There’s something far more “scary!!!” in your comment here than any church teaching: This is your taking it for granted that current radical conservative capitalism is more authentically divine than scripture, or than gospel ideals outlined in a church-sponsored manual … or, for that matter, than the temple covenants that you have perhaps taken.

Keepa is not the blog for you. You want Millennial Star, or one of the more cartoonishly tea-partyish off-Bloggernacle blogs.

“Such a program, introduced step by step, is nothing less than a panorama of the social reforms that are on the agenda for legislative consideration during the decades immediately ahead of us.”

“Inheritance and estate taxes will become progressively higher, until the present system of permitting large fortunes to be passed on from generation to generation will become extinct.”

“Anyone who is energetic and thrifty … would probably not be permitted to leave an inheritance worth millions of dollars for his children to quarrel over. THE MAJOR PART OF HIS SURPLUS WEALTH WOULD REVERT BACK TO SOCIETY WHEN HE DIED.”

This is so liberal as to be scary!!! I’ve been told that this is book (and this information) has never been changed, and that we really ARE under obligation to give away our “riches” as if we were in a Law of Consecration state, even though the guidelines in this book would destroy initial initiative and create a welfare state.

I was hoping for some political fireworks on this, Ardis, but you’ve trained all your respondents well. I guess I’ll have to watch the VP debate for the fireworks.

I often feel that not enough citizens consider the costs carefully when demanding additional government services. I admit that many of the questions about what government should tax for are difficult, but that just means that additional consideration is required. Sometimes we forget the costs involved (and who is paying those costs) in our passion to have a certain program or initiative from government.

Anyway, thanks again for the post. I’m going to add your blog to my list of “frequently visited blogs” .

We must recognize, too, the manifold productive functions of government in our complex economic world. By preserving the rights of private property, by maintaining freedom of contract, by defining and enforcing the terms of free competition, by extending the sphere of government ownership and operations where expediency demands, and by conserving the natural resources, the government exercises important economic functions that could not be performed so effectively by private agencies. …

However, we must also become more conscious of the fact that each new governmental service will require additional funds, which means heavier taxation. Consequently, if we are getting concerned over the amount of our tax ‘burden,’ we shall have to curtail our demands for increased governmental service. We simply cannot continue to add new forms of education, public health service, unemployment insurance, old age pensions and work relief projects, without taxation to pay the bills. if they are necessary, and if we can afford such services, if that is the wisest way to use our surplus income, then the new program is justified – and we should not complain at high taxes, if we are paying no more than our just share.

But if the tax load is really becoming a burden, perhaps we are becoming a little governmentally extravagant, just as any other luxury expenditure, beyond our financial ability, would be considered extravagant. the problem is one for each citizen to ponder over, to study carefully, and to vote on intelligently when the opportunity presents itself.

I chose paragraphs that seemed to address current problems (if in quaint terms — Researcher’s cow and Mark B.’s chickens maybe need to be updated with some other form of food production!), but not to suit a particular political or economic philosophy. As these additional lines show, this manual really does seem to be comprehensive, at least at the level of a non-specialist like me.

And I’m impressed by everybody’s comments, as usual. I half expected there to be some really wacky political diatribes — I’m grateful there haven’t been! Don’t take this as a request! — but instead, it’s the usual thoughtful remarks. Makes me hopeful that lessons from a manual like this could be discussed intelligently in a church setting today.