Action Quote by Dallin H. Oaks
“Citizens ... should be practitioners of civic virtue in their conduct toward government. They should be ever willing to fulfill the duties of citizenship. This includes compulsory duties like military service and the numerous voluntary actions they must take if they are to preserve the principle of limited government through citizen self-reliance.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1995
Citizens must actively practice civic virtue, fulfilling both compulsory duties like military service and voluntary actions to sustain limited government and self‑reliance.
In simple terms: Be active, responsible citizens.
Key Takeaway
Engage in both required and voluntary civic duties.
Themes
civic duty
government
self‑reliance
patriotism
responsibility
Mood
determined
patriotic
reflective
Type
ethical
political
When to use this quote
- voting
- military service
- community volunteering
- public advocacy
- local governance
Key Concepts
Republicanism
civil society
civic virtue
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you balance compulsory and voluntary civic duties?
- What actions best support limited government?
A Different Perspective
May overlook personal costs and lead to burnout if not balanced.
![“Somewhere along the way these countries [EU] redefined the relationship between government and citizen into something closer to pusher and addict. And, once you've done that, it's very hard to persuade the addict to cut back his habit. Thus, the general acceptance everywhere but America is that…” quote by Mark Steyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/557/mark-steyn-1844_habits_somewhere-along-the-way-these-countries_663430.jpg)
