THE COMMUNITY.
The relations of the few and the many lead to great problems which are
of the gravest import to humanity.
**Community Defined.** A community is a body of people having common
interests and, usually, living in the same place, under the same laws
and regulations. From the beginning of time, individuals have
associated and grouped themselves into communities. Every Church is a
community of believers. The Church which conforms to the whole law is
the one characterized by authority and operating under authoritative
laws.
**The Individual in the Community.** A community is a great organism,
with individuality which must express itself in adaptation or
opposition to law.
Since the community is composed of individuals, each with independent
wills and agencies, nothing must be done, as a community, to prevent
the full unfolding of the individual, for the more progressive the
individuals, the more progressive is the community. While the
community is under responsibility to each individual, the individual,
having accepted a place and life in the community, must not do
anything that will restrain other individuals of the community.
Whatever is good for the many, must always take preference. This does
not interfere, in the least, with full individual development, since
the greatest individual development always comes from proper
adaptation to law. When each individual faithfully obeys the law, the
community is safe.
**The Rights of the Community.** The community has rights which are
as inalienable as the free agency of individuals. An individual who
will not obey the community laws should move out of the community.
Those who remain must yield obedience to the laws established for the
public good. This was well brought out in the Great Council, when
Lucifer fell because he was not one with the community. In that great
day, as in our day, the many had the right to demand that their good
be considered as of primary importance.
**Training for the Community.** In view of the supremacy of the
community it becomes indispensable that the powers of the individual
be so unfolded as to be of service to the community. No man can
selfishly stand aside and say "I am sufficient unto myself; in the
community I have no interest; though I obey its laws, I do not serve
it." It is not sufficient that a man obey the laws of the community;
he must vigorously serve the community. Every act of every man's life
must relate itself to the good of other men. This is fundamental in
the Gospel, and should be fundamental in the daily relations of men.
This justifies the modern training now given men for the necessary
pursuits and common tasks of daily life. Whatever is necessary, may
and should be made honorable and dignified. All pursuits are made
professional, so that all who serve the good of the many, may find the
same joy in their work whatever it may be. All men should be trained
for service to the community.
It is an interesting commentary on the present-day Church that
President Brigham Young was one of the first men in America to
establish schools in which the training of men for the actual affairs
of life was made pre-eminent. Today we train for citizenship, whether
in the Church or in the State. In such training lies the hope of the
community for its future. By such training will a feeling of community
responsibility be established among men.
**The Supremacy of the Community.** From all this and from what has
been said in preceding chapters, it is clear that the Great Plan was
so devised that men may unitedly work out their salvation. Man may not
stand alone. Brotherhood is the great principle on which the Church is
based.
MAN AND NATURE.