OBEY THE LAW...(AS TAXING AS THAT MIGHT BE!)

 

OBEY THE LAW… (AS TAXING AS THAT MIGHT BE!)


 

TAX DAY IN THE GOOD OL’ USA THIS YEAR IS APRIL 18TH.  THAT’S THE TAX FILING DEADLINE TO PAY UNCLE SAM HIS “FAIR SHARE.”

IN 1862, THEN PRESIDENT ABRAHAM LINCOLN SIGNED INTO LAW THE FIRST-EVER INCOME TAX DURING THE ONGOING CIVIL WAR. SINCE THEN, WE’VE BEEN OBSERVING THIS “NATIONAL FINANCIAL HEADACHE DAY” EVERY YEAR! AMAZINGLY, 7% OF AMERICANS CLAIM THEY ENJOY FILING THEIR TAXES (THEY’RE PROBABLY GETTING A REFUND!) 9% SAY THEY ABSOLUTELY HATE IT (UNDERSTANDABLY) AND 11% SAY IT STRESSES THEM OUT! (PRETTY SURPRISED IT’S ONLY 11%!)   (SOURCE: National Today survey)

PAYING TAXES IS NOT UNIQUE TO OUR COUNTRY OR TIME. JESUS WAS ASKED ABOUT PAYING TAXES BY THE PHARISEES- “IS IT LAWFUL TO GIVE TRIBUTE UNTO CAESAR OR NOT?” TO WHICH HE REPLIED, “RENDER THEREFORE UNTO CAESAR THE THINGS WHICH ARE CAESAR’S; AND UNTO GOD THE THINGS THAT ARE GOD’S.” (MATT 22:17,21) JESUS TAUGHT THAT WE SHOULD KEEP THE LAWS OF THE LAND AND THE LAWS OF GOD. JOSEPH SMITH CLARIFIED, “LET NO MAN BREAK THE LAWS OF THE LAND, FOR HE THAT KEEPETH THE LAWS OF GOD HATH NO NEED TO BREAK THE LAWS OF THE LAND.” (D&C 58:21)

SO, IT’S IMPORTANT TO KEEP THE LAWS OF THE LAND (AS “TAXING” AS THEY MIGHT BE! -PUN INTENDED) THE LORD REMINDS US THAT IT’S EVEN MORE IMPORTANT TO KEEP THE LAWS OF GOD.

“BEHOLD, THIS IS YOUR WORK, TO KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS, YEA, WITH ALL YOUR MIGHT, MIND AND STRENGTH.” (D&C 11:20) AND WHAT ARE THOSE COMMANDMENTS WE ARE BLESSED BY AS WE KEEP? THE 10 COMMANDMENTS, IS A GOOD PLACE TO START. (EXODUS 20:3-17)

THE SCRIPTURES ARE FULL OF WONDERFUL ADVICE WHICH, IF FOLLOWED, LEAD TO GREATER HAPPINESS. (YOU WOULD DO WELL TO STUDY THEM.)

IN CONCLUSION- AS YOU ARE FILING YOUR TAXES THIS AND EVERY YEAR, YOU MAY FIND YOURSELF AMONG THE 9% WHO HATE DOING IT OR AMONG THE 11% WHO ARE STRESSED OUT BY IT-  THAT’S OK,- AT LEAST YOU ARE BEING OBEDIENT TO THE LAWS OF THE LAND.

REMEMBER HOWEVER, WHEN YOU CHOOSE TO OBEY GOD’S LAWS- PEACE, JOY AND GREATER HAPPINESS WILL BE YOURS!  "EYE HATH NOT SEEN, NOR EAR HEARD, NEITHER HATH ENTERED INTO THE HEART OF MAN, THE THINGS WHICH GOD HATH PREPARED FOR THEM THAT LOVE HIM."(1 CORINTIANS 2:9)

 

MUCH LOVE-   THE GRANDPARENT CHRONICLES

 

 

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