Obviously, living in a place such as Nazi Germany (where the government was basically evil) would create many moral dilemmas for righteous people.

This particular question (as were most of these questions) was prompted by a post at the soc.religion.mormon newsgroup. The post read as follows:

>Was Daniel right in refusing to stop

>praying to God even though the king commanded it? What about the American

>revolution? Most Mormons seem to believe that that was justified. How about

>if the king tells you to go home and kill your mother (as Shaka Zulu told his

>generals the day his mother died)? Where's the dividing line between what

>a government can tell you to do and what it can't?

I think that is a very good question, and my personal belief is that the question is answered by D&C section 134. (While not a divine "revelation" per se, it is part of the Mormon canon, and it is an official statement by early church leaders regarding governments.)

In there, it says that

vs. 1-2

"We believe that governments were instituted of God for the benefit of man; and that he holds men accountable for their acts in relation to them, both in making laws and administering them, for the good and safety of society.

"We believe that no government can exist in peace, except such laws are framed and held inviolate as will secure to each individual the free exercise of conscience, the right and control of property, and the protection of life."

vs. 4-5

"...we do not believe that human law has a right to interfere in prescribing rules of worship to bind the consciences of men, nor dictate forms for public or private devotion; that the civil magistrate should restrain crime, but never control conscience; should punish guilt, but never suppress the freedom of the soul.

"We believe that all men are bound to sustain and uphold the respective governments in which they reside, while protected in their inherent and inalienable rights by the laws of such governments; and that sedition and rebellion are unbecoming every citizen thus protected, and should be punished accordingly; and that all governments have a right to enact such laws as in their own judgments are best calculated to secure the public interest; at the same time, however, holding sacred the freedom of conscience."

Especially note the passage in verse 5: "all men are bound to sustain and uphold the respective governments in which they reside, while protected in their inherent and inalienable rights by the laws of such governments".

That tells me that as long as my government protects certain basic rights, (such as free exercise of conscience, the right and control of property, the protection of life, and the freedom of worship as listed above), I should sustain and uphold the government.

Implicit there, is that if my government does not do those things, (such as Nazi Germany, and the other evil governments mentioned), then actions against the government may become acceptable.