September Book Club Meeting - The Real Benjamin Franklin

We will be meeting Friday, September 24th at 1:00 at 13104 Big Leaf Maple Ct. GV.

And for your reading enjoyment...
A new, updated, Dr. Seuss book:

I do not like this Uncle Sam,
I do not like his health care scam.
I do not like these dirty crooks,
or how they lie and cook the books.

I do not like when Congress steals,
I do not like their secret deals.
I do not like this speaker, Nan,
I do not like this 'YES WE CAN.'

I do not like this spending spree,
I'm smart, I know that nothing's free.
I do not like your smug replies,
when I complain about your lies.

I do not like this kind of hope.
I do not like it, nope, nope, nope!
Author Unknown

This is refreshing

BRUCE R. McCONKIE
"It is our firm conviction as a people that the stars and stripes will be waving triumphantly in the breeze, as a symbol of the greatness and stability of the United States of America, when the Lord comes. This nation was established to be the Lord's base of operations in this final gospel dispensation. From it the gospel is to go to every other nation and people. The greater its influence among the nations of the world, the more rapidly the gospel spreads. But the Lord has told us that all nations, the United States included, shall cease to be when he comes" (The Millennial Messiah, 491).

EZRA TAFT BENSON
"We are fast approaching that moment prophesied by Joseph Smith when he said: 'Even this nation will be on the very verge of crumbling to pieces and tumbling to the ground, and when the Constitution is upon the brink of ruin, this people will be the staff upon which the nation shall lean, and they shall bear the Constitution away from the very verge of destruction" (Church Historian's Office, Salt Lake City, July 19, 1840) (The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, 623 - 624).

JOSEPH SMITH
Words of James Burgess: "In the month of May 1843, several miles east of Nauvoo, the Nauvoo Legion was on parade and review, at the close of which Joseph Smith made some remarks upon our condition as a people and upon our future prospects, contrasting our present condition with our past trials and persecutions by the hands of our enemies; also upon the Constitution and government of the United States, stating that the time would come when the Constitution and government would hang by a brittle thread and would be ready to fall into other hands, but this people, the Latter-day Saints, will step forth and save it. . . .I, James Burgess, was present and testify to the above" (The Words of Joseph Smith, 279).

EZRA TAFT BENSON
"The Lord told the Prophet Joseph Smith there would be an attempt to overthrow the country by destroying the Constitution. Joseph Smith predicted that the time would come when the Constitution would hang, as it were, by a thread, and at that time 'this people will step forth and save it from the threatened destruction' (Journal of Discourses, 7:15). It is my conviction that the elders of Israel, widely spread over the nation, will at that crucial time successfully rally the righteous of our country and provide the necessary balance of strength to save the institutions of constitutional government" (The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, 618-619)

HAROLD B. LEE
On Thu, Mar 25, 2010 at 11:49 AM, Daniel Kelly Ogden wrote:
There are some extraordinary and very timely thoughts from President Harold B. Lee (speaking in October 1973) circulating on the Internet. I looked into the quotation carefully and have confirmed that the words below are accurate; at the end I list the sources. Latter-day Saints and all Americans need this right now. (Someone might even want to forward this to Glenn Beck; he needs to see it!)

President Lee:
Men may fail in this country, earthquakes may come, seas may heave beyond their bounds, there may be great drought, disaster, and hardship, but this nation, founded on principles laid down by men whom God raised up, will never fail.
This is the cradle of humanity, where life on this earth began in the Garden of Eden. This is the place of the New Jerusalem. . . . This is the place where the Savior will come to His temple.
We are living in a time of great crisis. The Country is torn with scandal and with criticism, with faultfinding and condemnation. There are those who have downgraded the image of this nation as probably never before in the history of the country.
I plead with you not to preach pessimism. Preach that this is the greatest country in all the world. . . . It is the nation that will stand despite whatever trials or crises it may yet have to pass through.
We must be on the optimistic side. This is a great nation; this is a great country; this is the most favored of all lands. While it is true that there are dangers and difficulties that lie ahead of us, we must not assume that we are going to stand by and watch the country go to ruin. We should not be heard to predict ills and calamities for the nation. On the contrary, we should be providing optimistic support for the nation.
You must remember . . . that this church is one of the most powerful agencies for the progress of the world, and we should . . . all sound with one voice. We must tell the world how we feel about this land and this nation and should bear our testimonies about the great mission and destiny that it has.
If we do this, we will help turn the tide of this great country and lessen the influence of the pessimists. We must be careful that we do not say or do anything that will further weaken the country. It is the negative, pessimistic comments about the nation that do as much harm as anything to the country today. We who carry these sacred responsibilities must preach the gospel of peace, and peace can only come by overcoming the things of the world. Now, we must be the dynamic force that will help turn the tide of fear and pessimism.
(Excerpts from a talk given at Ricks College Devotional Assembly, "Have Faith in America," October 26, 1973, and printed in two sources:Ye Are the Light of the World: Selected Sermons and Writings of Harold B. Lee, 340, 350-351, and The Teachings of Harold B. Lee, edited by Clyde J. Williams, 365-366.)

Next book

Discussing The Forsaken was very interesting -- thanks for your insights ladies! Jen Wall served a mission in Estonia in 1993, two years after the "Velvet Revolution" set them free from Russia. She remembers how when she first got there, the stores had just a few things in them, and were sometimes empty -- the people had plenty of (worthless) money, but nothing to buy with it. As her mission went on there was more and more food in the stores, with more selections. The prices were high, since it was all imported, but the young people were ecstatic -- though they had never seen bananas before and didn't know how to eat them. The “Five Year Plans” were supposed to end hunger and give everyone a job and health care, but food (and all other consumer goods) shortages, and the lines they produced, lasted the entire seventy year history of the Soviet Union.
That is just one tiny anecdote I thought I'd pass on that shines a light on the central problem of socialism -- basically, if you rely on the government to take care of you, it may, or may not, take care of you. Or it may keep you alive, but your living conditions are so poor (like in the Gulags) that you wish you were dead. Why would a bureaucrat care if you have good food and decent clothes. "We're trying to beat the Americans in the space race! We can't afford bananas for you!"
I'm writing an article on "socialization" for the LDS Eastern Home Educators conference (I promise this isn't a crazy tangent, but a link between our last book and our next book), and I just opened the book Left Back: A Century of Failed School Reforms by the noted educational historian Diane Ravitch, and read, in the chapter "On the Social Frontier" the following:
"It was odd that the Russian Revolution inspired (American) educators to want to build a new social order through the schools, because the schools in Russia had not created the Russian Revolution; nor did any of the progressive educators wonder how their own social ideals had been forged, since all of them were the products of subject-centered traditional education. Nonetheless, they shared the faith that progressive education would lead the way in building a new, collectivist social order. In the 1930s, few in the education profession questioned whether they should engage in the political education of their charges. Any educator who said his goal was to teach young people to master academic subjects risked being seen as a reactionary." (p.220) This fabulous book details the century-long fight between parents/local schools and the educational elite over whether the schools should be emphasizing academics to develop well-educated youth, or, as the elite wanted, teaching only job skills and "socialization" along with heavy indoctrination in the gospel of socialism.
We're NOT going to be reading this book (not now anyway), but here's the tie-in: the educrats who run the schools get to choose the values that our society will live by in twenty years, and right now, having mostly got their way in preaching socialism and denigrating western civilization, they are attacking capitalism through another route -- environmentalism. Both Lisa and Natalie said that they are actively involved in "un-indoctrinating" their kids from what they learn at school, and much of that has to do with "Saving the Planet" and "Going Green." Brother Nanto told me that little Paul is afraid of the dark and had been sleeping with a night light on, but lately had been insisting that they turn it off, since it was going to cause "global warming." SO SAD!
So (at last I get to it) the book that we are going to read next, in order to get lots of ammunition to fight the "watermelons" (green on the outside, red on the inside), is called The Politically Incorrect Guide to Global Warming and Environmentalism, by Christopher Horner. He is an old co-worker of my husband's from the days when he worked at the Competetive Enterprise Institute, and is a really sharp, hilarious guy -- I've met him. Here's a couple of interviews with him.

There are 18 copies of the book in the Fairfax system, two in the PWC system (but one is lost and the other checked out.) I have two copies that I have lent out already, but when I get them back, I can pass them on.

Next up -- what?

Please vote on a book (or group of documents) to read over the next month or so. You can check out the links below to see what they are like, and may vote for more than one. I'll send out the winner in a week.
Jeni

"What Is Seen and What Is Not Seen" by Frederic Bastiat

At our book club meeting yesterday we decided to do just one small thing over the holidays: read Frederic Bastiat’s essay “What Is Seen and What Is Not Seen,” available online (see link to the right.) His book, The Law, was one of the first ones we read in this club, and is awesome, as are all his works. In case you’re not familiar with him, he was a French economist and politician in the mid-1800's, who, dismayed by the decent into socialism which was occurring at that time, wrote many “inspired” pleas for a return to liberty. He is widely quoted, including by President Benson and also in Liberty and Tyranny by Mark Levin which we just read.
While The Law is a political treatise, “What Is Seen and What Is Not Seen” is on political economy, addressing the consequences of taxation, why the government cannot create jobs (which we often hear), drawing attention to the inequity of “public works” and government-sponsored fine arts, etc. Regarding the latter, Quinn and I have been listening to The Phantom of the Opera audio-book as we drive around, and I was interested to note that the Paris Opera company in which the story is enacted was a state institution. Looking this up I found out that it was created by King Louis XIV in 1713. This little fact will help you better appreciate the environment in which Bastiat lived. Government intervention into civil affairs has a long history in France, and is a slippery slope. If the government can run an opera, why not a school, an automotive company, or a health insurance company? Is there a definite point beyond which the government won’t go once it gets on the slope?

The United Order

While preparing for a talk, I found this interesting passage in a talk given by Elder Marion G. Romney in General Conference back in 1977. FYI.

To enter the united order, one consecrated all his possessions to the Church by a “covenant and a deed which [could not] be broken.” That is, he completely divested himself of all his property by conveying it to the Church.

Having done so, the consecrator received from the Church a stewardship by a like conveyance. This stewardship could be more or less than the original consecration, the object being to make “every man equal according to his family, according to his circumstances and his wants and needs.” (D&C 51:3.)

This procedure preserved in every man the right of private ownership and management of his property. Indeed, the fundamental principle of the system was the private ownership of property. Each man owned his portion, or inheritance, or stewardship, with an absolute title, which, at his option, he could alienate, keep and operate, or otherwise treat as his own. The Church did not own all of the property, and life under the united order was not, and never will be, a communal life, as the Prophet Joseph himself said.

The intent was, however, for him to so operate his property as to produce a living for himself and his dependents. So long as he remained in the order, he consecrated to the Church the surplus he produced above the needs and wants of his own family. This surplus went into a storehouse, from which stewardships were given to others, and from which the needs of the poor were supplied.

These divine principles are very simple and easily understood. However, there are a number of concepts which must prevail in order for this ideal to be realized. Chief among these concepts are the following:

1. A belief in God and acceptance of Him as Lord of the earth and the author of the united order. Through it we seek righteousness and spiritual development. “For,” declared the Lord, “if ye are not equal in earthly things ye cannot be equal in obtaining heavenly things;

“For if you will,” he continued, “that I give unto you a place in the celestial world, you must prepare yourselves by doing the things which I have commanded you and required of you. …

“That you may come up unto the crown prepared for you, and be made rulers over many kingdoms, saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Zion.” (D&C 78:6–7, 15; italics added.)

2. The united order is implemented by the voluntary freewill actions of men, evidenced by a consecration of all their property to the Church of God. No force of any kind is ever involved.

3. As to property, in harmony with Church belief as set forth in the Doctrine and Covenants, “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, [and] the right and control of property.” (D&C 134:2.) The united order is operated upon the principle of private ownership and individual management. Thus, in both ownership and management of property, the united order preserved to men their God-given agency. In this way, He holds each steward accountable for his own work and productivity. Indeed, He said:

“For it is expedient that I, the Lord, should make every man accountable, as a steward over earthly blessings, which I have made and prepared for my creatures.” (D&C 104:13.)

You can see from this the truth of President Clark’s statement when he said:

“The Church never was, and under existing commandments never will be, a communal society, under the directions thus far given by the Lord. The United Order was not communal nor communistic. It was completely and intensely individualistic, with a consecration of unneeded surpluses for the support of the Church and the poor.” (J. Reuben Clark, Jr., “The United Order and Law of Consecration As Set Out in the Revelations of the Lord,” from a pamphlet of articles reprinted from the Church Section of the Deseret News, 1942, pp. 26–27.)

4. The united order is nonpolitical. It is therefore totally unlike the various forms of socialism, which are political, both in theory and in practice. They are thus exposed to, and riddled by, the corruption which plagues and finally destroys all political governments which undertake to abridge man’s agency.

5. A righteous people is a prerequisite to the united order.

6. The united order exalts the poor and humbles the rich. In the process both are sanctified. The poor, released from the bondage and humiliating limitations of poverty, are enabled as free men to rise to their full potential, both temporally and spiritually. The rich, by consecration and by imparting of their surplus for the benefit of the poor, not by constraint, but willingly as an act of free will, evidence that charity for their fellowmen characterized by Mormon as “the pure love of Christ.” (Moro. 7:47.) In this way they qualify to “become the sons of God.” (Moro. 7:48.)

Books for November

For our next reading we have chosen two books which are superficially dissimilar, yet at a deeper level cover the same ground. Red Scarf Girl was written by Chinese woman who was twelve at the start of the Cultural Revolution, and initially sang praises to Chairman Mao, before reality set in. "Told with simplicity, innocence, and grace, this unforgettable memoir gives a child's-eye view of a terrifying time in twentieth-century history - and of one family's indomitable courage under fire." There are plenty of copies, both audio and in print, in the Fairfax County Library system, probably in PW also.

Liberty and Tyranny is by Mark R. Levin, currently of radio-talk-show fame, who previously served in the Justice Department and Dept. of Education. His main focus is that liberals should truly be called "statists" since they advocate turning every decision over to government. He outlines conservative principles that aim to return freedom to the people by returning government to its Constitutional limits. 66 copies of the book and 22 copies of the audio are all checked out (in Fairfax Co.) and the 20 or so in PW Co. are also checked out. SO, get on the list of you want to read it, OR buy it (around $14.)

Letter from a missionary in England

I saw this on a homeschool email list. Very sad.

This is a letter that Anthony wrote to us for us to read in FHE. I thought that you might all be able to do the same.
>
> Dear Family,
> I am writing to you today to tell you a little about the world that I have experienced these past 40 days. I feel the way things are here are a not so far off glimpse into the future of what the United States could become.
> I find myself caught in the middle of two great extremes. On one side we have a people entirely dependent on their government for their every need. They don't work, nor do they desire to find work because the government will support them no matter what. They are a people as dependent on others as a crack addict is dependent on his supply. It only makes sense then, that the majority of these people are also enslaved to illegal drugs, alchohol, pornography and all other kinds of addictions. The lack of direction in their in their lives and the disintergration of the family unit has led to a widespred level of moral depravity. I would have never dreamed possible in a civilized country such as England. They are treated like children, not just single mothers, but grown men as well who are perfectly content to sit at home and slowly decay while the government feeds them and heats their houses. Based on my experiences here in Nottingham, I would estimate the percent of these people living in council houses at around 50%, about half of the doors that we knock on.
> Now on the other end of the spectrum we have another extreme. In contrast to the half who have no morals and are unashamed we have a people who claim the moral high ground but are in fact just as misguided and dangerous. The immigration in this counry has been unprecedented with people pouring in like the sea from all sides of England. Within the last decade the demographics in the UK have shifted to an unrecognizable state. Specifically, the Muslim population here is enourmous and growing every day. It is now a mission rule that we are not allowed to preach to Muslims or even anyone who looks like a Muslim. Why is this? The Muslims who have been baptized in the past have been hunted down and killed in the name of Allah. It is sad how the sins of some cause an entire people to dwindle in unbelief, many of whom would accept it. In fact, our most recent convert is a woman who just escaped her abusive Muslim husband in Africa and fled with her four young children to Nottingham. It is good to see the difference the gospel has made in her and her children's lives.
> There was a billboard hanging up just down the road with an immodestly dressed woman and a crude slogan beneath it. It was a really tastelss sign and I try not to look at it as I ride my bike past it. Yesterday as I was coming home for the night I happened to notice something had changed on this sign. Where the image of the tall blonde woman once was there is now a neck, arms, and feet. The face and all other body parts that someone had found offensive had been ripped off. Beneath the faceless woman is now graffiti that simply says,"Taliban" .
> So this is where I find myself, caught in between two forces of evil that now make up the majority of the population. One is the ultimate result of what happens with the expansion of government and the loss of the family. The other is the result of religious extremism and unchecked immigration. The missionaries are obviously hated by both sides which is difficult but shows that we are at least doing something right. Both sides are prone to violence of course and being such a high profile, highly public symbol for good is not something that I'd wait in line to do.
> I could tell you a lot more about the things that go on in this place but I don't think I need to. Like I said when I first got here, this is the only city in the Kingdom where the police carry guns. It isn't the most fun but we have God's protection so I don't worry nor should you. What I would like you all to do though is learn the lessons that the English didn't. Ask yourself, what can I do to help prevent this from happeneing? Perhaps one of you could write a blog, or letters to our representatives. Maybe someone should make a youtube video. One of you could run for office or something. :)
> Anyways, I am doing ok right now. Hope things are going well back at home. I miss you all and Texas a ton. Stay safe and I will see you soon.
> Love,
> Anthony

Here is an article about the above concern.

Happy Independence Day (from the email sent on July 4th)

Hello Ladies!

I thought it would be appropriate to send out a message about the Liberty Book Club today. I am looking forward to July as a month in which I'll finally be able to read The Real George Washington (like I've wanted to for months now). This morning I checked the web site of the National Center for Constitutional Studies ( www.nccs.net --the three books are still available for $35), and Luke and I took a fifth grade quiz on the Founding Fathers, and only got 53% right (but it was hard!) so I've got lots more to learn.

While I was on the site I noticed a link to a fascinating speech given by Ronald Reagan called "World Communism and Domestic Socialism." This was given before the fall of the Iron Curtain, when some of the worst abuses of the communists were unknown. Today we worry about "Islamofascists," and think that now that the Soviet threat has disappeared, communism has no chance in the USA. But read Reagan's talk and think again. Here is a quote: "Mr. Khrushchev has said that capitalism will inevitably evolve into communism, but not all at once. He says there will first come an intermediate stage of socialism." How much closer are we to that point just in the last few months?


On a sad note, at girls' camp this week I roomed with my old friend Maggie Seneca from the CV 2nd ward, and she told me that her oldest daughter had been taught at school that Ronald Reagan was the worst president ever, and her parents have been unable to convince her otherwise. Are your children learning similar socialist propaganda? You'd better have lots of discussions at home to offset that -- we do in our home.

On a happier note, my family recently watched a great freedom-based new movie called The Singing Revolution. It is about the non-violent Estonian revolution against Soviet rule, which was helped greatly by their traditional song festivals (Jen Wall served her mission there, just a few years after this happened.) The festival is going on right now and tomorrow -- anyone up for a quick trip to Estonia? But anyway, the movie is fabulous, and available on Netflix.


Reviews:
"Imagine the scene in Casablanca in which the French patrons sing 'La Marseillaise' in defiance of the Germans, then multiply its power by a factor of thousands, and you've only begun to imagine the force of The Singing Revolution." Matt Zoller Seitz, The New York Times

"A wonderful film...that will unquestionably have the effect of strengthening the belief in freedom on the part of anybody who watches it." Milton Friedman, Nobel Laureate (and one of my heroes)

Have a great day!
Jeni

Parental Rights Amendment

Parents' right to raise their children as they see fit is a time-honored American tradition, but today it is being threatened. The Supreme Court’s Troxel v. Granville decision in 2000 undermined a 75-year heritage of Constitutionally-protected, fundamental parental rights. At the same time, a growing body of international law fuels activist judges to legislate foreign standards from the American bench, while treaties such as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child would subject parental decisions to government oversight and international review. In March of this year a U.S. District court judge ordered the FDA to make the "morning-after pill" available to minors, over the counter, without consulting a physician, and without parental consent. High school kids can't take Tylenol without parental consent, but now can have an abortion. How many teens do you know that have the judgement and knowledge necessary to read and follow the instructions and warnings on a package? This is simply dangerous.

Rep. Pete Hoekstra (MI-2) has proposed HJR-42, the Parental Rights Amendment, to stop the erosion of parental rights in American courts while simultaneously defending our laws from international invasion. There are now 93 congressional co-sponsors. To find out if your legislator is one of them, visit parentalrights.org. Learn more about the Amendment and to join their email network by signing the petition to protect parental rights.
Thank you!