Comparison of Communism vs. LDS United Order
(Generated by ChatGPT 2025)
- Latter-day Saint Economic Systems:
- United Order (Law of Consecration):
- Voluntary covenant to consecrate all time, talents, and property to the Church.
- Members deeded their property to the bishop, who returned a “stewardship” portion to manage.
- Surplus was redistributed for the poor and common welfare.
- Practiced in Kirtland, Missouri, Utah in the 1830s–1880s, though not universally successful.
- Zion’s Cooperative Mercantile Institution (ZCMI) & Other Co-ops:
- LDS-sponsored private enterprises to avoid dependence on non-Mormon merchants.
- Profits were shared, and community participation was encouraged.
- Operated within capitalist frameworks, not by state control.
- Communism: Core Features
- Abolishes private property: The state owns means of production.
- State control over economy, production, wages.
- Compulsory participation; dissent discouraged or punished.
- Class warfare leads to a classless society.
- Aims to eliminate religion as a tool of oppression (per Marx: “opiate of the masses”).
Conclusion:
The LDS United Order and ZCMI-style cooperatives were private, religious, and voluntary efforts to care for the poor and promote unity, not government-run economic systems. They share some surface similarities to communism (like redistribution), but differ radically in philosophy, methods, and outcomes.
- LDS economics are rooted in agency, stewardship, and religious purpose.
- Communism is based on material equality and compulsory control.
Key Differences
| Principle | LDS United Order / ZCMI | Communism |
| Voluntariness | Fully voluntary, covenant-based | Mandatory, imposed by revolution/state |
| Private Property | Stewardship model – property returned | Abolished; state ownership |
| Religious Foundation | Deeply spiritual and covenantal | Atheistic or anti-religious |
| Economic Control | Local bishops and private institutions | Centralized by government |
| Individual Incentive | Stewardship respected; surpluses shared | Often suppressed |
| Social Class View | Seeks unity and care, not class warfare | Based on class struggle |
| Spiritual Motivation | Charity, consecration, community of Zion | Material equality and revolution |
| Outcome in Practice | Mixed results; some collapse | Historically, state abuse, shortages |
