Members of the Church are feeling the economic pinch of higher taxes and inflation coupled with conditions of continuing recession. Some have come to their bishops seeking assistance to pay for house payments, car loans, and utilities.
Unfortunately, there has been fostered in the minds of some an expectation that when we experience hard times, when we have been unwise and extravagant with our resources and have lived beyond our means, we should look to either the Church or government to bail us out. Forgotten by some of our members is an underlying principle of the Church welfare plan that “no true Latter-day Saint will, while physically able, voluntarily shift from himself the burden of his own support” (Marion G. Romney, in Conference Report, Oct. 1973, p. 106). (taken from Prepare for the Days of Tribulation)
This quote got me thinking about politics. Many people in the country have made poor decisions with how they’ve run their business or household financially. Somehow this gave people in the government the green light to “bail” everyone out of the mess. Unfortuneately, these bail-outs come with a cost and that is a greater burden for all of us to bear. With the elections coming up shortly we have a chance to change things in this country. The bailouts that started with Bush have continued to spiral out of control and we’re heading in a very bad direction. The new Healthcare reform and finance reform are costing the country trillions of dollars.
I like this quote because it is pretty clear on the importance of being independant and why that is imporant to our spiritual well-being.
I recommend reading this talk when considering who to vote for this year. Do some research on the people you are considering. Compare what they have voted for, or are in support of with the values in this quote.
Grace for Grace 
6 comments
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October 21, 2010 at 2:04 am
Cal
Love the quote and love what you said about our government, ama.
I heard Glenn Beck just the other day talking about how our country is “being set up for failure” by the increasing debt and our gutless leaders.
Ultimately, the blame for failure will lye at the feet of we voters. We want congressmen and presidents that borrow $$ from our children so the economy continues strong. Shame on us. Our own greed, selfishness, and laziness is going to destroy us from the inside out unless major changes come about.
We need godly men & women in office. I’m not afraid to say I believe conservatives are better than liberals. Conservatives are the ones who are against abortion, against sanctioning homosexuality, for supporting Israel, for judges that stick with our God-inspired constitution, and conservatives are less apt to bail-out failing businesses.
Another prophet, John Paul Jackson, prophesied long before Obama got into office that a president was coming whose policies would actually hurt the economy. We can see that happening.
Thanks for bringing up the subject, ama.
Everybody please PRAY for this upcoming election and VOTE for godly people!
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October 21, 2010 at 4:56 pm
Ken
Our real struggle is that we cannot get physically conservative people in office. Don’t get me wrong, we need the moral conservative values as much as the other. But the problem today is that the only way to get anyone to vote for you is to promise them something. Something that will cost the next generation dearly.
People think that we need a big government to protect us from big business which is very corrupt in too many cases. Most businesses, when it comes down to doing the right thing or looking out for their profits, will go for profits. Doing the right thing no longer means anything anymore. But the idea that government will save the day, is just like most liberals are saying about conservatives. Asking them so solve the problems is like asking an arsonist to help put out the fire they started. But this is only half true. Both sides of our government have been putting matches to our future, and neither one has any intention or ideas of how to put out the fire. And even if they did, the greed of business will be the undoing.
And we the people end up stuck between the two with no where to turn. I do hope that something like the TEA party can bring some answers. The voice of honesty and integrity has been over shouted by the voice of give me, give me, give me. How do we turn that around? We must pray for the changing of all hearts to do the right thing. And pray that we all turn to God again. We need him more now then ever before.
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October 23, 2010 at 1:20 pm
Cal
Amen, Ken!
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October 23, 2010 at 11:59 pm
ray
The sad fact is that no Republican president in my lifetime has either reduced the size of government or reduced the deficit. Do you think that’s what Br. Beck had in mind?
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November 4, 2010 at 11:31 pm
ama49
Hi Ray,
I think that this election is a great first step. The House has great power in controlling spending and there are a lot of brand new “Tea Party” people who claim to be fiscally conservative that got elected. We’ll just have to see.
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October 25, 2010 at 2:45 pm
Cal
Hi Ray,
I don’t believe I’ve ever met you before.
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