LDS Freedom Forum

lundbaek wrote:If I had done my homework and had been faithful back then, I could have stepped forward at the appropriate time and at least tried a lot sooner to save this country. The fact that, at age 27 I had been in the Church for 5+ years and was unprepared to do it is an indictment I will have to bear. The longer I waited, the heavier the chains, the deeper the blood, the more the persecution and the less I have even now been able to carry out our God-given mandate and world-wide mission. (Lundbæk)

lundbaek wrote:Istand4truth, I can tell you what I wish you would do in response to that display of stacks of papers on welfare, WIC, food stamps, medicaid, medicare, and the CHIps at your stake preparedness exhibition. For the benefit of those of us interested, express your concern in writing to your stake president, with copy to or thru your bishop, about that display and that it encourages something that GAs have told us not to do in years past, hit him with the 2 quotes in my post above, and ask to be advised of the Church policy at this time. Then please let us know the response. I tried and got no response.

tick wrote:I know this is a bit unrelated, but why go back and edit your posts to 'deleted' after a lengthy conversation? Do you agree with re-writing history?

When individuals or groups of people turn away from the principles of the gospel, they are in a state of apostasy.

“Occasionally, we receive questions as to the propriety of Church members receiving government assistance instead of Church assistance. Let me restate what is a fundamental principle. Individuals, to the extent possible, should provide for their own needs. Where the individual is unable to care for himself, his family should assist. Where the family is not able to provide, the Church should render assistance, not the government.” (Elder Ezra Taft Benson General Conference April 1977)

And finally, this last General Conference (Oct 2008), Bishop Keith B. McMullin quoting President Monson said, “Welfare principles . . . do not change. They will not change. They are revealed truths.”

DevinC wrote:You are absolutely correct.

The fundamental principles never change and what is the fundamental principle of receiving welfare?

To take care of your basic needs without becoming dependent upon it and then become self-reliant.

(Please keep in mind that if you interpret that as you can never receive a government handout, then you better not send your children to free public education. {I Don't http://ldsliberty.org/a-hope-and-vision ... h-of-zion/} If you can't send them to private education or homeschool them, then you should ask your family and then your Bishop to pay for the private education. However, since President Joseph Smith campaigned for public education {please provide the reference} you probably should not say that you can never receive a government handout.)

Hence the sentence:
"In some instances, individual members may decide to receive assistance from other sources, including government. In all such cases, members should avoid becoming dependent upon these sources and strive to become self-reliant. Where possible, they should work in return for assistance rendered."(Leader's Guide to Welfare: Providing in the Lord's Way, 1990, pg 15)

These are all government handouts: public schooling, pell grants, subsidized scholarships, etc and are part of the process of striving to become self-reliant.