Socialism and the United Order Compared

When Christians, or specifically Latter-day Saints, disagree on social issues such as government controlled health care, the debate usually centers around whether or not the government should provide for its people with entitlement programs through redistribution of wealth. The side who are in favor of government assistance believes that doing so is in harmony with biblical teachings while the opposite side believes that government assistance takes away freedoms and enforces enslavement.

In 1966, Marion G. Romney, of the Council of the Twelve for the LDS church, gave a talk comparing Socialism and the United Order. The following link will take you to the entire talk http://emp.byui.edu/WILLIAMSG/talks/mgr_unitedorder.htm.

Below are some excerpts.

"The cornerstone of the United Order is belief in God and acceptance of him as Lord of the earth and the author of the United Order.

"Socialism, wholly materialistic, is founded in the wisdom of men and not of God. Although all socialists may not be atheists, none of them in theory or practice seek the Lord to establish his righteousness."

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"The United Order is nonpolitical.

"Socialism is political, both in theory and practice. It is thus exposed to, and riddled by, the corruption that plagues and finally destroys all political governments that undertake to abridge man's agency."

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"We here in the United States, in converting our government into a social welfare state, have ourselves adopted much of socialism. Specifically, we have to an alarming degree adopted the use of the power of the state in the control and distribution of the fruits of industry. We are on notice, according to the words of the President, that we are going much further, for he is quoted as saying:
"'We're going to take all the money we think is unnecessarily being spent and take it from the 'haves' and give it to the 'have nots.' " (1964 Congressional Record, p. 6142, Remarks of the President to a Group of Leaders of Organizations of Senior Citizens in the Fish Room, March 24, 1964.)

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Constitution God-inspired

"He has told us that in preparation for the restoration of the gospel, he himself established the Constitution of the United States, and he has plainly told us why he established it. I hope I can get this point over to you. He said he established the Constitution to preserve to men their free agency, because the whole gospel of Jesus Christ presupposes man's untrammeled exercise of free agency. Man is in the earth to be tested. The issue as to whether he succeeds or fails will be determined by how he uses his agency. His whole future, through all eternity, is at stake. Abridge man's agency, and the whole purpose of his mortality is thwarted. Without it, the Lord says, there is no existence. The Lord so valued our agency that he designed and dictated "the laws and constitution" required to guarantee it."

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"And now in line with these remarks, for three things I pray:

"(1) That the Lord will somehow quicken our understanding of the differences between socialism and the United Order and give us a vivid awareness of the awful portent of those differences."

"(2) That we will develop the understanding, the desire, and the courage, born of the Spirit, to eschew socialism and to support and sustain, in the manner revealed and as interpreted by the Lord, those just and holy principles embodied in the Constitution of the United States for the protection of all flesh, in the exercise of their God-given agency.

"(3) That through faithful observance of the principles of tithing, the fast, and the welfare program, we will prepare ourselves to redeem Zion and ultimately live the United Order, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen."