Governments Are Instituted of God

In laying the foundation for the Proper Role of Government, Elder Benson explained the neccesity of building upon true and correct principles. He then proceeded to explain some of the fundamental principles he believed are essential for good government.

"I should like to outline in clear, concise, and straight-forward terms the political principals to which I subscribe. These are the guidelines which determine, now and in the future, my attitudes and actions toward all domestic proposals and projects of government. These are the principles which, in my opinion, proclaim the proper role of government in the domestic affairs of the nation." (p. 2)

What a singular blessing it is for us to have an Apostle of Jesus Christ, one who the Lord upheld and sustained in his lifetime and held in reserve to eventually occupy the role of Prophet to the world, to declare with such boldness the principles to which we may cleave for effective government. It is little wonder that such a man would define, as the first of these principles, a firm belief that proper government is instituted of God, not of men.

And where did Elder Benson derive this first among all the principles of good government? True to the divine calling he held, he has based his convictions on the revealed word as transmitted by God through His prophet.

"[I] believe that governments were instituted of God for the benefit of man; and that he holds men accountable for their acts in relation to them, both in making laws and administering them, for the good and safety of society." - D&C 134:1 (p. 2)

What is the significance of this statement? It is obviously important. It was delivered by God to the Prophet Joseph Smith and considered of such a nature that it should be included in the Doctrine and Covenants. Then it was deemed so important that Elder Benson listed it first among the principles of good government. Perhaps we can dissect this statement to better understand what it means to us in our day.

First, this verse acknowledges that governments are instituted of God. There are some simple and basic truths that can be derived from this pronouncement. For example, we learn from these words that God advocates the presence of government.It is not God's will that chaos or anarchy reign on earth. It is in accordance with God's will that governments exist to regulate in the affairs of men.

However, we are also taught in this statement that government should not be the product of man. History is replete with examples of men instituting governments after their own designs and in pursuit of their own interests. Without exception, attempts by men to institute government without the guidance of heaven have resulted in brutal and oppressive tyranny. The vast majority of men and women who have occupied this planet have lived in subjection to those who ruled over them. This is not because God willed it to be so. Rather, it is because men have attempted to set up their own systems of government, separate and apart from the directions of the Almighty. Because men are imperfect and prone to selfishness, pride, and abuse, governments instituted of man eventually become nothing more than a reflection of those human vices. In the absence of overcoming the natural man, it is "the disposition of almost all men" to exercise dominion over others. (See D&C 121:39)

Because of this unfortunate, but nevertheless real aspect of human nature, government exists to place restraints on the unfettered abuse that men, without the aid of the Spirit, naturally gravitate toward. In the Federalist Paper Number 51, James Madison demonstrated that the Founding Fathers clearly understood this.

"But what is government itself, but the greatest of all reflections on human nature? If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself."

This is the philosophy that emerges when men seek the guidance of God in the establishment of government. Power is restrained and used as a tool to benefit the people. To the contrary, when government is designed to benefit those who will wield its power, it will invariably result in oppression. This is what George Washington referred to when he stated the following.

"Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master."

To the great misfortune of many, governments instituted of men have been much more prevalent on this earth than governments instituted of God. This has unfortunately been true even among those who were blessed with heaven inspired systems of government. In ancient days, the Israelites, despite living in freedom as ordained by God, wanted to a have King. Moses warned against this course, but eventually, the will of the natural man prevailed and Kings were appointed to rule the people. When the kings followed the will of God and cleaved to the words of the Prophets, Israel prospered. But, as is always the case, this led eventually to evil and bondage.

In the Book of Mormon we see many examples of governments that were not instituted of God leading to great wickedness and oppression. King Noah is a notable example of what this condition led to. In the days of King Mosiah, he revealed to the people the form of government that God would have them institute The democratic based system of judges was to replace the birthright of kings. Yet, after his death, some of the people continued to desire a king to rule over them. And what was the purpose of those who so desired? It was to be given power over their fellowmen. This led to contention, war, and death.

When governments are instituted of God, freedom abounds. When governments are set up according to the designs of men, opression reigns.

Second, we learn from this principle that government exists for the benefit of man. This is such a gloriously simple, but deeply profound statement. Government does not exist to benefit the ruling class, the monarch, or the dictator. If this statement were better understood throughout history, so many of the abuses that have existed among men would have been prevented. Government exists for man, not man for government.

Third, God will hold men accountable for their actions incident to government. The making and enforcing of laws are to be for the good of society. If this is abused, if laws are passed to subjugate men, promote wickedness, weaken the fabric of society, deprive men of their rights, or engage in other forms of abuse, those responsible will be held accountable in the day of judgement. Would it be too much to say that not only those who sought to establish oppressive government will be held accountable, but also those who knew better but did not stand forth to defend the government God intended?

The last phrase of the principle found in verse 1 is often times misunderstood, because what constitutes good for society is not always fully appreciated. For example, there are a great many in our world who would subordinate the rights of men for what they consider to be in the interest of society's "greater good."  In this, again, when men seek to fulfill interests that are not instituted by God, they twist the idea of benefitting society into erroneous philosophies such as collectivism or statism. Yet others, in sincere attempts to use government to benefit society, end up causing severe, and sometimes irreperable damage. For example, in an attempt to eradicate class distinctions and achieve a nebulous objective of "social justice", rights are deprived, initiative is stolen, and dependency, a pernicious form of bondage, is propagated.

This scriptural pronouncement made by Elder Benson as the first of the divine principles upon which correct government must be established, is indeed inspired and essential to the preservation of our freedom. Government must be instituted of God, it must exist to benefit man, not seek to use man for its own means, and must include righteous laws that are made and enforced to benefit society as set forth by God.

As we continue with our analysis of Elder Benson's teachings on the Proper Role of Government, we will learn how God has set forth additional principles that fit together with this to define in what ways government is intended to benefit society, and in what ways it is not.