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Here is an excellent presentation of the key principles of freedom found in the Constitution of the United States of America. They are described as God-given, unalienable rights which the Constitution has protected for the citizens of this great nation: the protection of life, free exercise
of conscience, and the right and control of property.
This book is brief and succinct, but it effectively highlights the basic concept that our government was created by the people, for no other legitimate purpose than to preserve our freedoms. The author cautions that citizens can only delegate to the government those rights which they are justified in exercising individually, and that the government cannot legitimately engage in activities that go beyond this simple principle without abridging the very rights it was formed to protect. The book emphasizes that this nation is not a pure democracy, where the majority vote rules, but rather a republic, based on the rule of law, and it shows how the founding fathers intentionally turned what would otherwise have been a democracy into a republic by using the “amazingly simple” technique of representation.
The author cautions us of excesses which have crept into the government’s structures and procedures. He reminds us that the three branches of government (the legislative, judicial and executive) were not intended to be equal in power by the framers of the Constitution, and that only the legislative branch is authorized by the Constitution to create laws. The book warns of current situations where various government departments have become lawmakers in their own right, without Constitutional authority to do so. The precarious status of the nation’s monetary system is highlighted, with the caution that the nation has strayed away from Constitutional principles concerning money and how it is valued and administrated.
Preparing the Elders of Israel to Save the Constitution is at once bold and profound, yet simple in its presentation of key elements of the U.S. Constitution, and it provides the reader with ample food for thought. This book deserves a careful reading by every thoughtful Latter-day Saint!
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Preface, 7
1. Preparing to Save the Constitution, 9
2. Principles of Freedom, 13
God-given Rights: Listen to Our Feelings, 13
Free Exercise of Conscience, 14
The Right and Control of Property, 15
The Protection of Life, 15
Conditional Freedom?, 16
3. A Philosophy of Government, 19
4. The Constitution—Hanging by a Thread, 23
All Laws to Be Made by the Legislative Branch, 24
The Bill of Rights—Who Needs It?, 27
The First Amendment, 28
The Second Amendment, 30
The “General Welfare” and “Necessary and Proper” Clauses, 31
Interstate Commerce, 35
Money, 37
Treaties, 45
Republics and Democracies, 49
5. Enemies of Freedom, 55
Moroni s Warning to the Latter-day Gentile Nations, 55
A Scriptural Summary on Secret Combinations, 58
The Original Combination—Cain and Satan, 58
Early Combinations, 58
Among the Jaredites, 59
Among the Nephites, Before and After Christ, 59
Among All People, 60
Predicted to Be Among Us, 60
Seeks to Enslave All People, 60
Headed by Satan, 61
Motivated by Desire for Power and Gain, 62
Success Depends on Deceiving the Righteous, 62
Gain Power by Governmental Infiltration, 63
Beginnings of Secret Combinations in the Latter Days, 63
Today’s Secret Combination—What to Look for, 64
Today s Secret Combinations—the Fulfillment of Prophecy, 66
Our Duty, 68
6. Applying True Principles to Current Issues, 71
Federal Activities to Be Eliminated, 71
ATE (Department of Alcohol. Tobacco, and Firearms), 71
BLM (Bureau of Land Management), 72
Department of Agriculture. 72
DOE (Department of Education), 72
EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), 72
FDA (Food and Drug Administration), 72
Foreign Aid, 73
Forest Service, 73
Income Tax 73
Food Stamps, Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security. 74
National Parks, 74
OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration). 74
Participation In the United Nations, 74
SBA (Small Business Administration), 75
Treaties Which Affect the Sovereignty of the United States, 75
Military Activity Not for the Purpose of Protecting the U.S., 75
Federal Activities to Be Cut Back, 76
CIA (Central Intelligence Agency), 76
FBI (Federal Bureau ol Investigation), 76
ICC (Interstate Commerce Commission), 76
IRS (Internal Revenue Service), 76
State, Local, and Other Abuses of Power, 77
A Better Life, Through Strict Adherence to the Constitution, 78
7. Questions and Answers, 81
General principles, 81
1. Government—Our Security Blanket, 81
2. The Right to Sue, 82
3. Principle Versus Judgment, 83
4. Federal Versus State, 84
Concerns and Objections, 85
8. What To Do, 95
Appendix, 99
A Closer Look at Freedom and Law, 99
When Peoples Rights “Clash”, 100
The Role of the Law in Controlling Wickedness, 100
Summary, 103
Index, 105
About the Author, 111
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