"We engage in the election the same as in any other principle: you are to vote for good men, and if you do not do this it is a sin: to vote for wicked men, it would be sin. Choose the good and refuse the evil. Men of false principles have preyed upon us like wolves upon helpless lambs. Damn the rod of tyranny; curse it. Let every man use his liberties according to the Constitution. Dont fear man or devil; electioneer with all people, male and female, and exhort them to do the thing that is right. We want a President of the U. S., not a party President, but a President of the whole people; for a party President disfranchises the opposite party. Have a President who will maintain every man in his rights. (Hyrum Smith, 9 April 1844, in History of the Church, vol. 6 (Salt Lake City), p. 323)
Then Joseph Smith, brother to Hyrum:
we shall have the satisfaction of knowing that we have acted conscientiously, and have used our best judgment. And if we have to throw away our votes, we had better do so upon a worthy rather than an unworthy individual who might make use of the weapon we put in his hand to destroy us. (Times and Seasons, Nauvoo, IV, 441. Cited also in Roberts, Comprehensive History, II, 208-209.)
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If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animated contest of freedom, go from us in peace. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen! - Samuel Adams
That's interesting. Cuz I've always kinda heard the idea ... "If you don't vote, you have no right to complain about ANYTHING." So, from what this says, it's a perfectly good decision to NOT vote if we don't feel right about it?
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Life is tough but it's tougher if you're stupid. -John Wayne
I didn't see anything in those quotes about not voting. I must be slow.
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If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animated contest of freedom, go from us in peace. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen! - Samuel Adams
you are to vote for good men, and if you do not do this it is a sin: to vote for wicked men, it would be sin In my mind it's a binary decision he's talking about; either vote for a good man, or a bad man. In the quote above, he's saying that not voting for a good man is a sin. Not voting at all seems to me to be the same as not voting for a good man, and thus would be a sin. But I admit that my understanding is not perfect.
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If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animated contest of freedom, go from us in peace. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen! - Samuel Adams
Or vote third party! I'm planning on doing one of the two. In terms of likelihood, voting for McCain is below learning to fly by flapping my arms on my list.
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If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animated contest of freedom, go from us in peace. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen! - Samuel Adams
I didn't see anything in those quotes about not voting. I must be slow.
