Gary C. Lawrence Quotes

There is no persuasion without contrast.  No one ever bought a product because the seller said it’s the same as the competition’s.  People want to feel they’re getting the best and you have to show why your product or point of view is better.

Today, in contrast,  government bureaucrats write rule after rule after rule hoping to achieve a uniform, fault-free society.  Following the tradition of Pharisees, they exponentially out-do their biblical-counterpart busybodies.  Rather than a mere 613 rules (so many steps allowed on the Sabbath, and so forth), today the administrative state has smothered Americans with hundreds of thousands of regulations.  Hundreds of thousands.  And the list of do’s and don’ts in our rule-giddy society grows by the hour.

What would have happened if Joseph Smith wondered for the rest of his life which church was true, but never went into a secluded grove to pray about it?

Problem #3: Divine Right of Kings. The natural inclination to seek leaders allowed not only military heroes to become kings (the traditional path), but also the prideful to use flattery to gain thrones. And when kings aged, relatives wanted to keep it in the family and fob onto the huddled masses that a royal lineage claim on power – royal blood – is God’s will. Better still, to combat those who want a people’s voice in the matter, turn the monarch into a deity himself. What a fancy way to take the name of God in vain. Constitution Solution: The people are sovereign; government is the servant. Thomas Jefferson said it was the first time in history that this has happened. “We the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union ….” How could such an earth-jarring departure from the customary people-government relationship have been implemented if not from God? With this singular reversal, the Constitution changed the way we should think about power and government. Leaders are governed by consent of the people, not by imagined deity or someone’s daddy’s DNA.

Rule of Law – the foundation of this nation hinges on the rule of law over the whims of kings and tyrants who have traditionally ruled.  And the laws that form the rule of law must be created by those duly elected by the people.   ##   Unfortunately, today the vast majority of rules and regulations we must obey at risk of fines and penalties are being written by unelected lawmakers who have extended their power beyond a reasonable “filling in of details” from the original legislation. 

Shared Values – honesty, work ethic, responsibility, kindness, a trust in one another, and, though cultures may differ, all working together to achieve the common goals of freedom and prosperity for all.   ##   Sadly, national unity today is too often defined as “national agreement with me” and unified purpose is defined as ideological conformity.      A closing thought:  Among today’s leaders and those in recent years, which ones, if any, have been proper examples of dignity, honesty and kindness? Violating two or three of the above foundation features would, of course, damage the nation, but what happens if all of them are attacked at once?  Might this be happening today?  To swipe a phrase traditionally applied to cookies … that’s the way the nation crumbles.

Written Constitution – as the first written constitution in the history of the world, it contains permanent principles to guide the nation.  It was not merely inspired by God, but established by Him “for the rights and protection of all flesh” through the hands of wise men raised up to that very purpose in preparation for the Restoration.  Find in any population of 3.5 million people today the talent equivalent of Washington, Jefferson, Adams, Franklin, Madison, Hamilton, et al.  Random probability it was not.   ##   Satan’s minions heap scorn on it as an evil roadblock against progress.  Thus arose the idea of a “living” Constitution whose underlying principles can and should be changed to accommodate the latest social engineering theories and schemes – a vehicle for change rather than a means of constraint. 

Balance of Power – the power to govern must be controlled by separating power between branches of government, dividing power between the federal government and the states, and enumerating the powers specifically given to the federal government.  In short, minimal centralization so problems are best solved at the level closest to them.   ##   What has happened instead is the Deep State – the power to legislate has come to rest among 2.1 million civilian federal employees who produce and enforce a Federal Registry of 70,000 pages of rules. 

Bill of Rights –  of the 20 or so freedoms identified in the first ten amendments to the Constitution, freedom of religion and freedom of speech are most critical to the survival and vibrancy of the nation.   ##   Religious freedom is under attack as some claim it’s a hide-behind for abusive patriarchy, racism and homophobic bigotry.  It ties with freedom of speech as anti-religionists seek to banish from the public square opinions based on religious values.  But instead of writing rules to force Catholic nuns to buy contraception coverage or bakers to decorate gay wedding cakes or to punish people who kneel during the national anthem, why not let the free market decide whether they should be rewarded, punished, or ignored? We note also the drive for more censorship of the Internet.  Some have called for a reality agency to flag disinformation and root it out.  Would such a Truth Czar be impervious to political pressures?  Would freedom of speech survive?  The right of free speech does not obligate others to listen, but don’t put it past certain types to try to mandate it.

Stable Currency – when government income and spending are balanced, people can rely on the dollar as a store of value as well as a medium of exchange.  The free market functions best and citizens’ needs are met.   ##   Our national debt has now surpassed our total annual economic output.  Our debt is approaching $30 trillion and that doesn’t count unfunded liabilities estimated to be nearly $100 trillion.  The chances of ever paying off the debt are miniscule.  The currently chic Modern Monetary Theory that tells us not to worry is devoid of understanding human behavior.      

True History – to know and teach how the nation came to be, events as they truly happened, so we appreciate our heritage and recognize the efforts of those who came before us.  ##   The tendency in today’s public education curricula is to overlook, if not outright distort, the role of the Founders.  Because some were indeed slave owners and because of the “Three-Fifths Clause” (a necessary Step 1 compromise to persuade southern states to join the Union; elimination of slavery would be Step 2 by Lincoln), the ascending Cancel Culture feels justified by racism reasoning to eliminate all of the works of the Founding Fathers, their tremendous strides toward freedom for all notwithstanding. 

Civil Discourse – language should be clear, dignified and unambiguous.  The public square should be open to all points of view and let people decide to whom they wish to listen.   ##   Many are the efforts to blur meaning and minimize the severity of sin – steal becomes lift, murder becomes zap, adultery becomes playing around.  Or complete reversals – hack, bad, wicked, dope, sick and kill now have positive definitions in some circles.  Or fluidize – social justice, diversity, inclusiveness – to mean whatever is conveniently needed at the moment.  Working past language distortions, civil discourse requires a willingness to respect and debate differing viewpoints.  And to compromise as necessary for the good of society.  Such compromising previously resulted in bell-shaped curves with the majority of Americans either center-left or center-right.  Not so much today.  We see polarization and U-shaped curves with more and more people choosing oppositional positions as compromise is seen as weakness. Academia and social media have become especially guilty of banning certain points of view from public debate to “protect” listeners/readers from what they deem politically incorrect.  For too many, it’s not enough to allow people to choose not to listen or read; they want to prevent them from having that choice.  Thus are differences of opinion turned into causes for hostile disagreement.

Before we get on a bus, we should ask the bus driver a few questions...When we get on the "gospel" bus, we are both passenger and driver. The bus itself is what carries us to our ultimate goal, powered by the most efficient and perfect engine in the universe — the Atonement. But we decide where we are going to go, how fast we get there, and how firmly we put the "pedal to the metal". We all take detours, and it can be a bumpy ride. But this is a "smart bus" with a Gospel Positioning System that invariably points us back to our destination. Our refueling stations are beautiful, and our bus doesn't go very far if we don’t visit them and refuel often enough. And if we can see clearly, we will notice the cheering crowds on either side of our road, smiling and waving as we head toward the Eternal City. And the best thing is that we can invite others along for the ride!

“In essence, knowledge is an intellectual understanding of truth,” explained Elder Tad R. Callister, “while faith is a principle of action – it motivates us to live what we believe.”

Persuasion through relieving fears is known in fancy-speak circles as “reducing reactance.”  But the point is simply to find the real reasons for hesitation and then provide reassurances that what they sign up for is what they get – no surprises.

If you want to persuade, treat people as smart enough to govern themselves with principles rather than Pharisaical objects to be manipulated through tons of picky rules.  Give them the latitude that comes with a guidance of principles. Help them enjoy being properly persuaded.

As Shakespeare put it: “Our doubts are traitors and make us lose the good we oft might win by fearing to attempt.”

Agency to Act – protect the right of people to run their own lives consistent with respect for others to do the same.   ##   Too many, however, arrogantly consider themselves better than their fellow citizens and take it upon themselves to tell others what they must and must not do, thus hindering agency.

Constitution Solution: What most Americans do not realize is that the U.S. Constitution was the first written constitution in history. A firm set of written principles to guide governance had never happened before. Monarchs administered their will through edicts based on feelings, but a written foundation of how a society was to be governed – especially a consistent due process of law – did not exist. Today, all but six nations in the world have a written constitution and almost all of them have borrowed from the U.S. Constitution. Does something about the gathering of Israel come to mind? Summing it up, we do not need to memorize the 4500 words of the Constitution, the 3000 words of the 27 amendments, or the 1500 words of the Declaration of Independence. To successfully defend the Constitution, start with the simple stories of why it exists.

Constitution Solution: Organize government into separate but equal branches thus decentralizing power. Further, divide power between a national (federal) government and its sub-components (states). Further, enumerate the powers the federal government can exercise (only 18 are specifically listed) and leave the remaining to the states and the people. Has it worked without a hitch? Of course not, but the ideal has been established. Those who say we need to update or modernize the Constitution usually have in mind a more efficient executive unhindered by a squabbling legislature – in short, centralized power and no checks and balances. What a step backward that would be.

Yoda said, “There is no try; only do.” That may be true if “try” is half-hearted, but he was wrong in the sense of experiment. Did Edison “do” a light-bulb? Yes, but he did many tries before the “done.”

Mozart was a restless, prodigious genius. He composed over 600 works – from symphonies to sonatas, concertos to operas – in his short 35 years of life. His own assessment: “Believe me, I do not like idleness, but work.”

To break a board with his bare hand, the karate expert does not aim at the board, but at a point in space a few inches below it. In the process of reaching the extended goal, the original objective is achieved as a byproduct. Set extended goals.

Problem #2: Government is Sovereign and the Source of Rights. No matter the era of history, governments of whatever form were always sovereign over the people, and people’s rights, if any, came from government. The king was boss. Whatever system of government he instituted called the shots. Any rights the people had, few as they were, came from the king. The idea of the people being sovereign over government was laughable.

Property Protection – the right to the fruits of one’s labor.  Laws must be equally applied through due process regardless of one’s station in life.   ##   With hazy justification, civil-forfeiture laws, designed to deprive drug lords of their plunder, allow government to seize and keep property merely on the suspicion of wrongdoing without ever bringing charges, let alone proving them in a court of law. 

The answer to the abuse of power is to separate it, divide it, and limit it by enumerating specific powers. 

Pushing seems to be the simple answer for too many – a matter of getting the person from Point A to Point B.  While it may initially bring numbers, will it bring lasting satisfaction?  People want to buy; they do not want to be sold. 

Constitution Solution: For the first time in history, the people exercising their God-given agency were declared sovereign over the government and rulers were not the source of key rights. These natural rights – life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness (aka, the right to the fruits of one’s labor) – were no longer merely the wish of astute thinkers (Montesquieu, Locke, et al), but became key components of the nation’s foundation.

Unchanging Morality – the recognition of absolutes in life – right and wrong, good and evil.  Morality is not to be determined by circumstances of the moment.   ##   Situational ethics and moral relativism have been with us for some time, but sillier definitions are in the offing.  An Oregon Department of Education-endorsed toolkit for middle school teachers claims white supremacy culture allegedly infiltrates math classrooms.  They say the focus on getting the right answer perpetuates fear as well as open conflict.  They suggest teachers come up with at least two answers that might solve each math problem. No right answers to mathematical problems?  The definitions of right and wrong, good and evil, are stood on their heads.  Well did Isaiah prophesy.    (Let’s change pi to 2.14159; we’d only be one point off and that’s close enough.)

Belief in God – fosters responsibility knowing we will one day be accountable for our actions and lays a tempering effect on the citizenry to behave.  And without such, lesser beings vie to fill the role.  ##   Belief in God has dropped from 97% in 1965 to 80% in 2020.  The downward trend is more pronounced among the young and the social science and philosophy professors who teach them.

Problem #1: Centralized Power. Despite such attempts at democracy, power was almost always aggregated at the top in a monarch, emperor or dictator, or in a small group such as an aristocracy. Any powers held by an aristocracy, however, were never meant to act as a check and balance on the king, but only to extend his power to every corner of his kingdom. Centralized power was and is an easy road to corrupt power.

Elimination of fears is central to the non-pushy persuasive process.

Winston Churchill wasn’t hesitant about many things. But when he took his first art lesson, he gingerly placed a dob of paint on the canvas. His art instructor grabbed the brush, sopped up a goodly amount of the goop, and splashed a bold swath of it across the canvas. His advice to Sir Winston: Don’t be afraid of the canvas. Begin.

If curiosity can be defined by the number of one’s interests, then the most curious person in history would be Leonardo da Vinci. Among his interests, each at which he invariably excelled, were “invention, painting, sculpting, architecture, science, music, mathematics, engineering, literature, anatomy, geology, astronomy, botany, writing, history, and cartography.” Wonder about everything; follow your curiosity.

We’re all in the persuasion business.

There is no persuasion without contrast.  No one ever bought a product because the seller said it’s the same as the competition’s.

Thoughts are necessary forerunners to action. If we think good thoughts, we will acquire a desire to do good things, and vice versa.

Sovereign People – people sovereign over government rather than the reverse was truly revolutionary.  A government “of the people, by the people, and for the people,” as Abraham Lincoln described it, is critical to our success.   ##   When occupants of the White House of either party wield pens to issue executive orders linked by thin threads to generalized legislation, one begins to wonder. 

We often hear the term “exercise agency.” Love the verb. Like a muscle, we use it or lose it. Agency is not a passive pronouncement, but a direct commandment to act, do something, achieve, accomplish. Otherwise there can be no experience, no progress, no life.

Agency and agenda come from the same root. If you have the former, create the latter.

Risk-free progress is impossible.