So there is a lesson I want to teach you, and talk with you about more and more as you all get older. This is something that is very important for you understand, so this might be a very long post! Be forewarned :-).
Satan always takes the Lord way of doing things and makes his own program from them... only Satan twists it so it is about 3* off. Now the interesting part of a principle or doctrine being 3* off is that, at first, it looks right, it looks correct. It is not until you get further down the road that you realize it is the wrong direction. Just like when you take a road trip. If you start a road trip with a map, but not knowing it you are 3* off, when you are on the road 15 miles, you are not that far off your course. Maybe you could have ended up in a yard instead of the road. Not a big deal right? Only 15 miles down the road, it isn't that big of a deal.... BUT, if you travel 3* off for over 500 miles, then you are in really big trouble and TOTALLY off course.
Well, that is a preface to what I want to teach you about today. I have been hearing a lot of talk from people lately, especially people who are LDS, asking this question, "So what is the big deal about socialism anyway? Why is it so bad to institute socialism... it is just like the law of consecration isn't it?".
Now, when you are talking to people about this subject who are not LDS, it could be harder to explain, but I am going to write you this lesson as if you are talking to people who are LDS. The saints (not just LDS, but Christians as well), of ALL people, should understand the difference between socialism/communism (because socialism is just the beginning steps for communism) and the law of consecration.
At first sight socialism/communism really doesn't look that bad. And I truly believe that many people think it is one of the best ways to truly help people, the redistribution of wealth. After all, that is what we do with the law of consecration isn't it? We give everything to the kingdom of God, then his leaders redistribute as necessary. Unfortunately, it is not that simple. Redistribution of wealth is only PART of socialism.
Having lived in Russia, I have seen first hand the long terms effects of living socialism/communism. I have studied it in depth... I have also studied the law of consecration in depth as well. Here are the BIGGEST differences that I know to be true, either by observation or study of both laws.
1. FREE AGENCY
- We know in the war of heaven before we came to this earth that we fought for our free agency. We are free agents to ACT and not be acted upon. To be stewards over what the Lord has given us as a FREE people. In socialism/communism freedom is exchanged for security. There are practically those exact words in the socialistic writings.
- Now what did Satan want to give us in the pre-existence? ... you got it. Security. He wanted to guarantee that none of us would suffer. But that is not the Lord's way. We must be free to choose.
- When governments of the world try to take the law of consecration and twist it so it is 3* off, you have socialism, and free agency is taken away and exchanged for security. It is the pre-mortal fight all over again.
- We are told under the law of consecration that we will give everything we have to the Lord's kingdom, to his church, then his leaders will give back to us according to our needs and desires. As a part of this, what we get back is our own PERSONAL property. We are stewards over our own property to take care of the best we can.
- Under socialism/communism (it says in the Communist Manifesto) that the property is the government's. Government run housing is exactly what they have in Russia, as well as Chicago where so many inner-city issues are. Under the law of consecration, there is NO government owned housing/property. It is personal property. There is a BIG difference inside of this concept with how we take care of our stewardship.
- Under the law of consecration our families are OURS. We raise our children. We teach our children. The family is the basic unit of society.
- Under socialism/communism your children belong to THE STATE. This is when that 3* off gets really hairy about 500 miles down the road. Recently on MSNBC was a woman saying this exact thing about the children being the 'community's children' and they are 'not our own'. This completely conflicts with church doctrine and the basic principle of the importance of family inside of Christianity.
- As part of the law of consecration the father will always provide for his family. He is the leader. He is the provider. He is the protector. He is, in essence, watching after his family the same way that Heavenly Father watches over his entire children on the earth.
- As part of socialism/communism the fatherhood role is completely demolished. I personally have a friend who has been having a hard time with her husband, who hasn't been working for over 2 years or providing for his family. She told me, "I think I am going to divorce him because I can get way more money from the government if I am not married anymore." That is exactly what Satan wants, he wants to just get rid of the importance of fatherhood. I can understand why this friend felt that way, her husband should step it up and provide.
- Another example of this is when I was in Russia, and living in Chicago. The boys of Chicago were part of gangs. The women were taking care of the family. The women got money from the government to do so. The boys/men had no role in their lives to be the provider, so they joined gangs instead. It is a vicious cycle.
- The gospel ENABLES a man to be a man. Satan doesn't wait men to be men anymore. He wants them to be obsolete in the Lord's plan of the family.
- In the law of consecration EVERYONE gives - no matter how much you have or don't have. Everyone goes to the bishop/leader and gives all he has. Everyone contributes. No one is just the taker, and no one is just the giver. Idleness is NOT part of the law of consecration.
- In socialism/communism most of the time there are only givers and only takers (Only the rich take care of the poor). I understand this is NOT 100% of the time. I know a good single mother who used food stamps for a while after she was divorced in order to help provide for her family. BUT, she worked as hard as she could to get off of the benefits she was receiving. Because of where I have lived and served (Russia and Chicago being the main ones), I know more people who once they receive entitlements are actually AFRAID of getting a job because they don't want to lose their benefits. The law of consecration doesn't have this because everyone is giving and everyone is receiving.
- Idleness is done away with under the law of consecration. In a Zion society there are 'no poor among them' because they are all taking care of each other and no one is shackled by the bonds of poverty because everyone is working and adding value in the best ways they know how. The Lord has everyone go to their leaders and give everything they have... inside of that is a lot of power for every individual because the Lord knows we all have something to offer, not matter how much money we have or don't have.
We must be free. Anything that takes away our free agency and freedom is from Satan. That was his plan in the beginning ... and that is still his plan today. We, of all people on the earth, should understand very well the difference between God's laws and Satan's counterfeits. He tries to mimic the Lord. Satan knows our soul recognize God's way of doing things. BUT don't be fooled by the way he makes everything 3* off.
I am a lover of freedom. I am a lover of giving to the poor and supporting each other. And I am also a lover of doing it in the right way, through God's way of doing things.
I love you,
Your Mom
No comments:
Post a Comment