Principles of Ethical Government: Reform Unjust Laws
Mormon Women for Ethical Government’s Principles of Ethical Government (3)(g) states:
3(g) When laws are unjust — especially when they violate the human and civil rights of vulnerable or marginalized groups — all citizens have an obligation to work toward reformation of those laws, whether or not they are directly harmed by those unjust laws (see Alma 30:7).
We desire to work toward a more peaceful, just, and ethical world, one grounded firmly in a vision of Zion and a hope in Christ and His redemptive power. Zion will only be achieved when its people are of “one heart and one mind, . . . [with] no poor among them” (Moses 7:18).
Unity must be more than just peaceful coexistence. Zion must be a place of equality and security, “a sanctuary for all peoples, cultures, and tongues,” where the vulnerable and marginalized are not only protected but cherished and celebrated.
A bridge is needed between our current political systems — which neither allow for the fullest exercise of agency nor protect everyone’s dignity — and the vision of a perfect Zion. That bridge is the Beloved Community. It is an idealized but achievable civic community, where citizens are motivated by love and work through nonviolent means within government systems to establish economic, social, and political justice — “an entirely different kind of culture, economy, and community.”
To build this Beloved Community, this bridge toward Zion, we must forgo complacency and engage in the hard work of pushing against unjust laws — even when they do not harm us personally. Our countless individual and communal choices must be visionary, selfless, disciplined, and prayerful. Only then can we work together to dismantle unjust laws or systems.
This document outlines methods, resources, and thought questions to help us all accomplish three important goals:
1) To value and believe that all people, including the marginalized and vulnerable, deserve full human and civil rights.
2) To boldly engage in the hard and continuous work of pushing against and reforming unjust systems, laws, and policies.
3) To build the Beloved Community as a bridge between our current political systems and the vision of Zion.
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