The Mormon Economy

Flopping Aces ^ | 08-23-12 | CJ

[Starman417]

President Reagan spends some time in Utah visiting the
LDS Welfare system and learning how it works. Here's
a photo with him and the former (center) and current LDS Church Presidents (right).

With the selection of Mitt Romney as the Republican nominee for the office of President of the United States, a lot of attention has come to his church (and mine) - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I was asked if I would write a post that detailed the church's welfare program. This post isn't meant to recruit or convert people to my church. Rather, it's to convince people that work requirements as a condition of receiving welfare or other benefits have positive results and benefit society.

When we conservatives hear the word welfare, we almost cringe. Not because we don't think it's important to care for the poor, but because of HOW we care for the poor. President Obama has been called the "Welfare President" and the "Food Stamp President." Last month, he ended the work requirement for welfare recipients, turning the program into a one-way benefit that incentivized laziness.

Since the President took office in 2009, food stamp use has jumped 46%! Spending on the welfare program has more than doubled to nearly $76 billion annually. As of last month, nearly 5% of ALL AMERICANS are on some form of welfare.

While our politicians like to battle with each other about the efficiency and future of these programs, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints ("the LDS Church" or "Mormons") has successfully managed a fully funded, non-governmental program for more than 76 years. The thing that distinguishes this program from state and federal programs is something that I'd like to highlight here in the hopes that the talking heads in Washington see how a good welfare program can actually make people more productive and less dependent.

The program was started in 1936 by then-First Counselor David O. McKay. During the inauguration, McKay stated that “[The welfare program] is established by divine revelation, and there is nothing else in the entire world that can so effectively take care of its members”

I'm a firm believer that America needs to get back to its roots. Families are no longer expected to take care of their own because the government has taken over that role. Non-profits and churches serve to merely augment those government programs. The roots of the LDS welfare program begin with the individual church member.

We follow the admonition in Proverbs to "Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase." Our Doctrine and Covenants - an additional set of scriptures that is canonized alongside the King James Bible and Book of Mormon - clarifies a proper tithe to be 10%. Without these tithes, the church would not be able to take care of its own and others suffering through disasters.

In the early 1930s, the country was suffering the worst depression in its history. Unemployment was rampant across the country. In Utah, where the LDS Church is headquartered, unemployment was over 36%. Many people were clamoring for government assistance because they knew it would not have to be paid back. The President and prophet of the church at the time, President Heber J. Grant, said that this mentality "is all wrong."

[Starman417]

It’s from a blog so I figured the blogger forum was appropriate.

[Osage Orange]

Sorry, I just don’t believe these are your experiences. It goes totally against all my experiences with Mormons.

Well..sorry. I'm not a liar. And those were true experiences. And just because you have some different experiences doesn't make mine any less true.

If it makes you feel any better...I've had many of the same type of experiences with so-called Christians.

Does that make you FEEL better?

FWIW-