blog 
Principles of Liberty—28 Ideas Changing the World
| Tweet |
Principles of Liberty
The 28 Great Ideas That Are Changing the World
By W. Cleon Skousen
- The only reliable basis for sound government and just human relations is Natural Law.
- A free people cannot survive under a republican constitution unless they remain virtuous and morally strong.
- The most promising method of securing a virtuous and morally stable people is to elect virtuous leaders.
- Without religion the government of a free people cannot be maintained.
- All things were created by God, therefore upon Him all mankind are equally dependent, and to Him they are equally responsible.
- All men are created equal.
- The proper role of government is to protect equal rights, not provide equal things.
- Men are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.
- To protect man’s rights, God has revealed certain principles of divine law.
- The God-given right to govern is vested in the sovereign authority of the whole people.
- The majority of the people may alter or abolish a government that has become tyrannical.
- The United States of America shall be a republic.
- A constitution should be structured to permanently protect the people from the human frailties of their rulers.
- Life and liberty are secure only so long as the right of property is secure.
- The highest level of prosperity occurs when there is a free-market economy and a minimum of government regulations.
- The government should be separated into three branches – legislative, executive, and judicial.
- A system of checks and balances should be adopted to prevent the abuse of power.
- The unalienable rights of people are most likely to be preserved if the principles of government are set forth in a written constitution.
- Only limited and carefully defined powers should be delegated to government, all others being retained in the people.
- Efficiency and dispatch require government to operate according to the will of the majority, but constitutional provisions must be made to protect the right of the minority.
- Strong local self-government is the keystone to preserving human freedom.
- A free people should be governed by law and not by the whims of men.
- A free society cannot survive as a republic without a broad program of general education.
- A free people will not survive unless they stay strong.
- “Peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations – entangling alliances with none.”
- The core unit which determines the strength of any society is the family; therefore, the government should foster and protect its integrity.
- The burden of debt is as destructive to freedom as subjugation by conquest.
- The United States has a manifest destiny to be an example and a blessing to the entire human race.
Source: over 150 volumes of the Founding Fathers original writings, minutes, letters, biographies, etc. distilled into The Five Thousand Year Leap, by W. Cleon Skousen, published by the National Center for Constitutional Studies, 1981.
***************
Related Posts (automatically generated)
One courageous individual has opined already. Care to pontificate as well?
#1 Brian Mecham | October 21st, 2009 9:10 PMW. Cleon Skousen’s books are great. I have learned much from him. Due to the increasing amount of negative comments towards him in many blog and news sites I have just published An Open Letter to Latter-day Saint Detractors of W. Cleon Skousen and His Works
Post a comment
what's new
Featuring 778 posts w/ 12,505 comments.
Search the blog
Media/Events
- 8/26/10 Standard Examiner interview
- 8/3/10 Op-ed, Deseret News
- 7/21/10 Op-ed, Daily Herald
- 7/6/10 Talk radio guest appearance
- 4/6/10 Talk radio guest appearance
- 3/13/10 Talk radio guest appearance
- 2/9/10 Talk radio guest appearance
- 12/21/09 Op-ed, Daily Herald
- 12/2/09 Op-ed, Deseret News
- 11/18/09 Lecture, Young Americans for Liberty UVU Chapter
- 11/5/09 Op-ed, Salt Lake Tribune
- 9/16/09 Op-ed, Daily Herald
- 9/4/09 Talk radio guest appearance
Recent Comments 
- mormonlibertarian on Of Mosques, Mormons, and Mob Mentality
- mormonlibertarian on Of Mosques, Mormons, and Mob Mentality
- Sheri on Of Mosques, Mormons, and Mob Mentality
- Clumpy on Of Mosques, Mormons, and Mob Mentality
- Dave P. on Of Mosques, Mormons, and Mob Mentality
- Sheri on Of Mosques, Mormons, and Mob Mentality
- Dave P. on Of Mosques, Mormons, and Mob Mentality
- Sheri on Of Mosques, Mormons, and Mob Mentality
- Dave P. on Of Mosques, Mormons, and Mob Mentality
- Clumpy on Of Mosques, Mormons, and Mob Mentality
- Carissa on Of Mosques, Mormons, and Mob Mentality
- Dave P. on Of Mosques, Mormons, and Mob Mentality
- Lori on Of Mosques, Mormons, and Mob Mentality
- Dan on Fundraiser for the Sannar family
- SpecKK on The Conservative Immigration Schism
- View extended list »
Most Commented
- Why Do Latter-day Saints Ignore Ron Paul? (346)
- Why I’m For Ron Paul and Against Mitt Romney (263)
- Religion and Politics: The LDS Church and Proposition 8 (168)
- The Protected Class of Sexuality (156)
- Outrage Over a Shoe (153)
- Breaking: New Anti-Proposition 8 Campaign to Target LDS Church President Thomas S. Monson (152)
- Council on Foreign Relations (125)
- Glenn Beck’s Broad Brush (125)
- FLDS Petition Conclusion (121)
- Brigham Young on Public Education (119)
- Domestic Enemies of the Constitution (117)
- Harry Reid Against the “Right Wingers” (116)
- Health Care Hocus Pocus (115)
- Of Mosques, Mormons, and Mob Mentality (115)
- Media Blacklisting Ron Paul (110)
- On President Hinckley’s “War and Peace” (107)
- Monarchial Remnants (103)
- The Rights of an Embryo (103)
- Some Questions on 9/11 (97)
- The Chameleon-Like Qualities of Mitt Romney’s Conservatism (93)
- View extended list »
Recent Posts
- Fundraiser for the Sannar family
- The Conservative Immigration Schism
- Of Mosques, Mormons, and Mob Mentality
- Eight Questions, Three Candidates, One Response
- A Century of Murder
- Principled, Even When Difficult
- Proposition 8: The Allegedly Unconstitutional Constitutional Amendment
- An Inversion of Political Intimidation
- Mormon Pioneers and their Modern-day Counterparts
- Immigration, Individual Rights, and the Constitution
- Utah Nullification: Encouraging our State Legislators to Assert Our Sovereignty
- Independence Day: Just Another Holiday
- Nullification: A Necessary Power for State Sovereignty
- The Primary Election Post-Mortem
- Presidential Idolatry
- My Apathy Towards Athletic Nationalism
- Why I Do Not Pledge Allegiance to the Flag
- Utah's UTOPIA is Anything But
- Government and Childbirth, Compared
- The Constitution Applies to Terrorists
- View extended list »
Church Talks
- On the Necessity of Repentance
- Why the Latter-day Saints Prepare
- The Family: A Proclamation to the World
- For the Strength of Youth—Service to Others
- For the Strength of Youth—Honesty
- For the Strength of Youth—Music and Dance
- For the Strength of Youth—Entertainment and Media
- For the Strength of Youth—Family
- Inviting the Savior Into Our Home Through Worship
- Gratitude
Aaaaarchives
- August 2010 (8)
- July 2010 (4)
- June 2010 (6)
- May 2010 (4)
- April 2010 (6)
- March 2010 (5)
- February 2010 (6)
- January 2010 (7)
- December 2009 (8)
- November 2009 (8)
- October 2009 (7)
- September 2009 (8)
- August 2009 (6)
- July 2009 (8)
- June 2009 (6)
- May 2009 (8)
- April 2009 (7)
- March 2009 (8)
- February 2009 (8)
- January 2009 (10)
- December 2008 (10)
- November 2008 (12)
- October 2008 (13)
- September 2008 (10)
- August 2008 (8)
- July 2008 (9)
- June 2008 (10)
- May 2008 (7)
- April 2008 (9)
- March 2008 (12)
- February 2008 (10)
- January 2008 (11)
- December 2007 (11)
- November 2007 (14)
- October 2007 (12)
- September 2007 (10)
- August 2007 (20)
- July 2007 (7)
- June 2007 (13)
- May 2007 (21)
- April 2007 (23)
- March 2007 (26)
- February 2007 (23)
- January 2007 (29)
- December 2006 (33)
- November 2006 (55)
- October 2006 (62)
- September 2006 (27)
- August 2006 (32)
- July 2006 (68)
- June 2006 (26)
featured shtuff
PORTFOLIO
Web/print design and development (and other stuff!), done right.
TENTH AMENDMENT
Liberty through decentralization.
UTAH NULLIFICATION
A tool for state sovereignty in the hands of every legislator.
Click the "ChipIn" button below to donate!
Note: donations are not tax-deductible.
QUOTY
Save and tag your favorite quotes, and share w/ your friends!
BOOK OF MORMON
Join Elder Holland in declaring your witness to the world!
UTAH PREPPERS
Preparing Deseret, one blogger at a time.
POLITICAL RESTORATION
Restore the Republic! Join the Ron Paul Campaign for Liberty.
BOOK LIST
Here's what I'm currently reading.













