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LEHI - There is a talk by Ezra Taft Benson from 1961 called The Heritage of American Freedom. It talks about how socialism and communism are tools of Satan and how it's a continuation of the war in heaven.
My country (Brazil) right now is suffering from socialist-comunist parties. One of the parties speacially is openly known as comunist. My question is, Can a bishop hold back a temple recommendation from a member that knowingly supports a commust party? Considering that theses parties support the legalisation of abortion and gay marriage.
JOEL -
I suppose this all depends on your definition of "support" and how does the bishop "know" this?. Normally the temple interview questions can be used to determine how a person's affiliation with certain groups might affect his worthiness. Here are a couple of the interview questions:
"Do you have faith in and a testimony of God the Eternal Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost?"
Some communist parties might not support a belief in God or in organized religion at all so there is a potential problem.
"Do you support, affiliate with, or agree with any group or individual whose teachings or practices are contrary to or oppose those accepted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?"
Supporting the legalization of abortion and gay marriage is contrary to the teachings of the church, but the person you are talking about may still oppose the communist party's position on those issues.
In 1979 Ezra Taft Benson said:
"Communism introduced into the world a substitute for true religion. It is a counterfeit of the gospel plan. The false prophets of Communism predict a utopian society. This, they proclaim, will only be brought about as capitalism and free enterprise are overthrown, private property abolished, the family as a social unit eliminated, all classes abolished, all governments overthrown, and a communal ownership of property in a classless, stateless society established.
We must not tolerate accommodation with or appeasement toward the false system of Communism. We must demand of our elected officials that we not only resist Communism, but that we will take every measure to prevent its intrusion into this hemisphere. It is vital that we invoke the Monroe Doctrine." (A Witness and a Warning, Oct 1979)
Those are strong words, but that was 37 years ago. There are many different kinds of communists groups out there today and the Brazilian communist party is probably much different from what is described by president Benson above. I don't know how tolerant or supportive that party is to religion, but there are many members of the church in the world who live in a so-called communist society and are able to maintain good standing in the church.
LDS church spokesman Michael Ottersn said:
"Can a member be a Democrat and a good Mormon? That one makes me smile, because if the members who ask it could travel to some countries of the world and meet faithful members of the Church who belong to their national communist parties, I fear their blood pressure might be permanently damaged." (Michael Otterson addresses FairMormon Conference)
There are many active church members who belong to communist parties in the world. But if a person applies in his life principles espoused by a certain party that are contrary to Church teachings and his Bishop knows about it, he would need to talk to him about his degree of support and whether or not it would conflict with with gospel living or the covenants he makes in the temple.
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