Man, Freedom, and Government (1968)

Описание: This is not technically a "Mormon" video, though it is an intriguing artifact from the cultural history of the Church. President Ezra Taft Benson, then Elder Ezra Taft Benson and a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, served as Secretary of Agriculture for President Dwight D. Eisenhower's administration from 1953-1961 after receiving Church President David O. McKay's permission and blessing to do after Benson had been asked by Eisenhower to serve in his Cabinet.

Following his time in the Federal government, Elder Benson continued to remain politically active in service to the American ideals he had grown up with. While never allowed to become a member of the organization, he enjoyed a long-standing friendly and supportive relationship with the John Birth Society and other highly conservative organizations concerned about growing Federal political power and the rise of global communism. This filmstrip was prepared by the JBS, adapted from a speech Elder Benson delivered in Salt Lake to another conservative political organization. He was invited to re-record the adjusted script for the filmstrip, which, in edited form, saw widespread distribution by the JBS across the country.

While not technically a video produced by the Church, nor for the Church, I've made the decision to upload this anyways as for Elder and President Benson there was no line between patriotism and American exceptionalism and LDS doctrine. Throughout his life, President Benson strongly and proudly proclaimed his personal view that LDS doctrine supported and expanded upon the ideals of conservative American political thought and theory, and this filmstrip gives a good overview of his basic approach to good government and is a fascinating window into his history whether or not you agree with his forceful, unconventional perspective.