The holders of God's priesthood who are faithful share in the fellowship of foreordination, being called, Alma said, "according to the foreknowledge of God, on account of their exceeding faith and good works."  (Alma 13:3.)  You, youth and young adults of the Church, come to this life not only trailing traits and talents from your premortal experience, but you also come having manifested good works in that same earlier experience - from which there is a carry-over commitment.
     You have come to blend capacity and opportunity.  You have come to see fulfilled and to help fulfill certain prophecies.  All of you who have been called to holy callings, according to Alma, are called on account of your faith, here and before.  The special daughters of Zion share in this same unfolding drama, for we can neither succeed without them nor go anywhere in the world to come -  anywhere that really matters - without them.  Believe, therefore, not only in the promises concerning the Church, but in the promises concerning you, individually.

-Neal A. Maxwell

     There is a theory put forth by Mr. Darwin, and others, that is the school of modern philosophers, which is termed in late years, the theory of Evolution, that man in our present state upon the earth, is but the sequence and outgrowth of steady advancement from the lowest order of creation, till the present type of man, and that we have advanced step by step from the lowest order of creation till at last man has been formed upon the earth in our present sphere of action; in short, that our great-grandfathers were apes and monkeys.  And how much satisfaction these philosophers have in the contemplation of their grandfather monkeys, we are left to conjecture; but such are the theories put forth by some of our modern philosophers.  But we find nothing on the earth, or in the earth, nor under the earth, that indicates that any of these monkeys or apes, or any other orders of creation below man have ever accomplished any great exploits.  So far as the history of this earth is known, whether written or unwritten, or whether written in volumes of books, whether engraven upon metallic plates, or whether found impressed in rocks, neither geologists, nor any other scientists have ever been able to show us any great exploits of any of these inferior grades of being to indicate that there was any such vitality in them, as to develop in their future progress, the present order of beings we call man.  But if there is any truth in the history given us by Moses this being we call man, is only God in embryo.  And Moses tells us that the Creator conversed with this man whom he called Adam, consisting of male and female.  He conversed with them, showed himself to them, spoke with them at different times, gave them instructions, gave them his law, visited them repeatedly in their new home, in the place we call the Garden of Eden, the garden that the Lord planted for man- eastward in Eden.  And after he was driven out from the face of his Creator, from the Garden, and the vail was drawn between him and his Creator, yet from time to time God was wont to draw aside that vail and show himself, and we not only find that Adam and Eve had frequent intercourse with their Creator and talked with him personally as we talk with our children and they with us; but we find many of Adam's descendants obtained like privileges of seeing their Creator, and speaking with him, receiving instruction from him.  Enoch, the seventh from Adam, it was said walked with God, and enjoyed this privilege for three hundred years.  From time to time the vail was drawn aside, and whenever he desired, and it was expedient to receive instructions and counsels from his Father and Creator he enjoyed this privilege, and the Father came and showed himself to him and spoke with him.  The same may be said of Noah and of Abraham, who conversed with him, and the Scriptures tell us, furthermore, that Abraham killed the fatted calf, and prepared savory meat for a meal, and set before him and he ate with him.

-Erastus Snow

     "The enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people."

     "Modern communism, fascism, nazism, socialism, and other related systems, are all the same in essential theory.  They oppose religion, except as they themselves claim to be revelations, and they reject christian morality.  They prohibit free speech and action; eliminate private ownership and initiative; hold without exception the state above the individual; regiment the people; allow the strong to dominate the weak; they take government out of the hands of the governed, and place it in the hands of a self-appointed, selfish, self-styled, super-group, and they culminate in dictatorships. The free agent has no place in their systems.  Their claim that they believe in human equality, as shown by their tyrannical behavior, is false.  Force and terrorism are their weapons.  All that makes for human security and happiness is destroyed."

-John A. Widtsoe

     "Ye shall know them by their fruits.  Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
     Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 
     A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 
     Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.  Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them."

-Matthew 7:16-19

     "Be not deceived; God is not mocked:  for whatsoever" [Hollywood] "soweth, that shall [they] also reap" (Galatians 6:7).
     Hollywood producers and executives are peddlers and poisoners of the minds of America.  "The spilling over of violence and sex from fictitious dramas into real life" is fully realized.  "By making carnality legitimate" in American culture Hollywood has become as fruit that has rotted upon the vine.  Their televised system of delivery pumps into everyday lives of Americans "characters" that "perform acts we would abhor in real life.  The pornographic images our media depict - the licentious manner of the characters, their distorted standard of values, their predisposition to murder and violence - all subvert and pollute the minds of America.  Once there, they become a part of us.  By indulging such images, we do the contrary of "stopping our ears at the mention of murder, shutting our eyes at the sight of wickedness" (Isaiah 33:15).   
     "Wherefore, fear and tremble O ye people....for verily [those that control Hollywood] are sealed up "unto the day when the wrath of God shall be poured out upon the wicked without measure.  Unto the day when the Lord shall come to recompense unto every man according to his work, and measure to every man according to his measure which he has measured to his fellow man."  For the "anger of the Lord is kindled, and his sword is bathed in heaven, and it shall fall upon" those that peddle images of filth and violence and those that give it consent.

     Church members are at perfect liberty to act according to their own consciences in the matter of safeguarding our way of life.  They are, of course, encouraged to honor the highest standards of the gospel and to work to preserve their own freedoms.  They are free to participate in non-church meetings that are held to warn people of the threat of Communism or any other theory or principle that will deprive us of our free agency or individual liberties vouchsafed by the Constitution of the United States.
     The position of this Church on the subject of Communism has never changed.  We consider it the greatest satanical threat to peace, prosperity, and the spread of God's work among men that exists on the face of the earth.
     We therefore commend and encourage every person and every group who is sincerely seeking to study Constitutional principles and awaken a sleeping and apathetic people to the alarming conditions that are rapidly advancing about us.
     The entire concept and philosophy of Communism is diametrically opposed to everything for which the Church stand's - belief in Deity, belief in the dignity and eternal nature of man, and the application of the gospel to efforts for peace in the world.  Communism is militantly atheistic and is committed to the destruction of faith wherever it may be found.
     Communism debases the individual and makes him the enslaved tool of the state, to which he must look for sustenance and religion.  Communism destroys man's God-given free agency.
     No member of this Church can be true to his faith, nor can any American be loyal to his trust, while lending aid, encouragement, or sympathy to any of these philosophies; for if he does, they will prove snares to his feet.

Read full statement by Pres. McKay here.

-David O. McKay

     "Enlighten the people generally and tyranny and oppressions of both mind and body will vanish like evil spirits at the dawn of the day."

-Thomas Jefferson

      Recent studies...amply document the abnormal effects of watching television.  The images our eyes see are stored permanently in our minds.  There they mingle with images of the real world, confusing our perception of reality and affecting behavior.  Watching television accustoms people to the sensational, the artificial, the novel, so that they begin to require a regular diet of these things to maintain their interest.  This requirement is filled by watching more television, until its addictive effect on people captivates them.  Because their minds and hearts dull toward quiet, normal, everyday happenings, reality appears drab and uninteresting.  Television advertising in part compensates for this dullness by creating unnatural wants or needs in people.  People satisfy these wants by indulging in consumer goods.
     More than that, much of television teaches a false social code, enculturating people, especially children, into norms of divorce, disrupted family life, the supremacy of the peer group, affluence, sex stereotypes, alcohol consumption, fast food or junk food habits, coercive health practices, and so forth.  Closely linked to this chaotic social structure is television's false morality.  Because so much television defines no clear-cut standard of right and wrong, it portrays immorality as normal.  Because the finer human emotions are not portrayed well in this medium, television inculcates a national taste for what is depraved, coarse, and unintelligent.  It not only vulgarizes the use of language but stunts its development, discouraging reading and intellectual growth.

-The Last Days

     It is the implantation of this illusory picture of the world into our minds.  A process of widespread indeed virtually universal hallucination emerging from extremely circumscribed and elusive sources that forms the major activity of the hidden powers.


-William Grimstad

    Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness;
     For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves.  And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward.

-D&C 58:27-28

    "Henry Thoreau, an early American philosopher, once said that we should thank God every day of our lives for the privilege of having been born.  And then he went on to speculate on the rather unique supposition of what it might have been like if we had not been born.  Just suppose that you had never been born or that your parents had never been born.  Think of all of the excitement and opportunities you would have missed as a consequence.  What Mr. Thoreau may not have known was that one-third of all of the children of God never were born and never can be born because they failed to pass the requirements of their first estate.  And yet, every spirit child of God hungers for a body.  We remember the unembodied spirits who appeared to Jesus in his day who preferred to have the bodies of swine rather than not to have any bodies at all.  In my own case, I didn't find out that I had been born until quite a long time after it happened.  And I am still finding out many important things about the good fortunes of my birth.  I eventually discovered that I had inherited two parents who were very interested in my welfare.  And I am very glad that they were not members of this modern breed of abortionist who are followers of King Herod in his program of slaughtering the innocents.  My parents were pretty poor in material things, but I have discovered that even a little adversity can have many advantages."

-Sterling W. Sill

     "We must always remember that it was the very openness of the invitation from James, encouraging readers to ask for personal revelation, that struck deeply and with great force into the heart of young Joseph Smith.  There were no living prophets to whom Joseph could go, and no living Church that he could then join.  But there were living scriptures that urged him to approach the living God!  Thus it was the living scriptures that set in motion events that would create the living Church and new living prophets."


-Neal A. Maxwell

     "The third great measure necessary to ensure us permanent prosperity, should ensure resources of money by the suppression of all paper circulation during peace, and licensing that of the nation alone during war.  The metallic medium of which we should be possessed at the commencement of a war, would be a sufficient fund for all the loans we should need through its continuance; and if the national bills issued, be bottomed (as is indispensable) on pledges of specific taxes for their redemption within certain and moderate epochs, and be of proper denominations for circulation, no interest on them would be necessary or just, because they would answer to every one the purposes of the metallic money withdrawn and replaced by them."

-Thomas Jefferson

 “Even this nation [church] will be on the verge of crumbling to pieces and tumbling to the ground and when the Constitution [Restoration] is on the brink of ruin this people will be the staff upon which the nation [church] shall lean and they shall bear the Constitution [Restoration] away from the very verge of destruction.”

(Joseph Smith Papers, LDS Church Historical Archives, Box 1, March 10, 1844.)

Only the elders of the church can save the doctrines and ordinances of the Restoration from ruin by opposing the influence of a corrupt oligarchy over the leaders of the church.

     "This is the greatest gift that can be conferred on intelligent beings, to live forever and never be destroyed.  It is written that the greatest gift God can bestow upon man is the gift of eternal life.  The greatest attainment that we can reach is to preserve our identity to an eternal duration in the midst of the heavenly hosts.  We have the words of eternal life given to us through the Gospel, which, if we obey, will secure unto us that precious gift."


-Brigham Young

     "But, behold, in the last days, or in the days of the Gentiles - yea, behold all the nations of the Gentiles and also the Jews, both those who shall come upon this land [America] and those who shall be upon other lands, yea, even upon all the lands of the earth, behold, they will be drunken with iniquity and all manner of abominations-  And when that day shall come they shall be visited of the Lord of Hosts, with thunder and with earthquake, and with a great noise, and with storm, and with tempest, and with the flame of devouring fire."

-2 Nephi 27:1-2

     "When merely by avoiding false objects of expense, we are able, without a direct tax, without internal taxes and, without borrowing to make large and effectual payments toward the discharge of our public debt and the emancipation of our posterity from that moral canker, it is an encouragement of the highest order, to proceed as we have begun, in substituting economy for taxation, and in pursuing what is useful for a nation placed as we are, rather than what is practiced by others under different circumstances."

-Thomas Jefferson

     "The best government is that which governs least," remarked Thomas Jefferson.  There is probably no language simple enough and clear enough to explain this, to make this clear to the American extreme left and to the American liberal.  I mean to say that the left is completely, I mean completely, absolutely, utterly, and possibly incurably, ignorant of Jefferson and nearly ignorant of the structure of American government, both de jure and de facto.
     They understand nothing of this subject because they have no desire to understand it, and practically all political parties are swallowed up in the desire for mutual ignorance of their reciprocal difference.

-Ezra Pound
    

     "We are in  a universal lapse into a state of immaturity, a true indicator that we are in some sort of "era of the child."  Hypnotized by computers, TVs, DVDs, CDs, palm pilots, Prozac, Paxil, and pot, the average zombie has left behind the considerations of others, as though "others" were a TV show which one could laugh at and switch off.  Zombies rise in the morning, watch the morning TV shows, scan the newspapers and receive new programming, go to work and come home to passively watch more programming.  If the zombies have an original thought, it is almost invariably a selfish one.  But the absurdity is that even the selfish thought reflects cradle-to-crypt programming from the television, that other Eye of Set."

     "Be fruitful and multiply."  This command is repeated over again in the Bible (Genesis 9:1; Genesis 35:11).  This is a command of God, indeed the first command to a married couple.  Birth control obviously involves disobedience to this command, for birth control attempts to prevent being fruitful and multiplying.  Birth control is disobedience to the Word of God. 

-Charles Provan

     "Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted."

     "I remember a great man coming into my house, at Waltham, and seeing all my children standing in the order of their age and stature, said, "These are they that make rich men poor."  But he straight received this answer, "Nay, my lord, these are they that make a poor man rich; for there is not one of these whom we would part with for all your wealth."

-Joseph Hall, 1574-1656

     "Much of the enslavement of evil is proceeding currently under the fashionable banner of liberation.  The "Big Lie" is in flower, spawned and spread by the the father of lies, Lucifer.  He who did not care a whit for our agency in the beginning now comes to man in the name of freedom.  Milking the legitimate aspirations and yearnings for freedom, exploiting the many injustices that need correction, Lucifer plays siren songs upon the harpstrings of our humanity.
     Two alternatives are arrayed before us.  We see on one side amorality, anarchy, insensate individuality, abortions, violence, and corruption, and on the other side, liberty, love, sensitivity, respect for life, peace, and integrity.  When we know what we know about the alternatives, why do we so often choose as we choose?  One reason is that today's disciples live in a time of many terrible trends which, bit by bit, can entangle us like Gulliver."

-Neal A. Maxwell

     Humanism and the gospel of Jesus Christ are not one and the same.  Humanism is a philosophy that nullifies the Standard Works and misinterprets the teachings of Jesus Christ.  Humanism is a spiritual ailment that has crept into the teachings of Christ's church.  Humanism has now become a philosophy of man that is mingled with scripture...read more here