Political neutrality, anti-communism, and U.S. American exceptionalism

From the LDS.org News Room
Political Neutrality
“The Church's mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, not to elect politicians. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is neutral in matters of party politics. This applies in all of the many nations in which it is established. 
The Church does not:

• Endorse, promote or oppose political parties, candidates or platforms.
• Allow its church buildings, membership lists or other resources to be used for partisan political purposes.
• Attempt to direct its members as to which candidate or party they should give their votes to. This policy applies whether or not a candidate"

On 3 July 1936, the First Presidency published this warning to Church members: 

"Communism is not a political party nor a political plan under the Constitution; it is a system of government that is the opposite of our Constitutional government... Since Communism, established, would destroy our American Constitutional government, to support Communism is treasonable to our free institutions, and no patriotic American citizen may become either a Communist or supporter of Communism... We call upon all Church members completely to eschew [shun] Communism. The safety of our divinely inspired Constitutional government and the welfare of our Church imperatively demand that Communism shall have no place in America"
- The First Presidency - Heber J. Grant, J. Reuben Clark Jr., David O. McKay.
​Deseret News, 3 July 1936

"Communism is Satan's counterfeit for the gospel plan, and that it is an avowed enemy of the God of the land. Communism is the greatest anti Christ power in the world today and therefore the greatest menace not only to our peace but to our preservation as a free people. By the extent to which we tolerate it, accommodate ourselves to it, permit ourselves to be encircled by its tentacles and drawn to it, to that extent we forfeit the protection of the God of this land" - President Marion G. Romney, quoting David O. McKay, in the First Presidency Message, "America's Promise," of the September 1979 Ensign Magazine

President Wilford Woodruff declared that "those men who laid the foundation of this American government were the best spirits the God of heaven could find on the face of the earth. They were choice spirits... [and] were inspired of the Lord" (in Conference Report, Apr. 1898)

"This is one of the most famous paintings in American history: Declaration of Independence. I decided to put red dots on all the men who held slaves." - Arlen Parsa

"This is one of the most famous paintings in American history: Declaration of Independence. I decided to put red dots on all the men who held slaves." - Arlen Parsa wrote above an image of the 1818 oil by John Trumbull.

"For behold this is a land which is choice above all other lands; wherefore he that doth possess it shall serve God or shall be swept off; for it is the everlasting decree of God....Behold, this is a choice land, and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall be free from bondage, and from captivity, and from all other nations under heaven, if they will but serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ" - The Book of Mormon, Ether 2:10, 12

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On April 17, 1949, the First Presidency published their Official Statement on "The Negro" 

President J. Reuben Clark, on of the signers of this Official Statement was also an anti-Semite who handed out anti-Semitic propaganda in Germany during and after World War II was also an open anti-communist. Author D. Michael Quinn notes that "although not all American anti-Communists were anti-Semitic, the more intense tended to be. Reuben's own fusion of anti-Communism and anti-Semitism was representative of this tendency."
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On Dec 15, 1969 the First Presidency reiterated their last official statement on “The Negro”

On Sept 29, 1967 Apostle Ezra Taft Benson gave his “Civil Rights: Tool of Communist Deception” speech at General Conference.

​Ezra Taft Benson, who was also Secretary of Agriculture in the Eisenhower Administration, wrote the forward to the book The Black Hammer, which argued that the Civil Rights movement was run by communists. The Southern Poverty Law Center called this a "vicious and racist book."

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"The head of the [LDS] church, its president Mr. McKay, kept on asking during our visit, 'Isn't it at all possible to buy in the Soviet Union, at least five acres of land and begin preaching there our Mormonism?' Naturally we answered Mr. McKay that the land in the Soviet Union belongs to the people and is not for sale." - Alex Adjoubey, The Silver Cat, or Travels in America, 1956,

For those wondering how a church with "The Law of Consecration" (described below) can be so anti-Communist:
"The basic principle underlying the United Order (Law of Consecration) is that everything we have belongs to the Lord; and, therefore, the Lord may call upon us for any and all of our property, because it belongs to him. In other words, an individual conveys his titles to all his property to the Church through the bishop. The property becomes the property of the Church.” - Ezra Taft Benson
So ideologically the difference, as I understand it is: 
In "Law of Consecration" all property is owned by a hierarchical pyramid of mostly white men & doled out "according to the wants & needs" of Mormon practioneers. 
Communism all property & means of production are owned by the people in a heterarchical collective without stratified classes (i.e. all are of worth) emphasizing communal care regardless of whether you believe in (the same) God.