“Too many people are ready to assert their rights, but not to assume their responsibilities.”

- John Maxwell

Throughout history, tyrants and freemen have been waging a war – a war of questions. The enemies of agency ask questions in order to confuse, deceive, coerce and enslave. Freemen ask questions designed to clarify, enlighten, persuade and liberate. Prophetic evidence of these questions exists so that we in the latter days can identify those who would seek to trap us or manipulate us.

Satan’s plan is to destroy our agency, and he knows that he can accomplish this in two distinct ways. Since freedom is delicately balanced between tyranny and anarchy, Satan and his followers have designed their questions to draw us toward either end of the governmental spectrum.

One tactic is to ask “Who are you?” in order to ascertain our beliefs and then manipulate them. Consider the recent confrontation between Rep. Bob Etheridge and several students that made headlines all around the country. Etheridge repeatedly asked, “Who are you?”, but the student would not relent and the Congressman became more and more frustrated because without that information he could not deceive them. This is why government programs like the decennial U.S. Census may appear harmless but in actuality are information-gathering tools that Secret Combinations use in their evil work.

On the other hand, “What do you want?” is a fantastic question for finding out if you have an entitlement attitude and then offering you the very item you feel entitled to. This tactic has been employed by the proponents of the welfare state who seek to enslave their fellow citizens by making them dependent upon tyrants.

One group pushes a belief in a higher power, which they use as a means to bring about absolute obedience. The other group wants to give you the things that would win your loyalty and give you power over others, in order to bring about change through chaos.

Democrats and Republicans – often viewed as opposing forces – are simply tools that Satan and his followers are using to destroy our agency. Both parties ask these questions to manipulate our beliefs, to establish Pharisee-esque “fence laws”, and to offer us things we think we “deserve” in order to make us dependent. We are confronted by one group that seeks absolute order – the rule of the tyrant – while another group seeks absolute chaos – the rule of the strong man, with both perceived as ways to encourage growth. Both are the ways of Satan. In this case, the Republicans and Democrats both seek absolute power, or to become the tyrant, and they will use chaos and order in different ways to achieve their goal. The prophet Joseph Smith, Jr. acknowledged this in the Times and Seasons:

In the next canvas we shall be influenced by no party consideration…the partisans in this county who expect to divide the friends of humanity and equal rights will find themselves mistakes — we care not a fig for Whig or Democrat; they are both alike to us; but we shall go for our friends, our tried friends, and that cause of human liberty which is the cause of God. We are aware that ‘divide and conquer’ is the watchword with many, but with us it cannot be done — we love too well — we have suffered too much to be easily duped — we have no cat’s paws amongst us.

The scriptures also provide extensive documentation to shed light on these tactics.

In the Book of Mormon we read about a missionary named Amulek who was confronted by enemies of freedom. In Alma 10 we read about the lawyers who fought against the freemen:

“Nevertheless, there were some among them who thought to question them, that by their cunning devices they might catch them in their words, that they might find witness against them, that they might deliver them to their judges that they might be judged according to the law, and that they might be slain or cast into prison, according to the crime which they could make appear or witness against them.

Now it was those men who sought to destroy them, who were lawyers, who were hired or appointed by the people to administer the law at their times of trials, or at the trials of the crimes of the people before the judges.

Now these lawyers were learned in all the arts and cunning of the people; and this was to enable them that they might be skilful in their profession.

And it came to pass that they began to question Amulek, that thereby they might make him cross his words, or contradict the words which he should speak.

Now they knew not that Amulek could know of their designs. But it came to pass as they began to question him, he perceived their thoughts, and he said unto them: O ye wicked and perverse generation, ye lawyers and hypocrites, for ye are laying the foundations of the devil; for ye are laying traps and snares to catch the holy ones of God.”

Amulek was also confronted by a man named Zeezrom. Again, questions were asked in order to deceive and ensnare the followers of the Savior.

Christ himself was questioned in this same manner. The Pharisees came to the Savior many times in an effort to confuse, twist, or manipulate His responses. Their failure was inevitable, as Christ certainly knew of their designs beforehand. It was only through government force that evil men were finally able to carry out their plans. When Christ stood before Pilate he was asked, “Whence art thou?” And so again we see that it is through that same line of questioning – “Who are you?” – that the Savior of mankind was judged and killed.

The only source of order that can bring growth is God, not any man or government. The only source of chaos that can bring growth is the agency that our Heavenly Father gave us – the ability to choose, but not anarchy. The intersection of these two concepts is freedom. That is why we have the Constitution. As we now see that the rule of order beyond a degree that is needful will bring tyranny, and the rule of chaos beyond a degree that is needful will cause the weak to perish. The happy medium is what benefits all mankind, while the extremes bring loss of freedom, followed by enslavement, death and destruction.

The question that must be asked, then, is “Why are you here?” In Doctrine and Covenants 50 the Lord confirms this question in a way:

“Wherefore, I the Lord ask you this question—unto what were ye ordained?”

This is the question that missionaries encourage people who are learning about the Gospel to ponder. This is the question that, ultimately, scientists in every field are asking of the universe around them in order to understand themselves. The answer to this question leads us to the proper answers to the other questions, “Who are you?” and “What do you want?”. The questions aren’t necessarily bad in and of themselves, but when the concepts are misunderstood, they can be used manipulatively. In the Church we are taught the correct answers to these three questions all together:

“Who are you?” – you are a child of God.
“Why are you here?” – you are here to work out your own eternal salvation.
“Where are you going?”, or in other words, “What do you want?” – you should want exaltation and eternal life.

Notice that the adversary, including his followers amongst the major political parties, have different answers for these questions that are intended to manipulate and confuse, but they do not touch very often on that central question, “Why are you here?” They love to tell us who we are, and what we should want, but they never tell us why we are here! In contrast, the Lord has spoken through his prophets and has shown us the true purpose for these questions so that we can ensure our freedom from bondage.

In a Liahona article from 2005, L. Tom Perry provided some insight:

“We find a world today looking for answers to the question, What seek ye? in so many different ways. Too many are sowing seeds of a fruit that will not nourish an eternal soul…We boldly declare that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints provides answers to the question, What seek ye? Our Church is the means by which men and women find our Savior and His gospel.”

Steer clear of the lawyers and evil-doers who use these questions to do harm. Keep close to the prophets and apostles who use these questions to liberate and enlighten.

This article was a collaborative effort between Doug and Patrick Walters, two Latter-day Saint brothers in blood and freedom, living in Pennsylvania.

Fortunately for you, I have downloads of both available thanks to a serialization run by Meridian Magazine.

Click here to download a PDF copy of Leadership and Self Deception

Click here to download a PDF copy of The Anatomy of Peace

Have you read the books? What did you think? I’m interested to get your take.

Inspirational music is an essential part of our church meetings. The hymns invite the Spirit of the Lord, create a feeling of reverence, unify us as members, and provide a way for us to offer praises to the Lord.

Some of the greatest sermons are preached by the singing of hymns. Hymns move us to repentance and good works, build testimony and faith, comfort the weary, console the mourning, and inspire us to endure to the end.

We hope to see an increase of hymn singing in our congregations. We encourage all members, whether musically inclined or not, to join with us in singing the hymns. We hope leaders, teachers, and members who are called on to speak will turn often to the hymnbook to find sermons presented powerfully and beautifully in verse.

Latter-day Saints have a long tradition of choir singing. Every ward and branch in the Church should have a choir that performs regularly. We encourage choirs to use the hymnbook as their basic resource.

Music in Our Homes

Music has boundless powers for moving families toward greater spirituality and devotion to the gospel. Latter-day Saints should fill their homes with the sound of worthy music.

Ours is a hymnbook for the home as well as for the meetinghouse. We hope the hymnbook will take a prominent place among the scriptures and other religious books in our homes. The hymns can bring families a spirit of beauty and peace and can inspire love and unity among family members.

Teach your children to love the hymns. Sing them on the Sabbath, in home evening, during scripture study, at prayer time. Sing as you work, as you play, and as you travel together. Sing hymns as lullabies to build faith and testimony in your young ones.

Music in Our Personal Lives

In addition to blessing us as Church and family members, the hymns can greatly benefit us as individuals. Hymns can lift our spirits, give us courage, and move us to righteous action. They can fill our souls with heavenly thoughts and bring us a spirit of peace.

Hymns can also help us withstand the temptations of the adversary. We encourage you to memorize your favorite hymns and study the scriptures that relate to them. Then, if unworthy thoughts enter your mind, sing a hymn to yourself, crowding out the evil with the good.

Brothers and sisters, let us use the hymns to invite the Spirit of the Lord into our congregations, our homes, and our personal lives. Let us memorize and ponder them, recite and sing them, and partake of their spiritual nourishment. Know that the song of the righteous is a prayer unto our Father in Heaven, “and it shall be answered with a blessing upon [your] heads.”

The First Presidency

Many of us sing these hymns without putting much thought into the content or the message of each piece of music. After making this observation, I took it upon myself to dig through the hymnbook in order to find any songs that deal with the principles of liberty. I was quite pleased with what I found! Below, I have listed several of the hymns that stood out to me. I hope that you will also be able to read these hymns and see how important our freedom is in Heavenly Father’s plan.

#240 – Know This, That Every Soul is Free

1. Know this, that ev’ry soul is free
To choose his life and what he’ll be;
For this eternal truth is giv’n:
That God will force no man to heav’n.

2. He’ll call, persuade, direct aright,
And bless with wisdom, love, and light,
In nameless ways be good and kind,
But never force the human mind.

3. Freedom and reason make us men;
Take these away, what are we then?
Mere animals, and just as well
The beasts may think of heav’n or hell.

4. May we no more our pow’rs abuse,
But ways of truth and goodness choose;
Our God is pleased when we improve
His grace and seek his perfect love.

What Stood Out to Me

I had to list this hymn first because it covers so many of the principles of liberty. The first verse tells us that every soul is free to choose his or her own course, and that it is an eternal truth that God will not force his children to choose return to Him. This is essential to Heavenly Father’s plan…it is what we fought for in the Council in Heaven.

The second verse clarifies. God will call, persuade, and direct…he will even bless us when we do right. But in no way will He ever “force the human mind”. So many people in the world today believe that God is a hateful, vengeful god who considers us mere playthings. But we who have been blessed with the restored Gospel know that our Heavenly Father loves us and gave us our agency so that we could take part in His Plan and return to Him.

The final two verses are a call to action. If our freedom and reason are what separates us from God’s other creations, then we must not abuse our power, but instead choose righteousness, grace and love as we persuade our brothers and sisters to choose righteousness as well. This principle applies to so many of today’s most complicated issues. It also ties in with the Lord’s commandment to refrain from using unrighteous dominion to influence others.

#244 – Come Along, Come Along

1. “Come along, come along” is the call that will win,
To lead us to virtue and keep us from sin;
Most men can be led, but few can be driv’n
In shunning perdition and striving for heav’n.

[Chorus]
“Come along, come along” is the call that will win
In leading to virtue and keeping from sin;
“Come along, come along” is the call that will win
In leading to virtue and keeping from sin.

2. “Come to me, come to me” sweetly falls on the ear,
The word of the Lord full of comfort and cheer,
To bind up the broken, the captive set free,
In the good time that’s coming, we hope soon to see.

3. Let us govern by kindness and never by force,
All cheering and bright, like the sun in its course;
Obedience will spring from each heart with a bound,
And brotherhood flourish the wide world around.

What Stood Out to Me

The statement “most men can be led, but few can be driv’n in shunning perdition and striving for heav’n” declares that we should always make it our goal to persuade our brothers and sisters to do what is right, not to drive them or use force against them when attempting to bring them to Christ. Instead of saying “do this” or “do that”, the Savior’s message was “come along” – in other words, “follow me”. As the hymn states, the Savior’s message can “bind up the broken” and set the captive free. The third verse eloquently reaffirms the message by stating, “Let us govern by kindness and never by force”, and the blessings that will follow such governance are obedience and brotherhood amongst the citizens of all nations. What a fantastic message of freedom!

#237 – Do What Is Right

1. Do what is right; the day-dawn is breaking,
Hailing a future of freedom and light.
Angels above us are silent notes taking
Of ev’ry action; then do what is right!

[Chorus]
Do what is right; let the consequence follow.
Battle for freedom in spirit and might;
And with stout hearts look ye forth till tomorrow.
God will protect you; then do what is right!

2. Do what is right; the shackles are falling.
Chains of the bondsmen no longer are bright;
Lightened by hope, soon they’ll cease to be galling.
Truth goeth onward; then do what is right!

3. Do what is right; be faithful and fearless.
Onward, press onward, the goal is in sight.
Eyes that are wet now, ere long will be tearless.
Blessings await you in doing what’s right!

What Stood Out to Me

This hymn pleads with us to do what is right, and it lays out some specific blessings that flow from righteous activity. Namely, we are promised:

1. A future of freedom and light.
2. God’s protection.
3. An end to bondage – “the shackles are falling”.
4. Increased joy – “eyes that are wet now, ere long will be tearless”.

Of course, we have the Book of Mormon as a record and a warning to heed the Lord’s commandment to do what is right. We have been promised that we will dwell on this blessed land as a free people only as long as we are a righteous people.

#84 – Faith of Our Fathers

1. Faith of our fathers, living still
In spite of dungeon, fire, and sword;
Oh, how our hearts beat high with joy
Whene’er we hear that glorious word.

[Chorus]
Faith of our fathers, holy faith,
We will be true to thee till death!

2. Faith of our fathers, we will strive
To win all nations unto thee,
And thru the truth that comes from God,
Mankind shall then be truly free.

3. Faith of our fathers, we will love
Both friend and foe in all our strife,
And preach thee, too, as love knows how,
By kindly words and virtuous life.

What Stood Out to Me

The second and third verses contain evidence of the principles of liberty. Verse two states that we will strive to “win all nations unto thee”. Likening this unto ourselves, we can see how the Lord would have us spread his Word. Perhaps there are some out there who are of the opinion that America must “spread Democracy to the world” or defend all those who are in bondage by overthrowing despotic governments. This hymn stands as a witness that our current strategy is counterproductive. It is only “thru the truth that comes from God” that men can become truly free. Verse three goes on to include the Lord’s commandment that we are to love both friend and foe in all of our strife and that we are to spread freedom by “kindly words and virtuous life” instead of by force. We are to love our brothers and sisters in foreign lands, forgive them when they do wrong, and share the gospel to them through missionary work – not with guns and bombs and crooked politics.

#80 – God of Our Fathers, Known of Old

1. God of our fathers, known of old,
Lord of our far-flung battle line,
Beneath whose awful hand we hold
Dominion over palm and pine:
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget, lest we forget.

2. The tumult and the shouting dies;
The captains and the kings depart.
Still stands thine ancient sacrifice,
An humble and a contrite heart.
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget, lest we forget.

3. Far-called, our navies melt away;
On dune and headland sinks the fire.
Lo, all our pomp of yesterday
Is one with Nineveh and Tyre!
Judge of the nations, spare us yet,
Lest we forget, lest we forget.

What Stood Out to Me

I was particularly impressed by the words of this hymn. The common refrain, “Lest we forget, lest we forget” calls us to remember our God and his great power in protecting us as we do battle with those who would seek to overthrow Heavenly Father’s plan and our agency. Nations have risen and fallen – “the captains and the kings depart” – but still stands the Atonement. Even our navies and all of the pomp and power that our country exhibits will someday go the way of Nineveh and Tyre. Verse three pleads for our nation’s salvation – “Judge of the nations, spare us yet”. We should all remember that we will be held accountable for our actions in relation to government. To me, this hymn pleads with us to remember that we should be more concerned with our real mission – to peacefully spread the Savior’s message to all the world – and that we should be less concerned with our man-made mission of spreading American ideals and forms of government through the use of force.

#264 – Hark, All Ye Nations!

1. Hark, all ye nations!
Hear heaven’s voice
Thru ev’ry land that all may rejoice!
Angels of glory shout the refrain:
Truth is restored again!

[Chorus]
Oh, how glorious from the throne above
Shines the gospel light of truth and love!
Bright as the sun, this heavenly ray
Lights ev’ry land today.

2. Searching in darkness, nations have wept;
Watching for dawn, their vigil they’ve kept.
All now rejoice; the long night is o’er.
Truth is on earth once more!

3. Chosen by God to serve him below,
To ev’ry land and people we’ll go,
Standing for truth with fervent accord,
Teaching his holy word.

What Stood Out to Me

Verse three is another great example of how we should be spreading our ideals. The hymn states, “to ev’ry land and people we’ll go, standing for truth with fervent accord, teaching his holy word.” Nowhere in the hymns or any other scriptures are God’s children commanded to spread the Lord’s gospel with armies, bombs, swords, or any other use of force. I consider this an indictment of our current solutions. Yes, the people in far off lands are waiting for us to bring the truth to them, but we should do so with love and with the light of the restored Gospel.

#114 – Come Unto Him

1. I wander through the still of night,
When solitude is ev’rywhere—
Alone, beneath the starry light,
And yet I know that God is there.
I kneel upon the grass and pray;
An answer comes without a voice.
It takes my burden all away
And makes my aching heart rejoice.

2. When I am filled with strong desire
And ask a boon of him, I see
No miracle of living fire,
But what I ask flows into me.
And when the tempest rages high
I feel no arm around me thrust,
But ev’ry storm goes rolling by
When I repose in him my trust.

3. It matters not what may befall,
What threat’ning hand hangs over me;
He is my rampart through it all,
My refuge from mine enemy.
Come unto him all ye depressed,
Ye erring souls whose eyes are dim,
Ye weary ones who long for rest.
Come unto him! Come unto him!

What Stood Out to Me

This hymn reminds me of the inscription upon our own Statue of Liberty:

Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!

Christ’s call to those in need is “come unto me”. He welcomes all those who are depressed, whose eyes are dim, who long for rest. He asks us to share our burdens with him so that he can make them light. And at one point in our nation’s history, we did the same for all those who sought refuge from the oppression in their own lands. But today we are faced with protectionism, nationalism, and xenophobia that lead to rage and anger against anyone who crosses our country’s borders. What would the Lord do? He would say “come unto me”. We should follow His example.

#74 – Praise Ye The Lord

1. Praise ye the Lord! My heart shall join
In work so pleasant, so divine,
Now, while the flesh is my abode,
And when my soul ascends to God.

2. Praise shall employ my noblest pow’rs
While immortality endures;
My days of praise shall ne’er be past
While life and thought and being last.

3. Why should I make a man my trust?
Princes must die and turn to dust.
Their breath departs; their pomp and pow’r
And thoughts all vanish in an hour.

4. Happy the man whose hopes rely
On Israel’s God! He made the sky
And earth and seas with all their train,
And none shall find his promise vain.

5. His truth forever stands secure.
He saves th’oppressed; he feeds the poor;
He sends the troubled conscience peace
And grants the captive sweet release.

6. The Lord gives eyesight to the blind;
The Lord supports the sinking mind.
He helps the stranger in distress,
The widow, and the fatherless.

7. He loves the Saints—he knows them well—
But turns the wicked down to hell.
Thy God, O Zion, ever reigns;
Praise him in everlasting strains.

What Stood Out to Me

This hymn stands out for its oft-repeated message to trust in the Lord and not in man. The third verse asks us, “Why should I make a man my trust?”, for princes die and their pomp and power goes with them. The fourth verse states that, “Happy the man whose hopes rely on Israel’s God!” This is the example we should follow. It is the Lord who saves the oppressed, feeds the poor, gives peace to those who are troubled and frees those who are captive. No prince – no government – can do these things. We need to be charitable and help the needy without using our government to force people to be charitable.

#260 – Who’s On the Lord’s Side?

1. Who’s on the Lord’s side? Who?
Now is the time to show.
We ask it fearlessly:
Who’s on the Lord’s side? Who?
We wage no common war,
Cope with no common foe.
The enemy’s awake;
Who’s on the Lord’s side? Who?

[Chorus]
Who’s on the Lord’s side? Who?
Now is the time to show.
We ask it fearlessly:
Who’s on the Lord’s side? Who?

2. We serve the living God,
And want his foes to know
That, if but few, we’re great;
Who’s on the Lord’s side? Who?
We’re going on to win;
No fear must blanch the brow.
The Lord of Hosts is ours;
Who’s on the Lord’s side? Who?

3. The stone cut without hands
To fill the earth must grow.
Who’ll help to roll it on?
Who’s on the Lord’s side? Who?
Our ensign to the world
Is floating proudly now.
No coward bears our flag;
Who’s on the Lord’s side? Who?

4. The pow’rs of earth and hell
In rage direct the blow
That’s aimed to crush the work;
Who’s on the Lord’s side? Who?
Truth, life, and liberty,
Freedom from death and woe,
Are stakes we’re fighting for;
Who’s on the Lord’s side? Who?

What Stood Out to Me

I’ll wrap up with a question posed by this hymn – who is on the Lord’s side? In these latter days we must make our decision. Now, as the hymn states, is the time to show.

We wage an uncommon war with an uncommon foe, a war that has been waged since our preexistence. There may be few of us, but we are fearless and we serve the living God who will defend us as we act righteously.

The powers of earth and hell conspire against us and our work, but we who stand for truth, life and liberty will emerge victorious. This much has been promised to us.

Conclusion

These hymns speak volumes regarding our role here in this life. Prophets throughout the ages have given us their witnesses regarding the principles of liberty, and every Sunday we gather together in our congregations and sing hymns that echo the prophets’ messages. I testify to you that all men are free, and that now is the time to stand fearlessly for our agency.

This list is certainly not complete, so feel free to add your own favorite hymns in the comments section below.

BONDAGE <—-> INDEPENDENCE <—-> SERVICE

Latter-day Saints young and old alike are often reminded of the Lord’s commandment to serve their fellow brothers and sisters as they read the words of King Benjamin:

“And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.”

In addition, priesthood holders have been counseled countless times to magnify our callings and render service to all those in need. As we apply these scriptures to our own lives, in our own day, we can be grateful that we live in a country where we are free to serve our fellow beings according to our own willingness and desires.

We are free to decide when, where, and whom to serve. But this has not been the case for many of our ancestors or even our neighbors in other nations today, and we need to ensure that our freedom to serve is never taken away by an unrighteous and controlling government in our own country.

An examination of the spectrum shown above can help us to understand the importance of freedom in relation to our ability to give service to others.

On one side of the spectrum is bondage, or slavery. Those in bondage are servants, yes, but not of their own free will. This is Satan’s plan – to force God’s children to act according to their master’s wishes – and government force is often employed in this plan. Central planners become tyrants as they dictate employment, salary, property, and life. As agency is destroyed, so is accountability, and Heavenly Father’s plan along with it. At the root of bondage is dependence, for a slave has no means whereby he or she can sustain life independently. Ezra Taft Benson spoke out against this dependence in a 1958 General Conference address:

“It is high time we awakened to the dangers of excessive government in business and in agriculture. It is time we realized the perils of too great a centralization of power, and too much dependence on public agencies.”

Our forefathers fought against this dependence – this bondage – and won their freedom through the shedding of blood. Their fight against tyranny was a righteous fight and was key in the Lord’s plan to set up his church on the American continent. The Lord knew that only in a land of independence could his children be free to do His will. But even in a state of independence, the Lord’s commandments could still be ignored. He warned all those who have lived and will ever live on the American continent that their freedom would be taken away if they failed to serve their fellow men:

“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, who hath been manifested by the things which we have written.”

Those in a state of independence are not forced to serve, and unfortunately many make the choice not to serve. They fail to use their talents and their freedom to benefit others. Perhaps this is also a generalization, but I find that many self-avowed “capitalists” and “objectivists” may fall into this category – this is selfish independence, where “me” and “I” are the only people who are cared for. Perhaps there is a short-lived time and place for this state of being, but it is certainly not the Lord’s way, and we have been cautioned not to fall into this trap where we fail to take advantage of our freedom.

The Lord has commanded us not to bury our talents but to multiply them. We cannot multiply our talents by ourselves, so we must mix them with the resources that God has given us and with the talents of our fellow brothers and sisters in order to create an increase. Thus, the necessity of service.

Those in a state of service have made the choice to give of themselves to benefit others. They have acknowledged the talents that Heavenly Father has given them and they have put their talents to work in order to gain a return, either in this life or in the life to come. They glorify God by serving His children. President David O. McKay spoke in defense of Christ-like service in a 1960 address to students at Brigham Young University:

“The most worthy calling in life, therefore, is that in which man can serve best his fellow man. It is not preaching; it is not teaching; it is not medicine; it is not engineering, nor any other vocation common among men. Each of these, though offering opportunities for service, may be followed by men actuated by the most selfish, the most sordid motives. The noblest aim in life is to strive to live to make other lives better and happier.”

Perhaps we should all examine the state in which we currently rest, and ask ourselves how we can do better. Those of us in this country have been blessed with freedom from masters and tyrants – and we should take full advantage of that independence to act upon King Benjamin’s exhortations. We should support free markets, which allow Christ-like service to cross borders without government interference. We should befriend the constitutional law of the land which protects our right to make these good decisions, because if we fail to serve according to our own free will then we will be forced to serve by tyrants. It is my hope that we can defend the cause of Christians, as spoken of in Alma 48:

“And thus he was preparing to support their liberty, their lands, their wives, and their children, and their peace, and that they might live unto the Lord their God, and that they might maintain that which was called by their enemies the cause of Christians.”

Defend your independence, and defend your ability to serve God and your fellow man.

There’s been a flurry of new web activity this year as representatives at the state and federal levels have rolled out attractive, fancy websites that allow you (yes, YOU) to submit and vote on changes that you’d like to see made to government.

Isn’t that sweet.

(note: sarcasm)

Let’s see…the first one I bumped into was www.AmericaSpeakingOut.com. The disclaimer on this site is pretty spectacular:

This site was developed as part of an official effort to increase the dialogue between Americans and their Congress. Here, Americans are provided a new platform to share their priorities and ideas for a national policy agenda. As House Republicans, we are committed to our principles of limited, more accountable government; economic freedom; lower taxes; fiscal responsibility; protecting life, American values, and the Constitution; and providing for strong national security. This is an open forum, however, where all Americans are welcome to respectfully offer their opinions, regardless of party affiliation and whether we endorse them or not. It is our hope the active engagement of the American people will produce a robust debate that will aid in the construction of a new American agenda. This website is paid for with official funds of the Office of the House Minority Leader – no political or campaign funds have been used for any portion of the America Speaking Out project.

Where…to…start…

1. An “effort to increase the dialogue”…okay. Sounds good, although I feel like it might be too little too late. But let’s give them the benefit of the doubt.
2. Apparently, House Republicans support the principles of limited government and the Constitution, among other things. That sort of surprises me, because that’s not the Republican party that I’m familiar with. Whatever happened to the Patriot Act, or unjustified wars overseas, or all those other Bush-era policies that had no basis whatsoever in principles of limited government or the Constitution?
3. What sort of “new American agenda” are House Republicans looking for? That sounds devious to me. What happened to our “old American agenda”, a.k.a. preserving the right of the individual to enjoy and defend life, liberty and property?
4. And lasty, the brilliant disclaimer that no political or campaign funds have been used for any portion of the project. Well, okay, so…where did the money come from? Isn’t the Office of the House Minority Leader funded with public monies? Maybe I’m wrong. It’s just suspect.

So yeah, visit this website and earn some badges. Yup, badges.

Badges? We don’t need no stinking badges!

The second website that I ran into this year was set up by several Democratic state representatives here in Pennsylvania. Jesse White, Matt Smith, Josh Shapiro, Steve Santarsiero and Eugene DePasquale ponied up to create www.YourPABudget.com, which is another means for people to submit and vote on ideas related to the oft-past-deadline Pennsylvania government budget. So far there have been 1,349 ideas submitted. Unfortunately, there are only buttons for “Agree” and “Disagree” and there is no way to see how many people have agreed or disagreed with each idea. Perhaps that’s so we can’t see which ones were really popular, and these devious representatives can say that they got their budget ideas “from the people” or something like that.

Smells like those nefarious representatives are up to no good…

Please don’t submit budget ideas while driving.

Anyway, I bumped into a THIRD website today. Apparently America Speaking Out didn’t work so well, so Republican Eric Cantor has introduced You Cut, which is described as follows:

YouCut – a first-of-its-kind project – is designed to defeat the permissive culture of runaway spending in Congress. It allows you to vote, both online and on your cell phone, on spending cuts that you want to see the House enact. Vote on this page today for your priorities and together we can begin to change Washington’s culture of spending into a culture of savings.

Hrmmmm…let’s see here. If it’s the third website I’ve found this year, then it can’t possibly be the first of its kind. And it offers literally nothing new.

Oh…wait a second. I think I figured it out. Eric Cantor is running for reelection…and he has an opponent…

Three websites. Three flimsy and transparent attempts by representatives from both parties to make it appear as though they give one damn about what you and I think. But what the heck, I submitted my ideas anyway. Maybe somebody…anybody…will listen?

Bueller?

Bueller?

Bueller?

We Latter-day Saints know a little bit about consequences. We teach (or at least we should teach) our children from a very young age that we have been given agency by our Creator and that our actions will produce good or bad “fruits”, or in less metaphorical terms, good and bad consequences. We teach our children that sometimes our actions produce consequences that we do not expect. We offer warnings during this learning process – “don’t do x because y will surely follow” – and we hope that our children will be able to grasp the concept without suffering too much.

Yet for all the years of lessons and experiences that should cement the law of unintended consequences into our minds, we often ignore the warnings that we have been given by those who came before us. Specifically, I would like to describe our ignorance concerning the warnings related to unintended consequences that will destroy our agency and liberty.

Latter-day Saints have been commanded by the Lord and His prophets to earnestly study the Book of Mormon. We have been promised that by examining the history of the Nephites and Jaredites we will be able to identify the actions in our own lives that will help us to avoid the unintended consequences that led to the destruction of both civilizations. According to Gordon B. Hinckley:

The Book of Mormon narrative is a chronicle of nations long since gone. But in its descriptions of the problems of today’s society, it is as current as the morning newspaper and much more definitive, inspired, and inspiring concerning the solutions of those problems.

I know of no other writing which sets forth with such clarity the tragic consequences to societies that follow courses contrary to the commandments of God. Its pages trace the stories of two distinct civilizations that flourished on the Western Hemisphere. Each began as a small nation, its people walking in the fear of the Lord. But with prosperity came growing evils. The people succumbed to the wiles of ambitious and scheming leaders who oppressed them with burdensome taxes, who lulled them with hollow promises, who countenanced and even encouraged loose and lascivious living. These evil schemers led the people into terrible wars that resulted in the death of millions and the final and total extinction of two great civilizations in two different eras.

Several truths are made clear in this statement. We see that the Book of Mormon clearly describes the consequences of unrighteousness. We also see that much of that unrighteousness was intricately connected to government. It was the “ambitious and scheming leaders” who encouraged the people to disregard their God-given rights, to lead glamorous and sinful lifestyles, to fight and kill, and to be unknowing victims of theft in the form of burdensome taxation. I am sure that these are just a glimpse of the corruption that plagued the Nephites and Jaredites and ultimately led to their bitter endings. One must wonder – how many of these consequences were unintended? Surely the majority of the people did not intend to drive their society off the proverbial cliff. Instead, I expect that the Nephite and Jaredite people had the best intentions in the world but that they were in many cases blinded by their crafty and deceitful governors.

Jacob 4:14 lays out an interesting case study regarding the Jews who had fallen away in the Old World:

“But behold, the Jews were a stiffnecked people; and they despised the words of plainness, and killed the prophets, and sought for things that they could not understand. Wherefore, because of their blindness, which blindness came by looking beyond the mark, they must needs fall; for God hath taken away his plainness from them, and delivered unto them many things which they cannot understand, because they desired it. And because they desired it God hath done it, that they may stumble.”

In this prophetic statement, Jacob explains that the Jews were blinded when they looked “beyond the mark”. In other words, they looked beyond the commandments of God and instead sought after worldly things. And because the people used their agency and chose to search after worldly things the Lord allowed them to stumble. The truth became hard for them to understand because of their stiffneckedness, and their well-meaning search for truth outside of the gospel brought about many unintended consequences.

Undoubtedly this is similar to what occurred in the Nephite and Jaredite civilizations. The craftiness of those in power, in combination with the ignorance and apathy of the people, led to the spiritual blindness that caused individual and societal destruction.

We face the same problem today. We have been warned to awaken to a sense of our awful situation and to befriend constitutional principles. Promises have been made that if we will do these things and heed the Lord’s commandments we will be able to protect ourselves and the consequences of our principled actions will be to our benefit. Those who walk in blindness are sure to suffer from the unintended consequences of sin and ignorance. It is abundantly clear that many in our own society, Latter-day Saints and non-members alike, are unable to see the danger that exists because of our own ambitious and scheming leaders. The vast majority of laws passed by state and federal legislatures deviate wildly from constitutional principles and, for that reason, they often lead to unintended consequences that can “only” be fixed through more government involvement. A few examples:

In every case the “solution” is more government involvement. And, of course, this only leads to more unintended consequences.

If we would simply follow the Lord’s counsel and befriend laws that are constitutional – laws that are based on correct principles – we could avoid so many of the unintended consequences that are symptoms of the nanny state. Laws are heaped upon laws in an effort to ensure that no new complications are created – a well meaning effort by some, no doubt – but this simply increases the costs and levels of bureaucracy and eventually the whole system must collapse.

The solution is clear. We must defend the Constitution and the principles espoused therein, and in doing so we will be able to eliminate the unintended and destructive consequences that have led to the fall of many great nations. Only by honoring and heeding the Lord’s commandments can we guarantee peace, prosperity, and liberty in this land.

For too long, Pennsylvanians have been lied to. During every election cycle we have been conned into believing that our representatives in government have our best interests in mind. All of their idealistic plans have failed. And while the general public has been forced to open their wallets to pay for the government’s failures, our representatives have been safely shielded from any ill effects. Their pay increases have continued. Their corrupt dealings with lobbyists and corporatists have continued.

Pennsylvanians are angry. Pennsylvanians deserve better.

The Pennsylvania First plan can be summed up in the following ways:

• It contains ideas that all Pennsylvanians can agree on.

• It reaffirms Pennsylvania’s sovereignty according to the 9th and 10th amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

• It enacts a gradual shift of responsibility and accountability from the federal government to the state government so that the public can keep a closer eye on their representatives and eliminate wasteful spending.

• It allows current welfare programs to maintain their funding so that nobody is left without the government support they have come to rely on.

• It will allow Pennsylvanians to become freer and more prosperous.

In the coming weeks I will be distributing this plan to politicians, media outlets and the public. I will be looking for feedback and for ways to improve this plan so that Pennsylvanians can work together to move forward. If you have any feedback that you would like to provide, my contact information is on the last page. I look forward to hearing from you and, if you live in the 93rd legislative district, I look forward to working with you on many other liberty-oriented endeavors.

DOWNLOAD THE FULL PLAN

This campaign was about freedom. Choice. The state and federal Constitutions. Standing up for a set of principles that have been under attack for many generations.

And so to say that this campaign was a failure because I lost the election would be a mistake. The message of freedom was spread to the farthest corners of the district. Over 1,000 people voted in favor of Constitutional government, life, liberty and property. In these ways, the campaign was a victory. We can be proud of the results.

I am extremely grateful for all of the support that I received. Many dollars, many hours, and many prayers were spent on my campaign by tired and weary patriots (in every sense of the word) who braved the icy winds, the blowing snow, and the icy rain for several months to protect the rights of their fellow citizens. Evan, you said it best – “We Icy Sentinels of Liberty” stood strong and did not back down when the establishment tried to cast us aside. It was, and still is, an honor to be counted amongst those true patriots who will not see yesterday’s results as the end of the road.

Onward we go, because the fight will not be over until we have secured again the blessings of liberty that our forefathers shed their blood and sweat to preserve!

In Liberty,