“And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.” (Doctrine and Covenants 130:21)
In the Pre-Earth Council in Heaven, when Lucifer offered to be the redeemer of mankind, he said, “I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost.” (Moses 4:1). When Latter-day Saints discuss this, they generally presume that “Lucifer’s plan” would have “forced everyone to be good.” Since this would have violated our moral agency, it was not an acceptable plan. But what if that was not Lucifer’s plan at all? Perhaps he was promising to redeem everyone regardless of what choices they made while on Earth. This would certainly be a more persuasive offer. We could enjoy the temptations of the world and then return to Heaven without consequence.
To sin is to disobey a law or to fail to act according to knowledge of the truth. (See LDS.org) The truth can be ignored, or denied, or “spun,” but laws tend to be backed up by the government with consequences for disobedience. So it is no surprise that those who wish to sin make every effort to eliminate laws. They can ignore the immorality of their behavior as long as it is “legal.”
Republicans reflexively oppose any and all government regulations in any area regardless of the benefits. The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), just released its annual report analyzing the costs and benefits of federal regulations. They studied major Federal regulations between 2006 and 2016. Their conclusions show that the financial benefits of regulation overwhelmingly outweigh the costs, and that Federal regulations had no effect on jobs or economic growth. The Republican meme about “burdensome and job-killing regulations” is a lie.
Republicans are particularly hostile to environmental regulations of any kind. The OMB study confirms that such regulations do, indeed, have the highest costs, but they also have the highest benefits. The problem, apparently, is that the costs are private and the benefits are public. Since the Republican Party is now fully in the service of big money, and the philosophy of Korihor, they are not concerned about public health when there is private money to be made. We can count on the Republicans to ignore this report and continue their destructive path of abolishing as many government regulations as they can while they are in power.
And many more such things did he say unto them, telling them that there could be no atonement made for the sins of men, but every man fared in this life according to the management of the creature; therefore every man prospered according to his genius, and that every man conquered according to his strength; and whatsoever a man did was no crime. (Alma 30:17)
Sources: “Trump White House quietly issues report vindicating Obama regulations” by David Roberts, Vox, March 6, 2018.
“Scott Pruitt vs. The Pope” by Emily Atkin, The New Republic, February 27, 2018