The following is the text of a lecture I gave last night to the Young Americans for Liberty chapter at Utah Valley University:
Throughout the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, those who have been sustained as its leaders have repeatedly spoken out on political matters. [...]
Warning: long post ahead!
For several years I have been citing a quote in various posts, emails, discussions, and other settings, allegedly from the First Presidency in 1941. This quote is both potent and largely unprecedented, and its implications are especially interesting.
The quote is as follows:
The Church as [...]
Yesterday marked two decades since the Berlin Wall came crashing down. As a visual representation of the larger “Iron Curtain”, Berlin’s wall served as a symbol of the separation of and forced isolation by the Eastern Bloc. In the minds of [...]
The following is an op-ed I wrote that was published in the Salt Lake Tribune yesterday (my submission is below; the Trib edited it slightly for publication):
Along with the recent announcement of the NSA data center to be built near Lehi came numerous praises of the jobs it would [...]
In over two hundred speeches given between 2002 and 2009, President Obama has referenced “special interests” 212 times. This near 1:1 ratio shows a continual concern (if only a verbalized one) for the influence of these allegedly nefarious groups of lobbyists.
Mr. Obama [...]
A recent article by the Heritage Foundation provides an exhaustive and compelling list of instances in which supporters of California’s recent Proposition 8 were targeted, harassed, and violently abused by individuals in the opposing camp. While certainly not complete in its [...]
While modern civilization has made great strides in eradicating many of the scourges that have crippled and killed millions, it has overwhelmingly welcomed the latest cancer with wide open arms. Curiously, this disease is weaved into the popular culture in such a way [...]
In August, President Obama made an appearance in Arizona to headline a rally for supporters of his Obamacare plan. Unsurprisingly, protesters swarmed the area with homemade signs to make known their outrage. Among the group was an individual carrying an AR-15 rifle slung over his shoulder, and [...]
Fancy televisions. 4-wheelers. Boats. Video game systems. Fancy clothing and jewelry. These and a slew of other material objects are some of the distractions by which people refuse to prepare themselves and their families for the storms on the horizon. In [...]
In various political gatherings I attend and view there are inevitably a handful of people who will vocally complain about perceived divisiveness and “in-fighting”. Their main argument is that it is counter-productive to spend our time and energy focusing on internal problems, [...]
At today’s committee meeting, the Central Committee of the Utah County Republican Party passed a motion affirming its opposition to the so-called (and horribly misnamed) "ethics initiative" currently being circulated for signatures and support in the state of Utah. They join a [...]
A commonly proposed solution to reduce the amount of corruption in Washington is to impose term limits on officeholders, thereby theoretically minimizing the amount of damage one corrupt politician can cause. The argument goes that incumbents often have an unfair advantage with a [...]
Last night, the Sutherland Institute held their quarterly blogger briefing. Guest panelists were representatives of the Republican and Democrat parties in Utah, and the audience was comprised of, well, bloggers. The topic, “Civility in Politics: Where Do We Draw the Line?”, keyed off [...]
A previous article I’ve written, "Prophetic Political Silence", continues to receive a steady stream of traffic to this day. I am often contacted by people expressing their gratitude for the ideas I expressed there—people who, like me, often wonder why our church [...]
For decades, politicians on both sides of the aisle have lampooned each others’ policies and programs while guarding their own as irreproachable. Democrats have steadily promoted the welfare state, while Republicans are most noted for their advancing of the warfare state. The truth [...]
Glenn Beck and Andrew Breitbart have been focusing the nation’s attention in recent days on ACORN, and rightly so. This organization has been riddled with corruption and controversy for some time, and the recent exposés of their widespread lawlessness have only [...]
The following is an op-ed I wrote that was published in the Daily Herald today:
It seems that for Utah’s governors, “fiscal conservatism” is little more than a campaign sound byte to be discarded upon assuming office. Governor Herbert, it would appear, is not off to a very good start. [...]
Few people would disagree with the assessment that the advocates of big government—a broad but loose coalition consisting of champions in both parties of welfare and warfare—have made steady and consistent political gains in the last century.
Why have they been winning?
My casual [...]
At a speech at the Reichsparteitag in 1935, Adolf Hilter declared that “he alone, who owns the youth, gains the future!” This ownership he described was a reference to the use of propaganda, emotion, and allurement to captivate the minds and secure [...]
I gave the following talk in my ward today:
A need for defending the family
In 1995, the Council on Families in America issued a report titled "Marriage in America: a report to the nation." In that paper, this diverse group of family scholars said [...]
In an effort to inspire the colonials to stay the course in throwing off the shackles of British tyranny, Thomas Paine wrote a series of pamphlets titled The American Crisis. The first of these pamphlets began with the lines:
These are the times [...]
In a 2004 General Conference address discussing how the Saints of God are to oppose evil, President Hinckley stressed the need for our active involvement in defending truth and righteousness. Noting the influence that a small group of individuals can have, he remarked [...]
Robert Lefevre was expressing a fundamental truism when he declared that government is in reality a disease that also masquerades as a cure. Of course, this duplicitous double punch requires placing the blame for the disease on others’ shoulders. For if [...]
Frédéric Bastiat once wrote that "the worst thing that can happen to a good cause is, not to be skillfully attacked, but to be ineptly defended." Throughout his life, Bastiat contributed a great deal of forceful arguments in the defense of [...]
Fewer words in our political vernacular have become as distorted as the word “right”. Today, politicians and ordinary people alike regularly mention a “right to health care”, “right to home ownership”, “right to affordable insurance”, and a litany of other supposed [...]
A political tool long coveted by Presidents of the United States and enjoyed by a majority of the governors of the separate states is the line-item veto. This power allows the executive officer to unilaterally repeal certain provisions contained in a bill [...]
Barack Obama is turning America into a socialist nation!!!!!!
So go most of the ignorant economic critiques made by your average Republican in response to the policies and programs being promoted by his highness, the great President-who-can-and-will-fix-everything. Aghast at what’s being pushed through a [...]
The field of science relies upon challenging previous assumptions and understanding; by asking questions, we learn. Pursued properly, science can be a great asset to provide knowledge, technology, and progress to humanity. When married with government (the “political science” I here refer [...]
While shrouded in layers of propaganda and political intrigue, the foreign policy of the United States of America is really not too difficult to understand. In discussions with others, I have often employed the use of an analogy I created to demonstrate its [...]
1913 was a bad year for liberty. In this one year alone, future generations of Americans were enslaved to the evils of central banking through the creation of the Federal Reserve; government claimed ownership of roughly one third of each American’s life [...]
The advancement of the "progressive" political agenda relies strongly upon disassociation through distraction to achieve its goals. Half-truths, sound bytes, and hollow rhetoric are tools of the trade, wielded with precise, calculated moves to infuse ignorance into an already-uninformed citizenry.
Our modern [...]
Article 42, Section five of the Honduras Constitution states (roughly translated) that any person “inciting, promoting, or supporting the continuation or re-election of the President” may lose his/her citizenship, by court order.
This past weekend, the Supreme Court of Honduras rejected [...]
Like a sugar addict does on Halloween, our federal government is trying to grab everything in sight for itself. This illegitimate acquisition of power demonstrates itself in nearly every executive order, Czarian mandate, and congressional bill; very little of what comes from Washington [...]
Nothing wraps death in a shroud of legitimacy like the government. Official pronouncements, fiat mandates, and governmental stamps of approval all convince a trusting (gullible?) citizenry that the subject of the government’s gaze is indeed what they say it is—nothing more, nothing less. [...]
America is too big. As centralization of power has increased in Washington, federal effectiveness has correspondingly decreased as the overall population grows, and along with it the ratio of political representation. Disenfranchisement continues to swell among the near-powerless masses, [...]
Glenn Beck has an obsession with so-called “9/11 Truthers”.
At least, that’s what one must assume upon watching how he references this hardly-cohesive group of individuals in a fear-induced hysteria that the media has, in recent years, perfected into an art form. On [...]
For his entire adult life, with the exception of a few years of military employment, my grandfather worked for General Motors. His father had worked there as well, both adding their contributions to a growing industry through an innovative, respected company. [...]
In a recent interview on Fox News, General Petraeus advocated that America stand by her values with respect to how detainees are treated and processed in our legal system. In a brief review and discussion after airing the interview, two news reporters [...]
Fifty-six years after the Declaration of Independence was signed, the Mormon community in Missouri was viciously attacked by a mob consisting of their disgruntled neighbors. Speaking of this event, the Prophet Joseph Smith wrote:
July, which once dawned upon the virtue and independence of [...]
I gave the following talk in another ward today:
What is a Christian? The answer to this question has been hotly debated for some time now, with various denominations trying to narrowly define the word so as to exclude those whose theology differs from [...]
The military prison established at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba is once again in the news, with Congress rejecting Obama’s proposal to close up shop. As usual, observing the arguments on both sides of the aisle has become an exercise in maddening frustration [...]
The experience of the city Ammonihah in the Book of Mormon provides an interesting case study regarding the arrogance that patriotic pride produces. Having apostatized from the Nephite faith and embraced the teachings of Nehor, the people violently rejected [...]
My maternal grandfather was a man whom everybody loved. He was the type who would make friends in the most random places—the grocery store clerk, bank teller, gas station attendant, and everywhere in-between. Well loved and quick to complement, he is remembered for his warm heart and sincere interest in [...]
When trying an individual for a crime, the government calls upon witnesses and other relevant persons to give testimony and offer the judge and/or jury compelling information to understand and judge the facts laid before them. This judicial system is intended to allow [...]
Few individuals would try to argue that the collective political genius and individual virtue and integrity of our "representatives" rivals that of our founding generation. And yet, for various reasons, there exists a movement to call for another constitutional [...]
A common assessment of American’s current political landscape is that individuals have become largely disenfranchised, bored, and isolated. People are fed up with the inherent divisiveness of politics, and the lack of progress they see (or with which they agree). For the minority [...]
For the past few months, I’ve been taking a history class in pursuit of my master’s degree in political economy. This class covered the era from Christopher Columbus (late 1400s) through Abraham Lincoln (mid 1800s). Part of the class requirements is an [...]
Changing the oil in your car. Sewing your own clothes. Growing your own food. Building your own house. The list continues, full of things that the average American has no idea how to do. As society has progressed, specialization has increased. Through [...]
Yes, it’s true. I’m not attending one of the many tea parties being organized on this, the day of legalized American thievery. Upset citizens across the country are rallying in various locations to voice their concerns, hold up their signs, and [...]
The opening discourse in last week’s general conference was given by Robert D. Hales on the subject of becoming a provident provider. For me, this talk set the tone for all the talks that would follow. During the entire conference, [...]
A feeling shared by the more idealistic of libertarians is that implicit contracts should be done away with, meaning that a person should only be bound by law to which he has affixed his signature, and therefore, his explicit, stated consent. Any [...]
Barack Obama’s chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, has now become famous for suggesting that a good politician should never let “a serious crisis go to waste.” Further explaining his remarks, he stated that crises are “an opportunity to do things [...]
President Boyd K. Packer’s discourse during the last session of general conference seems, at first glance, to be a loosely-related collection of historical stories related to the patriotism of the early members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day [...]
For years, those predicting the mess we’re currently in have been labeled as “doom and gloomers,” seen by the placated proles as negative worriers that are disconnected from reality. This label has, of course, been used throughout the ages, most notably applied [...]
The health care industry has a large target painted on its back, drawing ire from frustrated individuals and scheming politicians alike. Public anger towards this market is certainly justifiable, given how expensive things have become. Basic care now requires both your [...]
Husbands and fathers have three primary roles in their stewardship: provide, preside, and protect. It seems from my personal observation that they are generally prioritized and proactively worked on in this order. Almost all men recognize the duty to work and provide for [...]
Preparedness. There is perhaps no other word that conveys so much, yet so little. What does it mean? To what areas of life does it apply (or not apply)? Being adequately and generally prepared of a necessity requires that we ask ourselves all [...]
Federal politicians love talking about “injecting liquidity” into the market. In the central banking vernacular, liquidity implies an access to credit, or, the ability to get a loan if and when you want one. Thus, in light of our economic stagnation, market [...]
Having lived under a tyrannical form of government and having studied plenty of others, the wise Founders of this nation sought to create a system of government where the rule of law prevailed. In contrasting forms of government (monarchy, oligarchy, aristocracy, etc.), the [...]
In an effort to advise and appease a concerned public, economists are frequently paraded around in the media to offer their outlook on our collective financial future. Treated by many as sagacious oracles in possession of some magic crystal ball, their pundit hosts [...]
Like parched lips to the water fountain, insolvent states are lapping up the dollars coming from the federal government in the latest round of socialist thievery and intergenerational slavery. Rather than face the hard task of balancing their own budgets based on available [...]
The Book of Mormon is a compendium of ancient scripture written specifically for our day. Those whose writings it contains prophesied and warned of what would later come, and their words “cry from the dust” regarding what we should learn from what [...]
The world is falling apart.
At least, that’s what you might think if you pay attention to the news. Each day we are virtual, passive witnesses to sheer chaos: fires, murders, suicide bombings, military combat, earthquakes, economic turmoil, immorality displayed as public virtue, [...]
Three months ago, an organization called Equality Utah launched a campaign they titled the Common Ground Initiative. This initiative is a package of bills being considered in Utah’s current legislative session, each of which confers some additional privileges and opportunities to homosexual [...]
To my “representatives”:
I wrap that word in quotes because I’m not so sure that you actually represent me. Theoretically you do, since I live in some pre-defined boundaries to which you pertain, and because you convinced my neighbors that you’d be a good [...]
The GOP is dying a slow, necessary death. Any organization that completely and consistently backtracks on its mission statement and core principles is little more than an empty shell of self-serving powermongers anxious to extract whatever last bit of personal gain they can [...]
Few charitable opportunities yield such an immediate and savory reward as IHOP’s National Pancake Day. Since 2006, IHOP has sponsored a day each year where they give each guest one stack of their famous buttermilk pancakes. In return, they ask that [...]
In the 101st section of Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord gives a parable about watchmen on the tower in His vineyard. The various watchmen were commanded to build a tower upon which one watchman could stand and warn the others of approaching [...]
Last week, Utah Senator Howard Stephenson (who represents the area in which I live) announced a new law he has sponsored titled “Clay’s Law”, named after Clay Whiffen. Clay was diagnosed with autism at an early age, and was put [...]
I gave the following talk in another ward today:
A Disregarded Definition
One of the articles of our faith declares to the world that we as Latter-day Saints believe in being honest. At first glance, one might think that this issue is of small [...]
Last September, I blogged about a recent emergency preparedness drill our stake had conducted. This past week was “round two” of the drill, conducted to assess what progress our community has made in acquiring more food storage and getting everybody [...]
Not five minutes into his new presidency, and after having so recently sworn an oath to support and defend the Constitution, President Barack Obama pledged to break it by declaring:
To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to [...]
Throughout recent months, America has been subjected to a variety of Congressionally-induced economic stimuli. These events take the form of legislation whisked through the chambers of Congress with lightning speed, and newly-created programs and committees that refuse to implement the transparency [...]
President-elect Obama, reacting to a turbulent economy and increasing unemployment, has promised to create one two three four million jobs, the majority of which would be in the private sector. Focus on this initiative has been [...]
Locus Standi—an acknowledged right or claim—is the Latin legal term for what is commonly referred to as “standing”. In essence, standing determines whether a person has sufficient cause and reason to bring forward a case to sue somebody.
The basic requirements and circumstances [...]
You’ve seen the commercials before from similar organizations, showing hungry, dirty children with sad faces. A phone number appears at the bottom of the screen and invites you to sponsor a child with a monthly contribution.
This month’s Charity of the Month, Children International, is one [...]
Modern technology has drastically reduced the perceived size of the world, bringing far-away geopolitical events to our doorstep through new mediums of communication. Information that used to take weeks to propagate down to the average family now takes seconds; facilitated by the [...]
Each year, creative marketers brainstorm various methods they can use to convince people to buy their latest gadgets, apparel, and miscellaneous merchandise during the holiday season. With new movies, new versions of software, updated electronic gadgets, and the latest fashions all vying [...]
Abraham Lincoln is revered in most historical accounts—most notably those in public school textbooks—as the savior of the Union. Quelling southern rebellion, he prevented a deepening division amongst countrymen and ultimately was able to hold the country together. What his fans [...]
It would seem that the unstated goal of public “education” institutions is not to help our children succeed and learn, but to make everybody feel good about their current abilities. Instead of allowing individuals with special abilities to excel and prosper in a [...]
President Bush made a visit this past weekend to the country he invaded, subjugated, and has occupied. Little surprise, then, that his farewell address to his subjects was met with a bit of opposition, mild though it may have been. An angry [...]
After reading some of the story of the Brother of Jared in Sunday School today, the teacher asked if it would be possible for us to have the same type of experiences—namely, an open vision of the Savior and all of His [...]
If police officers are charged with upholding and enforcing the law, does that also grant them the authority to break it? If so, to what extent may an individual perform an illegal act to punish another individual for doing the same? [...]
Per request, I thought I’d offer up some thoughts on why parents feel a need to have their children socialized through government institutions. At the root of this issue seems to be the underlying desire to have one’s children “fit in”—the quest [...]
A “fiscal emergency” has been declared by the Governator, throwing light on economic panic in a mismanaged state. Suddenly California finds itself in the hole to the tune of $11 billion.
But the Golden State is not alone in its financial crunch, [...]
According to a few sources, President Bush angrily opposed any mention of the Constitution when he and others were gathered together to brainstorm how best to trample the document, calling it just a “piece of paper” (the actual quote containing some [...]
As I ponder Thanksgiving this year, my focus rests on the action portion of the word itself: giving thanks. Oddly enough, I only really noticed portion of the word after learning its Spanish equivalent: dÃa de acción de gracias (day of action [...]
As I write this post, families across the nation are settling in to watch the season premiere of 24. I’ve talked to a few individuals who have come to use this show as a bonding experience in their family; since each person [...]
Much has been said and debated in the public arena during the last few months regarding the economy. As with any catastrophe, people are looking to point fingers in order to be able to channel frustration and demand recourse. Sadly, the majority of [...]
Just as a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, so too can destructive political ideologies persist, regardless of the package they are wrapped in. In order to create real political change, it is necessary to perform more than just [...]
Our current economic situation is unsustainable. America’s prosperity—a transitory illusion if ever there was one—has largely been due to the fact that we have long enjoyed the status of being the producer (literally) of the world reserve currency. Through widespread [...]
In the public’s mind, what is the purpose of journalism? My understanding leads me to believe that the industry exists to investigate issues that others—who are preoccupied with their own engaging pursuits—cannot. An industry has thus been created around investigative reporting, with individuals [...]
In the past week, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been the subject of several new websites, initiatives, protests, news reports, and blog posts, nearly all negative. As a result of the Church’s efforts to protect marriage, thousands [...]
