As I've said before, politics in this life is just a continuation of politics from the primordial times. That is to say, everything is a battle for or against the idea of agency. With a few exceptions, politics is basically deciding how much freedom a person is allowed to have. What they can and can't do. From my view, people should be allowed to do whatever they wish, as long as it doesn't harm someone else. Of course you can encourage them to do smart things, but that doesn't mean you are justified in legally prohibiting them from doing dumb things, or justified in legally forcing people to do good things (like pay for charity, which no longer becomes charity because it lacks heart when not voluntary). That is called unrighteous dominion, or forcing others to act contrary to their will. The exception of that rule is that government should exist to protect freedom. It should protect the freedom of one individual from another. On that note, let us continue to the good stuff:
Scriptures
“And I, the Lord God, spake unto Moses, saying: That Satan, whom thou hast commanded in the name of mine Only Begotten, is the same which was from the beginning, and he came before me, saying—Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor. But, behold, my Beloved Son, which was my Beloved and Chosen from the beginning, said unto me—Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever. Wherefore, because that Satan rebelled against me, and sought to destroy the agency of man, which I, the Lord God, had given him, and also, that I should give unto him mine own power; by the power of mine Only Begotten, I caused that he should be cast down; And he became Satan, yea, even the devil, the father of all lies, to deceive and to blind men, and to lead them captive at his will, even as many as would not hearken unto my voice.”
( Moses 4:1-4 ) Lucifer sought to "help" everyone by removing personal responsibility. That is the essence of Marxism.
And because he had fallen from heaven, and had become miserable forever, he sought also the misery of all mankind...
Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.
( 2 Nephi 2:18, 27 ) - Compare to Winston Churchill's quote below
Wherefore, honest men and wise men should be sought for diligently, and good men and wise men ye should observe to uphold; otherwise whatsoever is less than these cometh of evil.
( D&C 98:10 )
Therefore, it is not right that any man should be in bondage one to another.
And for this purpose have I established the Constitution of this land, by the hands of wise men whom I raised up unto this very purpose, and redeemed the land by the shedding of blood.
( D&C 101:79-80 )
1 We believe that governments were instituted of God for the benefit of man; and that he holds men accountable for their acts in relation to them, both in making laws and administering them, for the good and safety of society.
2 We believe that no government can exist in peace, except such laws are framed and held inviolate as will secure to each individual the free exercise of conscience, the right and control of property, and the protection of life.
( D&C 134:1-2 )
4 We believe that religion is instituted of God; and that men are amenable to him, and to him only, for the exercise of it, unless their religious opinions prompt them to infringe upon the rights and liberties of others; but we do not believe that human law has a right to interfere in prescribing rules of worship to bind the consciences of men, nor dictate forms for public or private devotion; that the civil magistrate should restrain crime, but never control conscience; should punish guilt, but never suppress the freedom of the soul.
5 We believe that all men are bound to sustain and uphold the respective governments in which they reside, while protected in their inherent and inalienable rights by the laws of such governments; and that sedition and rebellion are unbecoming every citizen thus protected, and should be punished accordingly; and that all governments have a right to enact such laws as in their own judgments are best calculated to secure the public interest; at the same time, however, holding sacred the freedom of conscience.
( D&C 134:4-5 )
( Moses 4:1-4 ) Lucifer sought to "help" everyone by removing personal responsibility. That is the essence of Marxism.
And because he had fallen from heaven, and had become miserable forever, he sought also the misery of all mankind...
Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.
( 2 Nephi 2:18, 27 ) - Compare to Winston Churchill's quote below
Wherefore, honest men and wise men should be sought for diligently, and good men and wise men ye should observe to uphold; otherwise whatsoever is less than these cometh of evil.
( D&C 98:10 )
Therefore, it is not right that any man should be in bondage one to another.
And for this purpose have I established the Constitution of this land, by the hands of wise men whom I raised up unto this very purpose, and redeemed the land by the shedding of blood.
( D&C 101:79-80 )
1 We believe that governments were instituted of God for the benefit of man; and that he holds men accountable for their acts in relation to them, both in making laws and administering them, for the good and safety of society.
2 We believe that no government can exist in peace, except such laws are framed and held inviolate as will secure to each individual the free exercise of conscience, the right and control of property, and the protection of life.
( D&C 134:1-2 )
4 We believe that religion is instituted of God; and that men are amenable to him, and to him only, for the exercise of it, unless their religious opinions prompt them to infringe upon the rights and liberties of others; but we do not believe that human law has a right to interfere in prescribing rules of worship to bind the consciences of men, nor dictate forms for public or private devotion; that the civil magistrate should restrain crime, but never control conscience; should punish guilt, but never suppress the freedom of the soul.
5 We believe that all men are bound to sustain and uphold the respective governments in which they reside, while protected in their inherent and inalienable rights by the laws of such governments; and that sedition and rebellion are unbecoming every citizen thus protected, and should be punished accordingly; and that all governments have a right to enact such laws as in their own judgments are best calculated to secure the public interest; at the same time, however, holding sacred the freedom of conscience.
( D&C 134:4-5 )
Quotes - Liberty vs Marxism/Communism/Socialism
“Freedom is an eternal, God-given principle. There is no genuine happiness without freedom, nor is there any security or peace without freedom. After traveling in practically all of the free countries of the world and several times behind the Iron Curtain, I say that Marxism is the greatest evil in this world and the greatest threat to all we hold dear.
Of all sad things in the world, the saddest is to see a people who have once known liberty and freedom and then lost it. I have seen the unquenchable yearning of the human heart for liberty on two unforgettable occasions. These experiences are indelibly etched on the memory of my soul.”
( Source: Ezra Taft Benson, Conference Report, April 1960, pp. 96-100 )
"Another notable counterfeit system to the Lord’s plan is collectivized socialism. Socialism derives its philosophy from the founders of communism, Marx and Engels. Communism in practice is socialism. Its purpose is world socialism, which the communists seek to achieve by revolution, and which the socialists seek to achieve by evolution. Both communism and socialism have the same effect upon the individual—a loss of personal liberty. As was said so well by President J. Reuben Clark, Jr., “The two are as two peas in a pod in their ultimate effect upon our liberties.” Why is socialism incompatible with man’s liberty? Socialism cannot work except through an all-powerful state. The state has to be supreme in everything. When individuals begin to exert their God-given rights, the state has to suppress that freedom. So belief in God must be suppressed, and with that gone freedom of conscience and religion must also go. Those are the first of our liberties mentioned in the Bill of Rights. There are some among us who would confuse the united order with socialism. That is a serious misunderstanding. It is significant to me that the Prophet Joseph Smith, after attending lectures on socialism in his day, made this official entry in the Church history: “I said I did not believe the doctrine” (Joseph Smith, History of the Church 6:33)."
( Source: Ezra Taft Benson — A Vision and a Hope for the Youth of Zion, Apr. 12, 1977 • Devotional ) (Video)
"If man will not recognize the inequalities around him and voluntarily, through the gospel plan, come to the aid of his brother, as outlined by Brother Romney, he will find that through “a democratic process” he will be forced to come to the aid of his brother. The government will take from the “haves” and give to the “have nots.” Both have lost their freedom. Those who “have,” lost their freedom to give voluntarily of their own free will and in the way they desire. Those who “have not” lost their freedom because they did not earn what they received. They got “something for nothing,” and they will neither appreciate the gift nor the giver of the gift."
( Source: Howard W. Hunter -- The Law of the Harvest: As a Man Sows, So Shall He Reap, BYU Devotional. March 8, 1966. )
"The problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money."
( Source: Future Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, 1976 )
“Socialism is the philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy.”
(Source: Winston Churchill — Perth, Scotland, 28 May 1948, in Churchill, Europe Unite: Speeches 1947 & 1948 (London: Cassell, 1950), 347.)
“The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings. The inherent virtue of Socialism is the equal sharing of miseries.”
(Source: Winston Churchill — House of Commons, 22 October 1945.)
“I do not at all wonder that British youth is in revolt against the morbid doctrine that nothing matters but the equal sharing of miseries, that what used to be called the ‘submerged tenth’ can only be rescued by bringing the other nine-tenths down to their level…”
(Source: Winston Churchill —House of Commons, 13 June 1948.)
“Sir Edward Gibbon (1737-1794), author of The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, wrote tellingly of the collapse of Athens, which was the birthplace of democracy. He judged that, in the end, more than they wanted freedom, the Athenians wanted security. Yet they lost everything—security, comfort, and freedom. This was because they wanted not to give to society, but for society to give to them. The freedom they were seeking was freedom from responsibility.”
( Source: Former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, The Moral Foundations of the American Founding, Hillsdale College, 1994 )
“Being democratic is not enough; a majority cannot turn what is wrong into right. In order to be considered truly free, countries must also have a deep love of liberty and an abiding respect for the rule of law.”
( Source: Margaret Thatcher ) Can't seem to find when/where it was said.
“Socialists ignore the side of man that is the spirit. They can provide you shelter, fill your belly with bacon and beans, treat you when you're ill, all the things guaranteed to a prisoner or a slave. They don't understand that we also dream.”
( Source: President Ronald Reagan, 1976 Radio Broadcast)
"Socialism only works in two places: Heaven where they don't need it and hell where they already have it."
( Source: President Ronald Reagan ) Can't seem to find when/where it was said.
I hope we have once again reminded people that man is not free unless government is limited. There's a clear cause and effect here that is as neat and predictable as a law of physics: as government expands, liberty contracts.
( Source: President Ronald Reagan, 1989 Farewell Address )
“Liberty means responsibility. That is why most men dread it.”
( Source: George Bernard Shaw, co-founder of the London School of Economics, Man and Superman (1903) )
"Taxation is the price we pay for failing to build a civilized society. The higher the tax level, the greater the failure. A centrally planned totalitarian state represents a complete defeat for the civilized world, while a totally voluntary society represents its ultimate success."
( Source: Mark Skousen, a world renowned economist; Persuasion vs. Force (1992) )
"In short, my vision of a responsible free society is one in which we discourage evil, but do not prohibit it. We make our children and students aware of the consequences of drug abuse and other forms of irresponsible behavior. But after all our persuading, if they still want to use harmful drugs, that is their privilege. In a free society, individuals must have the right to do right or wrong, as long as they don't threaten or infringe upon the rights or property of others. They must also suffer the consequences of their actions, as it is from consequences that they learn to choose properly."
( Source: Mark Skousen, a world renowned economist; Persuasion vs. Force (1992) )
"We human beings have a strange tendency to complicate simple things. We set up rules, laws, bylaws, processes, and subprocesses. Eventually, we pile up load after load until we end up under a huge weight of expectations that are so complicated it is difficult to keep track of them, let alone meet them.
This is one of the reasons Paul said, “The letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life” (2 Corinthians 3:6)."
( Source: Dieter F. Uchtdorf - Acting on the Truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Feb 11 2012)
"The most basic principle to being a free American is the notion that we as individuals are responsible for our own lives and decisions. We do not have the right to rob our neighbors to make up for our mistakes, neither does our neighbor have any right to tell us how to live, so long as we aren't infringing on their rights. Freedom to make bad decisions is inherent in the freedom to make good ones. If we are only free to make good decisions, we are not really free."
( Source: Dr. Ron Paul - Earliest reference to this quote I could find was in 2001 :/ )
"Liberty then I would say that, in the whole plenitude of it’s extent, it is unobstructed action according to our will: but rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will, within the limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. I do not add ‘within the limits of the law’; because law is often but the tyrant’s will, and always so when it violates the right of an individual."
( Source: Thomas Jefferson - Letter to Issac H. Tiffany, 4 April 1819 )
Of all sad things in the world, the saddest is to see a people who have once known liberty and freedom and then lost it. I have seen the unquenchable yearning of the human heart for liberty on two unforgettable occasions. These experiences are indelibly etched on the memory of my soul.”
( Source: Ezra Taft Benson, Conference Report, April 1960, pp. 96-100 )
"Another notable counterfeit system to the Lord’s plan is collectivized socialism. Socialism derives its philosophy from the founders of communism, Marx and Engels. Communism in practice is socialism. Its purpose is world socialism, which the communists seek to achieve by revolution, and which the socialists seek to achieve by evolution. Both communism and socialism have the same effect upon the individual—a loss of personal liberty. As was said so well by President J. Reuben Clark, Jr., “The two are as two peas in a pod in their ultimate effect upon our liberties.” Why is socialism incompatible with man’s liberty? Socialism cannot work except through an all-powerful state. The state has to be supreme in everything. When individuals begin to exert their God-given rights, the state has to suppress that freedom. So belief in God must be suppressed, and with that gone freedom of conscience and religion must also go. Those are the first of our liberties mentioned in the Bill of Rights. There are some among us who would confuse the united order with socialism. That is a serious misunderstanding. It is significant to me that the Prophet Joseph Smith, after attending lectures on socialism in his day, made this official entry in the Church history: “I said I did not believe the doctrine” (Joseph Smith, History of the Church 6:33)."
( Source: Ezra Taft Benson — A Vision and a Hope for the Youth of Zion, Apr. 12, 1977 • Devotional ) (Video)
"If man will not recognize the inequalities around him and voluntarily, through the gospel plan, come to the aid of his brother, as outlined by Brother Romney, he will find that through “a democratic process” he will be forced to come to the aid of his brother. The government will take from the “haves” and give to the “have nots.” Both have lost their freedom. Those who “have,” lost their freedom to give voluntarily of their own free will and in the way they desire. Those who “have not” lost their freedom because they did not earn what they received. They got “something for nothing,” and they will neither appreciate the gift nor the giver of the gift."
( Source: Howard W. Hunter -- The Law of the Harvest: As a Man Sows, So Shall He Reap, BYU Devotional. March 8, 1966. )
"The problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money."
( Source: Future Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, 1976 )
“Socialism is the philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy.”
(Source: Winston Churchill — Perth, Scotland, 28 May 1948, in Churchill, Europe Unite: Speeches 1947 & 1948 (London: Cassell, 1950), 347.)
“The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings. The inherent virtue of Socialism is the equal sharing of miseries.”
(Source: Winston Churchill — House of Commons, 22 October 1945.)
“I do not at all wonder that British youth is in revolt against the morbid doctrine that nothing matters but the equal sharing of miseries, that what used to be called the ‘submerged tenth’ can only be rescued by bringing the other nine-tenths down to their level…”
(Source: Winston Churchill —House of Commons, 13 June 1948.)
“Sir Edward Gibbon (1737-1794), author of The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, wrote tellingly of the collapse of Athens, which was the birthplace of democracy. He judged that, in the end, more than they wanted freedom, the Athenians wanted security. Yet they lost everything—security, comfort, and freedom. This was because they wanted not to give to society, but for society to give to them. The freedom they were seeking was freedom from responsibility.”
( Source: Former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, The Moral Foundations of the American Founding, Hillsdale College, 1994 )
“Being democratic is not enough; a majority cannot turn what is wrong into right. In order to be considered truly free, countries must also have a deep love of liberty and an abiding respect for the rule of law.”
( Source: Margaret Thatcher ) Can't seem to find when/where it was said.
“Socialists ignore the side of man that is the spirit. They can provide you shelter, fill your belly with bacon and beans, treat you when you're ill, all the things guaranteed to a prisoner or a slave. They don't understand that we also dream.”
( Source: President Ronald Reagan, 1976 Radio Broadcast)
"Socialism only works in two places: Heaven where they don't need it and hell where they already have it."
( Source: President Ronald Reagan ) Can't seem to find when/where it was said.
I hope we have once again reminded people that man is not free unless government is limited. There's a clear cause and effect here that is as neat and predictable as a law of physics: as government expands, liberty contracts.
( Source: President Ronald Reagan, 1989 Farewell Address )
“Liberty means responsibility. That is why most men dread it.”
( Source: George Bernard Shaw, co-founder of the London School of Economics, Man and Superman (1903) )
"Taxation is the price we pay for failing to build a civilized society. The higher the tax level, the greater the failure. A centrally planned totalitarian state represents a complete defeat for the civilized world, while a totally voluntary society represents its ultimate success."
( Source: Mark Skousen, a world renowned economist; Persuasion vs. Force (1992) )
"In short, my vision of a responsible free society is one in which we discourage evil, but do not prohibit it. We make our children and students aware of the consequences of drug abuse and other forms of irresponsible behavior. But after all our persuading, if they still want to use harmful drugs, that is their privilege. In a free society, individuals must have the right to do right or wrong, as long as they don't threaten or infringe upon the rights or property of others. They must also suffer the consequences of their actions, as it is from consequences that they learn to choose properly."
( Source: Mark Skousen, a world renowned economist; Persuasion vs. Force (1992) )
"We human beings have a strange tendency to complicate simple things. We set up rules, laws, bylaws, processes, and subprocesses. Eventually, we pile up load after load until we end up under a huge weight of expectations that are so complicated it is difficult to keep track of them, let alone meet them.
This is one of the reasons Paul said, “The letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life” (2 Corinthians 3:6)."
( Source: Dieter F. Uchtdorf - Acting on the Truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Feb 11 2012)
"The most basic principle to being a free American is the notion that we as individuals are responsible for our own lives and decisions. We do not have the right to rob our neighbors to make up for our mistakes, neither does our neighbor have any right to tell us how to live, so long as we aren't infringing on their rights. Freedom to make bad decisions is inherent in the freedom to make good ones. If we are only free to make good decisions, we are not really free."
( Source: Dr. Ron Paul - Earliest reference to this quote I could find was in 2001 :/ )
"Liberty then I would say that, in the whole plenitude of it’s extent, it is unobstructed action according to our will: but rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will, within the limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. I do not add ‘within the limits of the law’; because law is often but the tyrant’s will, and always so when it violates the right of an individual."
( Source: Thomas Jefferson - Letter to Issac H. Tiffany, 4 April 1819 )
Quotes - Voting
"We engage in the election the same as in any other principle: you are to vote for good men, and if you do not do this it is a sin: to vote for wicked men, it would be sin. Choose the good and refuse the evil. Men of false principles have preyed upon us like wolves upon helpless lambs. Damn the rod of tyranny; curse it. Let every man use his liberties according to the Constitution. Don't fear man or devil; electioneer with all people, male and female, and exhort them to do the thing that is right. We want a President of the U. S., not a party President, but a President of the whole people; for a party President disfranchises the opposite party. Have a President who will maintain every man in his rights."
( Source: Hyrum Smith, History of the Church, Vol.6, Ch.15, p. 323, April 1844)
Goodness, wisdom, and honesty are the three qualities of statesmanship, qualities this country needs more than ever before. May we be wise—prayerfully wise—in the electing of those who would lead us. May we select only those who understand and will adhere to Constitutional principles. To do so, we need to understand these principles ourselves.
(Source: Ezra Taft Benson, The Constitution—A Glorious Standard, April 1976 )
"Pres. Benson, when we were sitting in his office in the Church Office Building many years ago told me this after discussing many issues: 'Mike, if you vote for the lesser of two evils you are still voting for evil and you will be judged for it. You should always vote for the best possible candidate, whether they have a chance of winning or not. Then, even if the worst possible candidate wins, the Lord will bless our nation more because more people were willing to stand up for what is right.'"
( Source: Mike Thompson, Oct 2009 ) Unverifiable quote, but is still good and consistent with the others.
( Source: Hyrum Smith, History of the Church, Vol.6, Ch.15, p. 323, April 1844)
Goodness, wisdom, and honesty are the three qualities of statesmanship, qualities this country needs more than ever before. May we be wise—prayerfully wise—in the electing of those who would lead us. May we select only those who understand and will adhere to Constitutional principles. To do so, we need to understand these principles ourselves.
(Source: Ezra Taft Benson, The Constitution—A Glorious Standard, April 1976 )
"Pres. Benson, when we were sitting in his office in the Church Office Building many years ago told me this after discussing many issues: 'Mike, if you vote for the lesser of two evils you are still voting for evil and you will be judged for it. You should always vote for the best possible candidate, whether they have a chance of winning or not. Then, even if the worst possible candidate wins, the Lord will bless our nation more because more people were willing to stand up for what is right.'"
( Source: Mike Thompson, Oct 2009 ) Unverifiable quote, but is still good and consistent with the others.
Joseph Smith's Candidacy
"Of course President Smith could have no hope that he would be elected to the presidency, but by becoming a candidate he gave the citizens of Nauvoo an opportunity to act consistently with their views of what ought to be done for the general good of the nation, and at the same time avoid the wrath of the political parties in the state of Illinois by affiliating with neither of them in the then pending election. Explaining his reasons on one occasion for allowing his name to go before the people as a candidate President Smith said:
'I would not have suffered my name to have been used by my friends on any wise as president of the United States, or candidate for that office, if I and my friends could have had the privilege of enjoying our religious and civil rights as American citizens, even those rights which the Constitution guarantees unto all her citizens alike. But as a people we have been denied from the beginning. Persecution has rolled upon our heads from time to time, from portions of the United States, like peals of thunder, because of our religion; and no portion of the government, as yet, has stepped forward for our relief. And in view of these things, I feel it to be my right and privilege to obtain what influence and power I can, lawfully, in the United States, for the protection of injured innocence.'
The Times and Seasons editorially announcing the candidacy of President Smith said:
'One great reason that we have for pursuing our present course is, that at every election we have been made a political target for the * * * demagogues in the country to shoot their loathsome arrows at. And every story has been put into requisition to blast our fame from the old fabrication of `walk on the water' down to `the murder of ex-Governor Boggs.' The journals have teemed with this * * * trash, and even men who ought to have more respect for themselves--men contending for the gubernatorial chair have made use of terms so degrading, so mean, so humiliating that a billingsgate fisher-woman would have considered herself disgraced with. We refuse any longer to be thus bedaubed for either party. * * * We withdraw. Under existing circumstances, we have no other alternative; and if we can accomplish our object, well: if not, we shall have the satisfaction of knowing that we have acted conscientiously, and have used our best judgment. And if we have to throw away our votes, we had better do so upon a worthy rather than an unworthy individual, who might make use of the weapon we put in his hand to destroy us.'"
( Source: Joseph Smith, Comprehensive History of the Church 2:208-209, May 1844 )
'I would not have suffered my name to have been used by my friends on any wise as president of the United States, or candidate for that office, if I and my friends could have had the privilege of enjoying our religious and civil rights as American citizens, even those rights which the Constitution guarantees unto all her citizens alike. But as a people we have been denied from the beginning. Persecution has rolled upon our heads from time to time, from portions of the United States, like peals of thunder, because of our religion; and no portion of the government, as yet, has stepped forward for our relief. And in view of these things, I feel it to be my right and privilege to obtain what influence and power I can, lawfully, in the United States, for the protection of injured innocence.'
The Times and Seasons editorially announcing the candidacy of President Smith said:
'One great reason that we have for pursuing our present course is, that at every election we have been made a political target for the * * * demagogues in the country to shoot their loathsome arrows at. And every story has been put into requisition to blast our fame from the old fabrication of `walk on the water' down to `the murder of ex-Governor Boggs.' The journals have teemed with this * * * trash, and even men who ought to have more respect for themselves--men contending for the gubernatorial chair have made use of terms so degrading, so mean, so humiliating that a billingsgate fisher-woman would have considered herself disgraced with. We refuse any longer to be thus bedaubed for either party. * * * We withdraw. Under existing circumstances, we have no other alternative; and if we can accomplish our object, well: if not, we shall have the satisfaction of knowing that we have acted conscientiously, and have used our best judgment. And if we have to throw away our votes, we had better do so upon a worthy rather than an unworthy individual, who might make use of the weapon we put in his hand to destroy us.'"
( Source: Joseph Smith, Comprehensive History of the Church 2:208-209, May 1844 )