General Authority’s Writings On America’s Decline Uncovered!

Appointed to be a General Authority Seventy by Ezra Taft Benson, H Verlan Andersen was a prolific writer, defending of the faith and strong supporter of the principles of liberty. Some writings of his have recently been uncovered wherein he discusses the decline of America, we thought they would be of interest to our readers

In one of the volumes of this work called Caesar and Christ, Will Durant recorded the fall of the Roman Empire and gave what he felt to be the reasons for that fall. Let us turn to his book and see what he has to say as we note the deadly parallel between the activities of the Roman government during its decline and fall, and the activities of our own government today.

The economic causes of Rome’s decline have already been stated. They need only a reminding summary here…the destructive war between rich and poor; the rising cost of armies, doles, public works; an expanding bureaucracy and a parasitic court; the depreciation of the currency; the discouragement of ability, and the absorption of investment capital by confiscatory taxation; emigration of capital and labor; the strait jacket of serfdom placed upon agriculture, and of cast forced upon industry. All these conspired to sap the material basis of Italian life, until at last the power of Rome was a political ghost surviving its economic death. [Will Durant, Caesar and Christ, p. 668] (Leadership Week Lectures, BYU, / /1960)