Taxation, Please Explain

[fegunz]

Article of faith #12 states we live by the laws of the government we live under.

No it does not. It says "the law" not "laws of the government" or even "laws of the land." Gods law is not the same as man's law and the two types of law are certainly not on equal footing. If there was one law that could be considered "THE law" within the context of the scriptures it would be God's law NOT mans.

The new Handbook reads that a person refusing to pay income tax can be subject to a Church Counsel.

And the handbooks are Church policies that continually change based on the preferences of the brethren. They are not doctrine.

[Rincon]

Removed

[fegunz]

True, the handbook is not doctrine, but they are going to enforce it. If you were at the meeting at which the new handbooks were distributed, you heard a lengthly presentation on how diligent the leaders were in making the handbook a matter of inspiration. A lot of prayer and fasting went into that book. Perhaps the Lord wants us to pay income tax even though it is not legal.

Perhaps yes however Church policy isn't the most reliable way to find out what the Lord's will is.

By the way I was at the handbook training and heard the presentation you are referring to. Yes I am aware that they put a lot of time, thought, and prayer into that manual however it's still only policy to govern the day to day affairs of the church not doctrine that we will ultimately be accountable for at the final judgment. Again many church policies are flat out preferences of the brethren and frankly have nothing to do with the will of the Lord.

Note I am not advocating open rebellion of church policy just refuting the notion that church policy = the Lords will.

It seems to me the significant issue is not the legality of income tax. I believe Church leaders realize the Constitution has been skewed to enable the tax. I believe the question is, should the Church take a stand against income tax at this time. We all know that would be a terrible mistake, and would cause a major setback in the progress of the Church. The position of the Church is that we obey legal authority. Right now legal authority taxes us. If the income tax is illegal, the IRS has not been told yet. Until they are told, it is necessary that we pay it.

The Lord has not made his will known regarding paying taxes to the general membership of the church through revelation to His prophet (the brethren themselves don't even claim the handbooks are revelation from the Lord, sure parts may be based on doctrine but it's not revelation itself). The official church policy should not automatically be assumed to be the will of the Lord to the entire membership. Until the Lord makes His will known to the general membership through revelation to His prophet the decision to pay taxes or not remains ultimately a personal choice that each member much decide for himself through study, prayer and fasting.

[1984Orwellherenow]

Dudes, looky here!

Whiskey Rebellion, anyone? The founding fathers all taxed. Doncha think they knew their own original intent better than anyone? I mean, it was theirs, after all.

Revisionist historians try to tell it otherwise, but the truth, the bottom line, the end of the argument is EVERY FOUNDING FATHER THAT LATER BECAME PRESIDENT TAXED, TAXED, AND TAXED SOMEMORE. It legal, dudes.

[fegunz]

Dudes, looky here!

Whiskey Rebellion, anyone? The founding fathers all taxed. Doncha think they knew their own original intent better than anyone? I mean, it was theirs, after all.

Revisionist historians try to tell it otherwise, but the truth, the bottom line, the end of the argument is EVERY FOUNDING FATHER THAT LATER BECAME PRESIDENT TAXED, TAXED, AND TAXED SOMEMORE. It legal, dudes.

I never said it was illegal myself however any taxation at all is a violation of the principle of the "right and control of property" (D&C 134:2) and therefore should be opposed by any member of the church. The fact that all the founding fathers did it does not justify violating this principle in scripture.