2 For as their laws and their governments were established by the voice of the people, and they who chose evil were more numerous than they who chose good, therefore they were ripening for destruction, for the laws had become corrupted.
3 Yea, and this was not all; they were a stiffnecked people, insomuch that they could not be governed by the law nor justice, save it were to their destruction.
(Helaman 5:2-3)
Such a sobering account of the deterioration of a society! A majority had begun to choose wickedness, which resulted in their laws becoming corrupted (legislative failure). When the laws of the land are inconsistent with eternal law, wickedness is reinforced, and those who want to choose wisely are faced with unpleasant decisions between lawfulness and righteousness.
But it gets worse, because the laws were not only corrupted but apparently poorly enforced (executive failure). They could not be governed by law at all, which means that anarchy was beginning to take root. What a disagreeable situation, and what a warning for us! We should actively and vocally defend laws which are consistent with fundamental truths, and we should promote obedience to the laws of the land.
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