It is truly remarkable that the Nephites prohibited any form of slavery. In contrast, the United States government, which was established upon the principle that "all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights," (Declaration of Independence) allowed such a depraved institution for almost 90 years of its history. Abraham Lincoln said, "There is only one question that you need to answer to know whether or not we should have slavery, and that is this: Is slavery right or is it wrong? Is it right for some men to hold other men in bondage?" The Nephites knew the answer to that fundamental question better than the founding fathers.