I will be experimenting with being outspoken on social media
this week. I hope to find some juicy threads about banning Muslim immigrants or
combating Mormon homophobia; anything BYU v Utah would be appreciated. Not to
say that I don’t fully trust everyone else already commenting on these topics
but I thought it’d be fun to mix it up and let my voice be heard a bit. Let’s
call it my Facebook rumspringa. Also let’s call it a week between internships
so I have time on my hands. I plan to mostly just comment on others stuff but
figured I’d start with a post on some political and religious related topics
just to start with a bang:
Joseph Smith Jr. ran for President in 1844. As leader of the
LDS faith his presidential bid was largely influenced by his dissatisfaction
with how federal leadership was addressing issues facing his people (aka if
Martin Van Buren sucks, then just run for office yourself). However, his views
on the powers and policy of government were pretty fascinating to read and I
feel they have some relevance in current presidential discussions. Here are
some bullet points and related commentary:
-“I am astounded at the silly moves of persons and parties,
to foment discord in order to ride into power on the current of popular
excitement.” I like politicians who keep the main thing the main thing and aren’t
tossed to and fro with social media waves.
-Joseph didn’t consider himself a Democrat or a Whig… he was
a third party candidate. Because none of the leading candidates had adequately responded
to his pleas, Joseph was running on principle and didn’t appear to be concerned
with stealing votes from a particular party.
-Joseph didn’t like that a big business could default on
million dollar notes with no criminal action being brought against defaulters and
yet petty crimes led to incarceration.
-Joseph believed the legislature should “study the
convenience of the people more than the comfort of the cabinet.”
-Though Joseph was assassinated while imprisoned for
ordering the destruction of a printing press, he praised the colonists for abhorring
the Stamp Act and Tea Act because the limted freedom of speech, liberty of
press, and liberty of conscience.
-Joseph believed in protecting domestic prosperity with a
degree of government oversight including a “judicious tariff” which protects
the whole “circumference of the realm” and “accommodates all tastes, trades,
and calculations”.
-With the exception of dirty-rotten-pig stealing Martin Van
Buren, Joseph referenced every preceding president with respect and highlighted
the accomplishments of their terms in office.
-Joseph believed foreign diplomacy should be accomplished by
compact as opposed to conquest.
-Joseph revered Andrew Jackson for eliminating the public debt.
Harriet Tubman is a big deal but I’d say Andrew Jackson earned his spot on our
currency…I forget how much public debt exists today, maybe everyone else has
too.
-Joseph didn’t like that the wealthy could achieve legal
results over humble parties largely based on their money and well-trained lawyers.
-Joseph believed reducing the numbers of federal
representatives and their pay, “Pay them two dollars and their board per diem (except
Sundays); that is more than the farmer gets, and he lives honestly.” I don’t
think any inflation needs to be figured into his suggested figure there.
-Joseph encouraged the people to petition their state
legislatures to pardon every convict in prison saying to them “go thy way and sin
no more”.
-Joseph called for massive reform in criminal law with
penalties for crimes to be “work upon roads, public works, or any place where the
culprit can be taught more wisdom and more virtue; and become more enlightened.
Rigor and seclusion will never do as much to reform the propensities of man, as
reason and friendship. Let the penitentiaries be turned into seminaries of
learning.” He did still believe murder deserved confinement and potentially
death.
-Joseph abhorred slavery. He proposed a compromise in order
to get rid of slavery. He proposed that sale of public lands and surplus from
reduced congressional salaries be used to give slave holders a reasonable price
for their slaves. Joseph treated slave-holders with respect, emphasized their
humanity, and believed they would agree to discontinue slavery if fairly
negotiated with.
-Joseph believed in getting rid of court martial’s for
desertion from the Army (I’m thinking of you Bergdahl). Obviously a different
issue then versus today but I do like the emphasis he placed to “Make HONOR the
standard with all men.” He send to send them a letter which says, “his country
will never trust him again; he has forfeited his honor.”
-Joseph called for Congress to establish a national bank,
with branches in each state. He thought leaders of this bank should be elected yearly
by the people. He wanted the bank to be prevented from issuing more debt than
the amount of capital stock in the vaults.
-Joseph believed in expanding the power of the president in
order to allow POTUS to send federal troops to suppress mobs without state
approval. This was likely an issue close to home given the lack of support
which the Mormon’s received from Missouri leadership against unruly mobs.
-Joseph wanted Texas and Oregon to join the union. Heck he
even wanted Canada and Mexico if they were down. Sounds like he was open to
globalization so long as it didn’t compromise American values.
-Joseph was a God fearing man who trusted that the Lord
would lead the nation right. He was not ashamed to share his testimony that
Jesus Christ was the way to salvation.
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