In the library (and on the internet) in Heaven, all questions of fact will be answered completely truthfully. Those who write the books and post the data will be Celestial beings who have passed this Earthly test of character and who will never lie or have cause to deceive.
When it comes to matters of personal taste, everyone will be allowed, even encouraged, to enjoy and express their happiness and their uniqueness because no one there will be inclined toward selfish or sinful behavior.
It is in questions of policy, where a choice between several possible courses of action must be made, that the standards may be less clear.
What would God do?
Historically, both Muslims and Christians have used the name of God to justify some pretty atrocious behavior. The Muslims claimed that God wanted them to convert the “infidels,” while the Christians claimed that God wanted them to convert the “heathens.” Of course, this process of “sharing” their faith in God through violence gave them plenty of opportunities to pillage, rape, and despoil.
However, we Latter-day Saints have two clear statements of what God’s intent for us actually is:
Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.
2 Nephi 2:25
For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.
Moses 1:39
God’s standard is to elevate and bring joy to everyone. (It also provides no excuse for violence of any kind.)
Principles to guide decisions
Policy is a deliberate system of principles to guide decisions and achieve rational outcomes. A policy is a statement of intent, and is implemented as a procedure or protocol. Policies are generally adopted by a governance body within an organization
Wikipedia
As Latter-day Saints, we are given to understand that the “governance body” in Heaven is the family unit. In our pre-Earth life, the family consisted of brother and sister “spirits” with a Heavenly Father in charge. He proposed a plan for our advancement that has been called both the “Plan of Salvation” and the “Great Plan of Happiness.”
The family was allowed to consider, discuss, and debate the plan, but since our Father had been through this before, and because Lucifer’s proposed alternate plan would not have achieved the objective, Father’s plan was adopted and implemented.
It is sometimes inferred from these events that the standard for making policy decisions should be “whatever God wants.” This is, of course, true in the absolute, but how do we figure out what God wants? We need to remember that God himself has a standard. He makes decisions based on which choices will bring about “the immortality and eternal life” of mankind. Or, in other words, what will ultimately bring joy to His children.
A standard for Earthly politics
I propose that we adopt the same standard for considering policy decisions here on Earth.
This is actually not a new idea. Utilitarianism is the ethical philosophy that, in a given situation, the morally correct action is the one that produces the most good. Like original Christianity, it calls for maximizing the good of others as well as oneself.
Utilitarianism as articulated by Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill identified “the good” with pleasure. Latter-day Saints do not support hedonism, of course, and would not go that far. However, if one defines “the good” as “joy” (which, remember, is God’s standard) then the Saints should support a standard that evaluates every political decision in terms of doing the most good for the most people.
A clear lens to look through
Once one has adopted this standard, American politics becomes very clear. Some politicians are actually working to use the tools of government to help people. They want to repair infrastructure, provide healthcare, fund education for our children, stop the pandemic and save the planet. These politicians are not afraid to let everyone vote because their goals are popular.
On the other hand, we have politicians, mostly from one political party, who cut taxes for the very wealthy, block healthcare for the needy, and assist corporations in abusing working people. These politicians are working very hard to restrict people’s right to vote.
Our politics is just a reflection of the situation in the Book of Mormon. We can choose leaders who support and help the people they represent, or we can choose politicians who are only interested in power and gain for themselves.
Which type do YOU vote for?
“On the other hand, we have politicians, mostly from one political party, who cut taxes for the very wealthy, block healthcare for the needy, and assist corporations in abusing working people.”
But this ignores what goes on INSIDE of business enterprise. Marx saw business profits as coming mostly from the shorting of hired labor. This is a critical point, an important theoretical point which lends justification for liberal measures, which most liberals/Democrats don’t comprehend, so they can be portrayed as just “do gooders” by Republicans.
Here is some stuff critical for us to understand. According to Marx the value of anything, including labor, is the labor necessary to support it or produce it. So, labor gets its due. Labor gets what it needs to survive and reproduce. But human labor CREATES A SURPLUS. Labor is the “goose that lays the gold eggs.” This surplus is expropriated by employers (capital) leading to profit. This process justifies most of the measures loved by liberals, though they understand none of this, just like conservatives who are even more ignorant. Dealing with our current crisis requires Marx, though this must be damning to most LDS.