Ezra Taft Benson’s “Stand Up For Freedom” speech (video excerpts)

We Should All Be Opposed to Socialistic-Communism and Liberalism

…These liberals want you to know how much they are doing for you – with your tax money of course. But they don’t want you to realize that the path they are pursuing is socialistic, and that socialism is the same as communism in its ultimate effect on our liberties. When you point this out they want to shut you up – they accuse you of maligning them, of casting asper-sions, of being political. No matter whether they label their bottle as liberalism, progressivism, or social reform – I know the contents of the bottle is poison to this Republic and I’m going to call it poison…

Unfortunately this applies very much to both the Democrats and the Republicans – they’ve all accepted, supported and implemented varying levels of socialism.

America is being destroyed by Socialism

We have moved a long way – and are now moving further and more rapidly down the soul-destroying road of socialism. The evidence is clear – shockingly clear for all to see.

With our national prestige at – or near – an embarrassing all-time low, we continue to weaken our domestic economy by unsound fiscal, economic and foreign aid policies which corrupt our national currency. Ever increasing centralization of power in the federal government in Washington, D.C. is reducing our local and state governments to virtual federal field offices while weakening individual initiative, enterprise and character.
With the crass unconstitutional usurpation of powers by the Executive Branch of the federal government, anti-spiritual decisions of the Supreme Court – all apparently approved by a weakly submissive rubber-stamp congress – the days ahead are ominously frightening.

Citizens Should Meet Together And Become Informed of Threats – Ezra Taft Benson

Surely – certainly – it behooves patriotic citizens – such as you – to meet together to seriously consider present conditions in our beloved nation. It is imperative that American citizens become alerted and informed regarding the threat to our welfare, happiness and freedom.
No American is worthy of citizenship in this great land who refuses to take an active interest in these important matters.
All we hold dear as a great Christian nation is at stake.

Ezra Taft Benson Warns About Liberals Promoting Socialism

America is big enough to make room for many different kinds of thinking, but many liberals have claimed to see virtues in socialism and communism which I, for one, have not been able to find. To promote their ideas, American liberals have become a highly organized, hard-core establishment in the United States and they have been excusing their appeasement and coddling of communism on the ground that they were being “tolerant,” “broadminded,” and “working for peace.”

Ezra Taft Benson warns of blind, senseless, irresponsible unity

Another recent development has been the call for national unity. I believe there needs to be a unity in our land. But it must not be blind, senseless, irresponsible unity. It should not be a unity just for the sake of unity. It needs to be a unity built on sound principles.

We Americans have strayed far from sound principles – morally, Constitutionally and historically. It has been getting us into a quagmire of trouble all over the world, and especially here at home.

Ezra Taft Benson Warns of Federal Government Overreaching

I believe the American people know what they want. It would appear that the people want their civil rights safeguarded but not a destruction of states’ rights.

The farmers want opportunity for reasonable income security but not agricultural “dictatorship” security.

Parents want better school for their children but not a federal subsidy leading to control of the teachings and text books as well as the ideologies of the children.

People want sound pay-as-you go spending with a balanced budget, not reckless spending and tax cuts with an unbalanced budget.

If there is a need for urban renewal, people want it under local direction, not under the red tape of Washington bureaus armed with confiscatory powers over property.

People want the development of power dams but not the strangulation of privately-owned power companies which have proven far more efficient and economical than utilities run by the government.

In other words, there are some legitimate functions and services which the Federal Government can and should provide, but those who want the federal power to exceed the authority delegated to it by the Constitution will be resisted both by Democrats and Republicans. This is what is happening in some limited areas today, may the trend increase.

And anyone who tries to equate this love of Constitutional principles as meaning hatred of our national leaders is using Goebbels-style deception. History has already demonstrated that conservative opposition to national leaders was not “hate” but an attempt to do them a favor.

Ezra Taft Benson Warns of Those Who Would Silence the Friends of Freedom and Weaken the US Constitution

Therefore, let those who call for unity and the elimination of hate be sure they are not merely trying to silence the friends of freedom. These are they who respect their leaders and resist them only when it is felt they are headed for a catastrophe. What patriotic American would wish to stand silent if he saw the President verging on a blunder because of bad advice or a mistake in judgment of the facts?

I believe one of the most serious mistakes a President could make would be to weaken the Constitution.

From the time I was a small boy, I was taught that the American Constitution is an inspired document. I was also taught that the day will come when the Constitution will be endangered and hang as it were by a single thread. I was taught that we should study the Constitution, preserve its principles and defend it against any who would destroy it. To the best of my ability I have always tried to do this. I expect to continue my efforts to help protect and safeguard our inspired Constitution.

Ezra Taft Benson: Spiritual Leaders Should Speak out against immoral & unjust actions of political leaders

I was also taught that the day will come when the Constitution will be endangered and hang as it were by a single thread. I was taught that we should study the Constitution, preserve its principles and defend it against any who would destroy it. To the best of my ability I have always tried to do this. I expect to continue my efforts to help protect and safeguard our inspired Constitution.

Some two years ago, however, a critic from Washington, D.C. claimed that a person who serves in a church capacity should not comment on such matters. He charged that the separation of church and state requires that church officials restrict their attention to affairs of the Church.

I, of course, also believe that the institutions of church and state should be separated, but I also do not agree that spiritual leaders cannot comment on basic issues which involve the very foundation of American liberty.

In fact, if this were true, we would have to throw away a substantial part of the Bible. Speaking out against immoral or unjust actions of political leaders has been the burden of prophets and disciples of God from time immemorial. It was for this very reason that many of them were persecuted.
Some of them were stoned, some of them were burned, many were imprisoned. Nevertheless it was their God-given task, as watchmen on the towers, to speak up.

It is certainly no different today.

We Should Know of the Threats to the Constitution: Ezra Taft Benson

At this particular moment in history the United States Constitution is definitely threatened and every citizen should know about it. The warning of this hour should resound through the corridors of every American institution – schools, churches, the halls of Congress, press, radio and TV and so far as I am concerned and I am sure so far as you are concerned it will resound – with God’s help.

10 Ways The Constitution Is Being Destroyed by Ezra Taft Benson

Our Republic and Constitution are being destroyed while the enemies of freedom are being aided. How? In at least ten ways:

1. By diplomatic recognition and aid, trade and negotiations with the Communists.
2. By disarmament of our military defenses.
3. By destruction of our security laws and the promotion of atheism by decisions of the Supreme Court.
4. By loss of sovereignty and solvency to international commitments and membership in world organizations.
5. By undermining of local law enforcement agencies and Congressional investigation committees.
6. By usurpations by the Executive and the Judicial branches of our Federal Government.
7. By lawlessness in the name of civil rights.
8. By staggering national debt with inflation and the corruption of the currency.
9. By a multiplicity of executive orders and federal programs which greatly weaken local and state government.
10. By the sacrificing of American manhood by engaging in wars we apparently have no intention of winning.

Wherever possible, I have tried to speak out. It is for this very reason that certain people in Washington have bitterly criticized me. They don’t want people to hear the message. It embarrasses them. The things which are destroying the Constitution are the things they have been voting for. They are afraid of their political careers if these facts are pointed out. They therefore try to silence any who carry the message – anyone who will stand up and be counted.

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5 Responses to “Ezra Taft Benson’s “Stand Up For Freedom” speech (video excerpts)”

  • Avatar for Blog Reed M Smith Says:

    I do agree with what he said.

  • Avatar for Blog Robert Says:

    On what day and in what year was this speech given? Was it at a General Conference? I am inspired and want to share, but without the context of the calendar, it loses some power.

  • Avatar for Blog Mike Says:

    Wow, what an excellent speech! I knew ETB had a lot of great material on the subject, but this was really good. I’m surprised we’ve made it so far since then. Problems caused by leftists today seem infinitely worse than back then, and he thought they were bad back then!

  • Avatar for Blog Norai Says:

    Thank you. I hunger for this type of common sense. I find myself visiting this page just for my sanity in a world that has gone insane and where common sense is in short supply.

  • Avatar for Blog Scott Mayo Says:

    I am leaving this comment in response to your article on whether Mormons should support political Zionism. You had to close the comments, understandably, because some commenter redirected the discussion to the subject of Glenn Beck and his ideas. Yet I want to thank you for the article, and your message that, as I interpret it, makes a distinction between spiritual Zionism and political Zionism.

    No one can reconcile the ungodly policies of the modern state of Israel (the Zionist State) with the godly teachings of Christ. No one.

    I also appreciate your candor regarding the narrowing distinction between the Democratic and Republican Parties. Since June 22, 2015, when a Republican politician blamed a mass murder on a flag, and began a posthumous extermination of the Confederate States of America that is destructive to the United States of America, the Republican Party has completely sold out its conservative principles to the Democratic Party.

    I have been writing about this ongoing destruction of American history—as well as the ongoing atrocity of our federal government’s support of the ongoing atrocity of the Zionist Occupation of Palestine—in my blog, Solosocial ( https://solosocial.wordpress.com ).

    Again, thank you for your candid and straightforward conservatism—true conservatism is becoming increasingly rare in Digital-Age America.

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