The Proper Role of Government

Book excerpt: For government minded Latter-day Saints, Ezra Taft Benson's "The Proper Role of Government" is likely one of the most influential talks on government. With the basic principles laid out so clearly, even our politically novice 20-year-old (the age we first encountered this masterpiece) brain could grasp the simple yet profound principles found in Benson's talk. It became clear that we could make the world a better place if we would just go back to applying them. This book does not seek to "improve" upon the timeless classic because principles can't really be improved (or else they cannot be called principles), although our understanding of them can be. What we hope to do is show how you can (with courage) apply the principles laid out in this now classic talk. After all, what good does it do us to know something if we don't apply it?In this book, you will find Benson's original talk in full plus the following (for each of his fifteen principles):1.The principle2.Where the principle originates3.The Founding Fathers' teachings on them4.Real-life examples of how to apply them, both in government and in our personal lives.