mastery, and then enslave them. They suit their approaches to the particular group they seek to deceive.' [quoting First Presidency] That timely counsel…could have saved China and Cuba if enough people knew what the Communist masters of deceit really had in mind when they promised agrarian reform."
-Ezra Taft Benson, Conference October 1967
"We should continue to speak out for freedom and against socialism and communism as President McKay has consistently admonished us. We should continue to come to the aid of patriots, programs and organizations which are trying to save our Constitution through every legal and moral means possible."
-Ezra Taft Benson, Conference, October 1963
"We must ever keep in mind that collectivized socialism is part of the communist strategy. Communism is fundamentally socialism. We will never win our fight against communism by making concessions to socialism."
-Ezra Taft Benson, Conference, October 1961
"The socialistic-communist conspiracy to weaken the United States involves attacks on many fronts. To weaken the American free-enterprise economy which outproduced both its enemies and allies during World War II is a high priority target of the communist leaders. Their press and other propaganda media are therefore constantly selling the principles of centralized or federal control of farms, railroads, electric power, schools, steel, maritime shipping, and many other aspects of the economy -- but always in the name of public welfare."
-Ezra Taft Benson, Conference, October 1961
"No true Latter-day Saint and no true American can be a socialist or a communist or support programs leading in that direction. These evil philosophies are incompatible with Mormonism, the true gospel of Jesus Christ."
-Ezra Taft Benson, Conference, October 1961
"Civilized governments are threatened by internal and destructive agencies in the form of Communism. This secret organization assumes different names and forms. It is Communism in France, Socialism in Germany, Internationalism in Spain and Italy, Nihilism in Russia, and similar sentiments and principles are cloaked under a variety of titles in America and Great Britain. All these organizations are opposed in spirit to all the restraints of law and order. Now let me call your attention to the fact that in February, 1831, Joseph Smith received a revelation on this very subject, which no doubt many of you are familiar with. Reference is also made along the same lines in the Book of Mormon."
-Reed Smoot, Conference 1933
"We may first observe that communism and socialism--which we shall hereafter group together and dub Statism--cannot live with Christianity nor with any religion that postulates a Creator such as the Declaration of Independence recognizes. The slaves of Statism must know no power, no authority, no source of blessing, no God, but the State...."
-J. Reuben Clark, Jr., Deseret News, Sept. 25th 1949; as quoted by Ezra Taft Benson, Conference, April 1963)
"We believe that our real threat comes from within and not from without, and it comes from that underlying spirit common to Nazism, Fascism, and Communism, namely, the spirit which would array class against class, which would set up a socialistic state of some sort, which would rob the people of the liberties which we possess under the Constitution, and would set up such a reign of terror as exists now in many parts of Europe."
-The First Presidency, excerpt from a Letter to the US Treasury, 1941
"If the doctrines of these three men [Charles Darwin (evolution), Karl Marx(communism-socialism), Maynard Keynes(liberalism/socialist economics)] were to become the basic philosophy of our way of life, we as a people would fail as has no other generation before us since the days of Noah."
-Ezra Taft Benson, MIA Conference, June 1966
"...our young people are being indoctrinated with a Marxist philosophy and I am fearful of the harvest. The younger generation is further to the left than most adults realize. The old concepts of our Founding Fathers are scoffed and jeered at by young moderns..."
-The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, p 321
"We should become informed about communism, about socialism, and about Americanism. What better way to become informed than by first studying the inspired words of the prophets and using that as a foundation; against which to test all other material."
-Ezra Taft Benson, Conference, October 1961
"It is time, therefore, that every American and especially every member of the priesthood, become informed about the aims, tactics, and schemes of socialistic-communism."
-Ezra Taft Benson, Conference, October 1961
"Members of the Church are free to join anti-communist organizations if they desire and their membership in the Church is not jeopardized by doing so. The Church is not opposing the John Birch Society or any other organization of like nature..."
-The First Presidency, Church News, March 1963
Basically it can be summed up like this; the church is against socialism in all of its evil forms including but not limited to ‘socialized medicine’, and encourages all of its members to be ‘self-sufficient’ and not rely on the merits of other men to support you for you. This is why the church is not run like a ‘welfare state’ and even those who receive aid are asked to work for it. (Brigham Young made members move a pile of rocks from one location to another, and then back again before giving them aid) If you support socialism/communism in any of its evil forms (communism being referred to as Satan’s law to counter Jesus’s law of consecration) you should no longer even be allowed to hold a temple recommend; “Do you support, affiliate with, or agree with any group or individual whose teachings or practices are contrary to or oppose those accepted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?” There is no grey area here to argue amongst ourselves over this; accept this through revelation and prayer or take your chances somewhere else; those are your only options.