The idea of liberty and freedom are eternal in nature and to discuss them in the limited terms of our mortality does not do them justice. Those who cannot accept that liberty and freedom are part of God’s plan will continue to demand total freedom, the agency of man, and it will do no good to explain such eternal concepts. The purpose of life is to progress daily in such a way as to become nearest to that perfection which is possible, to follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ, to use His examples and His teachings as a means of checking that progress.
We make decisions to abide by those eternal principles and laws; that is liberty. The rewards or blessings come from obedience to eternal principles and laws which have existed before the world was formed and come in the form of individual progression. Those who act in opposition to the same eternal principles and laws, either through ignorance, omission, neglect or in defiance with full knowledge of their actions impede their progress; hence they are “damned”. In effect we are free to either progress toward the optimal goal of becoming a true child of God, one who follows the admonitions of a loving Father in Heaven, or we are free to be slothful, self serving and, at times, reckless.
The concept of being forced to achieve blessings is foreign to God’s law and was introduced by Satan in his attempt to alter and destroy God’s law. When we are less than obedient to natural laws, laws which are eternal, in effect, we settle for something other than the blessings associated with those same natural laws; call it a curse if you will.
Satan attempted to implement his own plan, one which was contrary to the mind and will of God, one which would have given him power to force total compliance with God’s laws with the exception of the most important law, man’s agency to choose for himself; for this reason Satan was cast out and remains an enemy to God and all who would do their best to follow God’s law. Jesus Christ, the Savior of mankind represents the ideal pattern, total obedience to His Father’s laws and we have been instructed to follow His example in order to obtain all that God has. The choice is ours, as individuals, to obtain each blessing that has been provided or to reject them.
Now, apply those same eternal principles and laws in mortality; we are most fortunate to live in the United States of America, a country founded on eternal principles and laws that God inspired the Founders to include in our Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. There has been a steady degeneration from living up to the highest goals, which we as individuals and as a country are capable of, in favor of the path which our elected government has taken, a less than desirable path which enslaves each citizen to servitude through social programs which deny individual choice. Those placed at the head to insure our God given Liberties remain in force are a reflection of our overall society; the degeneration which I mentioned has been brought about by selfishness and greed rather than from a poorly designed framework; the framework remains the most perfect form of government on the earth. It is the responsibility of each individual to properly impose self restraint rather than expect government to override and impose such. Our Founding Fathers recognized the necessity of having an educated citizenry who were capable of self restraint for this “great experiment” in government to remain workable. If we do not acknowledge the need for self restraint in all aspects of our lives and at the same time acknowledge the Author or our Liberties we are doomed to failure both in mortality and in the eternities.
"There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated—
And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated." Doctrine and Covenants 130:20,21
I’ve supplied a link with Dana’s article, “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Debt”, which she posted on Principled Discovery. Dana is also sponsoring the Carnival of Principled Government and I have entered this article in honor of Liberty Day.
http://gottsegnet.blogspot.com/2007/02/give-me-liberty-or-give-me-debt.html
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