D&C 98:9-10; 3 Ne. 7:7; 4 Ne. 1:40; Journal of Discourses 22:136; God, Family, Country, Benson, pp. 277-280, 324; Speeches at BYU, May 1965, pp. 9-10; refer in this text to Hel. 5:2; 6:31; 16:10
“This scripture should make all Americans pause in this day of wickedness to ask themselves whether the ‘voice of the people’—that is, the majority—now seeks evil rather than light… . The scripture is explicit in saying that if ‘the voice of the people doth choose iniquity, then is the time that the judgments of God will come.’ … But it is a majority which is being reduced each day, as is shown in the rapid increase in crime, immorality, venereal disease, pornography and the other vile blotches upon our land. In a moral way, America is drifting… . If we remain adrift, we shall perish, and we shall bring destruction upon our own heads. How safe is America? No safer than its morals and its faith in God! Morals are slipping fast, faith is ebbing. Doesn’t it frighten us? It should, especially when we realize what the consequences may be. One might say that other nations are worse than ours. This may be so, but that is no comfort. Let us remember that those other nations are not the ‘Promised Land,’ which America is. We are in a status far different from all other lands. There is a limit to which the Almighty will allow the inhabitants of this particular continent to submit to pollution. Will we take the necessary steps to save ourselves?” (Church News, Editorial Page, July 4, 1970)
“Mr. Frank Stanton, CBS president emeritus, told a Brigham Young University audience that network television standards will continue to decline because they are based on society’s standards. He said, ‘Standards come from the audience … ; the audience determines the programming and program content.’ Further, he said, ‘I believe there will be more infractions with respect to immorality and violence and it will get a lot worse before it gets better because of the changing standards of our society.’ (The Daily Universe, Feb 2, 1989, p.1). What a sad commentary on our society! Again we can learn a great principle from the Book of Mormon. When King Mosiah proposed that judges should rule instead of kings, he said: ‘… if the time comes that the voice of the people doth choose iniquity, then is the time that the judgments of God will come upon you (Mosiah 29:26-27).’ That time of iniquity came about sixty years later and at several other times. In the book of Helaman we read that ‘they who chose evil were more numerous than they who chose good (Hel. 5:2).’ If television viewing choices serve as a valid measure of our society, they who choose evil surely are more numerous than they who choose good.” (Joseph P. Wirthlin, May 1989, Ensign, p. 9)
“That which is right does not become wrong merely because it may be deserted by the majority, neither does that which is wrong today become right tomorrow by the chance circumstance that it has won the approval or been adopted by overwhelmingly predominant numbers. Principles cannot be changed by, nor accommodate themselves to, the vagaries of popular sentiment.” (Albert E. Bowen, Conference Report, Apr. 1941, p. 85)
“The sad part of it is that a lot of us take our civil rights for granted. We were born in a free country. We think freedom could never end. But it could. It is ending today in many countries. We could lose it, too. The only way we can keep our freedom is to work at it. Not some of us. All of us. Not some of the time, but all of the time. So if you value your citizenship and want to keep it for yourself and you children and their children, give it your faith, your belief, and give it your active support in civic affairs.” (Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, p. 405)
“I’ll tell you how to vote. You read the 134th section of the Doctrine and Covenants and the 29th chapter of Mosiah, and then pray about it and you’ll know exactly whom you should vote for at the election. That’s how to vote.” (Harold B. Lee, address to Seminary & Institute Personnel, BYU, July 8, 1966)
“This land, to God our Father, is a chosen land, dedicated as I have said to the principle of liberty and freedom, not license. Our fathers, under His inspiration, gave us the constitution of our country, the bill of rights which defines our privileges and places limitations beyond which we may not go… . there is no power that can wreck the government that God has established in this country unless it be the people themselves, and that I do not expect nor believe can occur.” (Anthony W. Ivins, Conference Report, Oct. 1932, pp. 107-108)