Freedom, Virtue, and Religion

What is the single greatest danger to freedom in America?

If you were to ask that question to every American citizen today, you would likely get a great variety of answers. Some might say terrorism, others economic inequality, and others still the breakdown of the Constitution. Some might answer that there is no real danger to freedom in a America. What would your answer be? This is a question that I have asked myself multiple times, and I have come to an answer, an answer which I believe to be correct and of which I am thoroughly convinced. That answer is: the loss of virtue in the personal lives of the people. I use the term "virtue" in the classical sense, meaning goodness, uprightness, and morality.

Freedom is only possible under conditions where self-governing does the vast majority of the work of maintaining order, protecting rights, and solving everyday problems justly within a society. Where self-governing does not exist, the government must make vast numbers of laws, spelling out every detail of life, delineating what people are allowed to do and what they are not allowed to do. In such a society, the average citizen would not be able to know the laws due to their multitude and complexity. Unsustainable amounts of people, effort, time and treasure would be spent in trying to enforce those laws. Elder D. Todd Christofferson said in a General Conference address, speaking about such a society, "there could never be enough rules so finely crafted as to anticipate and cover every situation, and even if there were, enforcement would be impossibly expensive and burdensome. This approach leads to diminished freedom for everyone" (Moral Discipline, Oct 2009).

The only kind of self-governing that is capable of sustaining freedom by doing the heavy lifting of maintaining societal order is a self-governing based on virtuous principles. The Founders understood that fact and they wrote the Constitution knowing that it's survival hinged entirely upon it. John Adams said, "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other" (First address to congress, 1797). The Virginia Declaration of Rights, drafted by George Mason in 1776, states, "That no free government, or the blessings of liberty, can be persevered to any people but by a firm adherence to justice, moderation, temperance, frugality, and virtue and by frequent recurrence to fundamental principles." The Founders even wrote these principles into laws that were not part of core founding documents, such as in the Northwest Ordinance, which states, "Religion, morality, and knowledge [are] necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind." These are just a few of many examples of the Founders' deep understanding that the rule of law can only exist when the vast majority of people are personally committed to virtuous principles; when people care about obeying the law not because of the punishment affixed to its transgression, but because it is right.


But what leads to a personal commitment to virtue?


Starting largely in the early 1900's the size and scope of government in the United States has expanded dramatically. There has been a continual push since that time to diminish the role of religion and increase the role of government in teaching people about society and one's relationship to it. The concept of "separation of church and state" has morphed into something very different than what Thomas Jefferson ever intended. In its name nearly all religious influence has been eradicated from public education and most other areas controlled by the government. This same extinguishing force has significantly expelled religious influence, especially the Christian religion, from college campuses nationwide. Thus, government and "Higher Learning" have both assumed the role of chief moral educator in our country, with generous help from the media. If the use of pornography, drugs, and prostitution are any measure of their success in teaching virtue, if the content of acceptable movies and music is any measure, if the conduct of the housing and financial institutions in the country is any measure, if the prevalence of cheating in school is any measure, if the disintegration of the family is any measure, I would say they've done a great job. Wouldn't you? If you compare the relative quantity of any of those things, and many, many more, from today to the first century of our country's history, it becomes plain which approach is superior.

The truth is that virtue is best taught on a wide scale through religion, and, in particular, religion pursued through the traditional family. Belief in a loving God that is actively involved in people's lives, that gives commandments which give form to virtuous living, and to whom every individual will one day give account does far more to create virtue in people's lives than any government program or college ethics course ever could. If indeed just government's primary role is to secure the freedom of its citizens, as the Declaration of Independence states, then it should be promoting religion at every opportunity, short of establishing a state religion. Those that care about maintaining freedom ought to seek the advance of religion and religious influence in society at large because it is the only thing that can produce a virtuous people capable of sustaining the rule of law.

Human Agency and the Revolution

One of the basic doctrines shared by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is that our birth into this world did not mark the beginning of our existence, but merely an advent into the next phase in an ongoing plan. We existed before our birth as spirit sons and daughters of Eternal Parents, living in their presence and being tutored at their holy side (The Family: A Proclamation to the World; paragraph 2-3). At some point in that previous spiritual life, God presented a plan to us that would enable us to gain a physical body and progress in our character and knowledge to become like Him, that we might share in the Eternal happiness and peace that He enjoys. A few things would be needed for that transformation to occur. Among those things were: the institution and perpetuation of the family, obtaining a physical body, gaining experience through a stint of mortal time, a Savior to provide a means of liberation from sin and death, and time enough to acquire the godly attributes that constitute the framework of an Eternal Life. One key element that would be absolutely indispensable in this transformation process would be the ability to freely manage our own lives and to choose for ourselves to integrate Christ-like attributes into our character.

Freedom to act as we see fit has always been inseparably connected to the purposes of God in bringing to pass our Immortality and Eternal Life (Mos 1:39). In fact it was of such monumental import that God was willing to cast out Satan and his followers for seeking to take that freedom away. In so doing, God lost one third of His children, who were tragically wooed away into exile by Satan's promises to make a perfect society where no one would be lost. In this, the mortal phase of God's plan, Satan continues the exact same campaign that he waged in the pre-mortal world. He seeks our misery and will never stop seeking it until we are as miserable as he. He does so by doing two main things 1) enticing us to go against the laws of  God and 2) stripping us of the freedom to act out our own will.

History is filled with a continual stream of civilizations which were given an initial measure of freedom, they chose to abandon righteous principles, and were then subjugated by a King or some other form of overpowering government. Many of these governments simply conquered with brute force. While others have flattered people into support by promising an end to all of the societal woes from which they suffered, woes largely brought on by their choice to abandon virtue. Soon enough, these kinds of governments start imprisoning and killing those that don't willingly submit or those that science or religion or whim deem to be inferior, justifying their actions in the name of the good of society. In the 20th century alone, 169 million people were killed by governments claiming to be on the errand of a better tomorrow, more than four times the number of people killed in all the wars of that century combined. These governments slowly convince the people that they will deliver society from its hardships, if given the opportunity. They convince the people that they needn't worry about trusting them with vast amounts of power because they are benevolent, smart, and have the people's interest in mind.

Regardless of how these governments come to power, the pattern for the people is nearly always the same: freedom, wickedness, subjugation.

I an attempt to flee such oppressive government, the Pilgrims left Europe to come to America. Once there, they established colonies and grew in prosperity. A few centuries passed and the ever-reaching hands of insatiable government hung over the colonials once again. When King George III had proven determined to rule the colonists unjustly, they felt their only recourse was revolution. At this crucial time, God saw fit to call the world back to the core principles of government that allow personal freedom to flourish, enabling His work of transforming souls to advance unfettered by despotism. This was done through a group of men, whom God "raised up" for this purpose (D&C 101:80) and whose collective political genius surpassed any seen before or since. These men, through inspiration, created a new kind of government based on old principles, Eternal principles. These principles were boldly proclaimed to the world in the Declaration of Independence, whose signers pledged everything they had to ensure their establishment as the foundation of a new nation. Once independence had been achieved through blood and Providence, these inspired men constructed a constitution that wove the moral implications of the principles in the Declaration (D&C 101:77) throughout the fabric of a new and unique republic.

The republic born out of the "just and holy principles" (D&C 101:77) re-enthroned in the founding era quickly, within 100 years, became the most powerful and prosperous nation on earth, and the people of the United States enjoyed a measure of freedom that drew admiration, hatred, and immigrants from nations across the globe. Due to the conditions of freedom and prosperity set up through the Constitution, the Lord was able to restore His gospel in its fullness to mankind and His church for its dissemination across the earth, advancing the cause of Eternal Life for its final push before the Millennium. In the wake of the American Revolution, many countries across the earth sought to establish constitutions of their own, modeled after government established by the Founders. In this way the Constitution truly was established by God "for the rights and protection of all flesh" (D&C 101:77), and it set up a much broader foundation of liberty worldwide in which human agency could flourish more fully and into which the Lord could send the truths of His gospel.

As the years have passed since America's inception, however, Satan has continued to fight to take away human happiness and destroy God's plan through the same means he always has, 1) enticing people to abandon God's laws and 2) stripping them of their freedom to act out their own will. He has succeeded on both fronts in significant and sweeping ways. In each case his progress has come through small steps, often barely noticed, but whose aggregate has set this country on a course very different from its founding.

As Benjamin Franklin was exiting the Constitutional Convention in 1787, he was asked what kind of government the Convention had decided on. He replied, "A republic, if you can keep it." I hope to share with you over the next few posts some of my thoughts about how the foundations of that republic have been and are in great danger and what the only means are by which there is any hope of keeping it.

The "true and living church"

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints believe that they belong to the only true church on the earth. That is a bold position to take, and one for which they often take a lot of criticism. They are viewed as being presumptuous and as thinking themselves superior to others. Certainly we hope and try not to be self righteous, though we are not always successful in that endeavor (the author included). We are wisely counseled by our leaders to look for all the good in other religions and churches and to praise them for that. We are counseled to stand together with the people of those religions to fight for good causes based on common ground. We seek to respect the beliefs of others, despite the differences between us, and we are not always perfect at that either.

However, at the end of the day we still affirm that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is "the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth" (D&C 1:30). Sometimes members of the Church, understandably, are not quite comfortable making that affirmation in public and to their friends and neighbors. Sometimes they aren't quite sure if it is true, or they don't want to offend anyone. But coming to possess a strong personal witness that it, in fact, is the only true church is crucial to our continuing on the path to exaltation, for which purpose the Church is designed. Returning to the verse sited earlier, the way to know that the Church really is the "only true church" is through the very thing that makes it "living."

The sciptural accounts of the creation teach that God created Adam and Eve's bodies, then "breathed into [them]" their spirits. It was only when the body was animated by the spirit that they became "living souls" (Gen 2:7). Likewise, the thing that makes "the body of Christ" (Eph 4:12), or the Church, "living" is that it is built upon the "rock" of revelation through the Holy Spirit (Matt 16:15-19). Both revelation through the Spirit to apostles and prophets to lead the Church and personal revelation to each member are indespensible to the "living" nature of the Church.

Ongoing revelation to the leaders of the Church to guide it through the troubles of the day has been a hallmark of Christ's church in every dispensation. But just as vital is the role of personal revelation to the members of the Church. The pattern is, God speaks to prophets and apostles to reveal to them both the doctrines of the gospel and the daily direction needed to guide the Church as it passes through the challenges of each specific time. Then the members are entitled to get personal confirmation of the truths and direction given to the prophets by the Spirit through the very same channels of revelation; in fact, we are encouraged to do this. This is not a Church of blind obedience, but rather of clear and confident obedience through revelation. We each have the responsibility to learn for ourselves whether or not the people that lead the Church in our time really are chosen and called by God and if the things they say and the course they take really represent the "mind of the Lord" (D&C 68:4). God does not promise that we will immediately understand the doctrines He reveals nor the reasons He directs the Church in a certain path (Isaiah 55:9-13), but He does promise to confirm to each individual that He is indeed at the helm and that the prophets' words are truly His  (Mormon 9:25-27).

Thus, it is by revelation through the Holy Spirit that the "true church" of Christ becomes "living." It speaks by the Spirit, sees by the Spirit, moves by the Spirit, and its members are infused with the life blood of testimony by the Spirit.

The Manipulation Pattern

When I was serving as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, the Church was using a pinkish, spiral-bound book that contained some training to help young missionaries learn how to interact with people better. The book contained some instruction on how to help people make and keep commitments to change their life. These commitment aides were collectively known as "The Commitment Pattern." Mention that phrase and thousands of former missionaries across the world will give a loving little chuckle.

As you learned about The Commitment Pattern, the book would give you various little vignettes that demonstrated "effective" and "less effective" examples of using the principles taught to help people change. One "less effective" example came to be known to me and my fellow missionaries as "The Manipulation Pattern." In this example the missionary was trying to help someone make a commitment to be baptized into the Church. The missionary in the example says something like this, "You love God, don't you? You want to do what He asks of you, don't you? God wants us all to be baptized. Will you be baptized on such and such a date?" Clearly "less effective." The missionary manipulates the person by first presenting things that any religious person would answer yes to. Then he attaches those first two ideas to the action that he wants the person to take, using guilt to pressure them into acquiescing and belittling their God-given dignity and freedom to choose.

The Manipulation Pattern is alive and well in today's world. There are so many different schools of thought or institutions that enter into the media, the public square, or personal conversations looking for coverts to their cause. They use statements or concepts that nearly everyone would agree on, then they attach those things to their cause. Here are just a few examples:

1. You care about freedom, don't you?
2. You care about the poor, don't you?
3. You care about the environment, don't you?
4. You care about fairness, don't you?
5. You wouldn't judge anyone, would you?

They then go on to say in effect, "We care about 'principle X.' So, if you care about that, then you will agree with us and our ideas. And if you don't agree with us, then you are a bad person that does not care about 'principle X'." Be wary of people who try to guilt you into agreeing with their position on a given issue or topic. The Manipulation Pattern is as wrong now as it ever has been.

On Number 1 and Number 2

When asked which of the commandments is greatest in the law, Jesus responded by saying "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. The second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" (Matt 22:35-40). The Savior taught several truths it this short encounter with this lawyer. He taught that there is indeed a hierarchy of commandments, where some are of greater importance than others. This asserts that there will likely come times when some commandments must take precedence over others, such as when Nephi slew Laban (1 Nephi 4:6-13) or when Adam and Eve partook of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil (Moses 5:10-11). Jesus also taught in His answer where our ultimate loyalties should lie. He taught that we are to love God above all other things, and to put Him and His commandments and teachings first in all situations.

Jesus also taught that we are to love and care for others as much as we do for ourselves. This is right and true, but neither ourselves nor our neighbors, family, or friends are to be loved more than God. In our world, where political correctness and other social pressures reign supreme, we can easily, and often inadvertently, switch the order of these two great commandments. In an effort to love others and not to hurt anyone's feelings, we often keep silent on pressing issues of our day and do not speak up to defend God and the standards of right and wrong that His commandments establish. Instead, we lie low and let the moral foundations of our country and constitution and the preeminent role of religion in our society erode away. All in an effort not to offend anyone or to stifle their ability to do as they please. Satan often manipulates our desires to do good to benefit his causes.

Jesus never failed to speak up in order to not hurt the Pharisees' feelings. He never let the truth give way to political correctness. He did all that He could to live peaceably with the people around Him, but He never chose the peace that keeping silent offers when He had the moral obligation to stand for truth. For Him, loving God always came first.

In the tumult of the last days, we are to follow the Savior's example to put God first. This will likely mean that we will offend people in our efforts to do so, just as others were often offended by what Jesus taught. This, of course, never gives us license to be unkind or disrespectful to others. We are still under the commandment to love others as Jesus did. Thus, we are to have "kindness in the communication, but firmness in the truth" (Elder Oaks, Truth and Tolerance). In reality, we show them a greater act of love and kindness by speaking up for the truth, showing that we care more about people's eternal souls than we do about hurting their feelings in this life. It shows that we care more about preserving our nation as a bastion of freedom for the world than we do about being in the good graces of all people everywhere. In the end, the world will hate us because we are not of the world, just as they hated Jesus before they hated us (John 15:18-19). We will likely struggle to stand as witnesses for God (Mosiah 18:9) if we are not able to be okay with being hated by many in the world.

May we love God first and foremost and stand up for His commandments. May we love others with the same sincere love and devotion that Jesus did. And may we never knowingly or unknowingly switch the two commandments out of the order that Jesus gave them.

Who will be our Copernicus?

Here's a quick question to ask ourselves:

In a world of ever increasing geocentric morality, where the Son revolves around the earth and not the earth the Son, who can the world count on to be our Copernicus?

Hopefully the answer to that question resounds in your soul and in mine with greater force today than it did yesterday.

(Side note: I don't think that it is a coincidence that the word "son" and the word "sun" in English are homonyms, being that the motion of the planets is a witness of Christ (Alma 30:44).)

Image obtained from news.discovery.com

My Testimony of Women

People the world over search for meaning in their lives. They search for purpose, identity, and direction. When they don't find the true reason for our existence on earth, they choose, in the mean time, to fill their lives with other things instead. Many people find good causes to espouse and spend all their time trying to make the world better, after whatever pattern better might be to them. Many others turn inward and let selfishness take the wheel, hoping in vain that its blind eyes will take them somewhere that they want to be. Most of us, however, have a smattering of both selfless and selfish streaks strewn across the canvas of our lives, like a Jackson Pollock of human virtue and vice. And with each passing day we choose which color we prefer and we load our brush increasingly.

I feel inexpressibly blessed to have been given a true understanding of who I am, why I am here, and where I am going, through the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. Yet even still, I find myself painting with colors that I desperately wish I could wipe from my palette forever. I can see how Jesus made his life a Master-piece, filled with perfect form and light, and my heart can hardly see how mine will ever become something worth hanging in the halls of heaven. But as I look back through my time before the easel at all the human influences that have both steadied my hand and put vision in my eyes, none have been greater than the women in my life.

As I have tried again and again to stencil in an image of Christ on my countenance (Alma 5:14), it has been the women in my life that have provided the closest pattern of pure love (Moroni 7:47) for me follow. Their kindness, slowness to judge, and willingness to sacrifice in my behalf makes me weep even now. Their belief in me, even when my canvas seemed everlastingly unsalvageable, brought hope surging back into my soul like the pure white gesso of Jesus. Any semblance of the Savior that has taken shaped on my soul has been tenderly and patiently nurtured by women.

I testify that women are angels in every sense of that word. I testify that their power and influence on this world and, more importantly, on the world to come is far greater than they know. I testify that someday all men across time will bow their heads in humble gratitude to God for gracing their lives with mothers, wives, daughters, sisters, grandmothers, aunts, and friends.

(To my wife, my daughter, my mom, my sister, my grammie, and many others)