The LDS Daily WOOL Home Page
7/7/97
For centuries our forefathers suffered and sacrificed that we
might be the recipients of the blessings of freedom. If they were
willing to sacrifice so much to establish us as a free people,
should we not be willing to do the same to maintain that freedom
for ourselves and for future generations? — Ezra Taft Benson
(October 1987)
7/8/97
To the Membership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints, the Constitution of the United States is as a tree of
liberty under whose cooling branches one might find a haven from
the scorching sun of turmoil and oppression and have his rights
protected according to just and holy principles. To them, the
Constitution was established by the hands of wise men whom God
raised up for this very purpose, and they devoutly believe that if
it should be in danger of being overthrown, their lives, if need
be, are to be offered in defense of its principles. — Harold
B. Lee (Ye Are the Light of the World 1974)
7/9/97
Our freedom to choose our course of conduct does not provide
personal freedom from the consequences of our performances. — Marvin
J. Ashton, General Conference, October 1990
7/10/97
Satan is an enemy to man and seeks to destroy his freedom and his
obedience to the Lord and to keep man from developing his divine
nature and godliness. Satan is the author of evil, sin, and
wickedness, and we should not by our thoughts or acts love or
serve him. — Bernard P. Brockbank, General Conference, April
1971
7/11/97
Are we not now seeing in our society today the lack of a
responsiveness to teach these basic values? Are we not seeing a
growing harvest of public and private crime, irresponsibility,
vandalism, shoddy work, immorality and the lack of personal
discipline? Because of our unwillingness to get involved in the
preservation of these values, small, radical, Godless groups are
literally stealing from us our rights to enjoy the freedom to
choose our own value system. — L. Tom Perry, General
Conference, April 1976
7/12/97
I have faith that the Constitution will be saved as prophesied by
Joseph Smith. But it will not be saved in Washington. It will be
saved by the citizens of this nation who love and cherish freedom.
It will be saved by enlightened members of this Church-men and
women who will subscribe to and abide by the principles of the
Constitution. — Ezra Taft Benson, BYU Speeches, 16 September
1986
7/1/98
All of us should ever keep in mind that there are some eternal
principles more precious than peace, dearer than life
itself. Our revolutionary fathers sensed this, and their
innermost feelings were expressed in the words of Patrick Henry:
'Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price
of chains and slavery?' Free agency, for example, is a
divine gift, more precious than peace, more to be desired even
than life. Any nation, any organized group of individuals
that would deprive man of this heritage should be denounced by all
liberty-loving persons. — David O. McKay, General Conference,
October 1951
7/2/98
The only way we can keep our freedom is to work at it. Not
some of us. All of us. Not some of the time, but all of the
time. So if you value your citizenship and want to keep it
for yourself and your children and their children, give it your
faith, your belief, and give it your active support in civic
affairs. — Spencer W. Kimball, The Teachings of Spencer W.
Kimball, p. 405
7/3/98
May I cite two oft-quoted scriptures, and put some added emphasis
on them: 'Verily, I say men should be anxiously engaged in a good
cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to
pass much righteousness (D&C 58:27, emphasis added).'
Another: 'Wherefore, honest men and wise men should be sought for
diligently, and good men and wise men ye should observe to
uphold....' (D&C 98:10) I infer from this that we have
an obligation to be active in public issues, in civic problems,
and to provide honest and good men and wise men to serve and give
leadership on public affairs. We shouldn't be sideline
sitters. — Richard L. Evans, Conference Report, October 1968,
p. 44
7/4/98
Human liberty is the mainspring of human progress. The one
great revolution in the world is the revolution for human
liberty. This was the paramount issue in the great council
in heaven before this earth life. It has been the issue
throughout the ages. It is the issue today.... — Ezra
Taft Benson, Conference Report, October 1962, p. 14
7/5/98
We have no right to expect a higher degree of morality from those
who represent us than what we ourselves are. In the final
analysis, people generally get the kind of government they
deserve. — Ezra Taft Benson, The Constitution: A Heavenly
Banner, p. 28
7/3/04
Samuel Adams, who is sometimes called the father of the American
Revolution, wrote: 'I thank God that I have lived to see my
country independent and free. She may long enjoy her independence
and freedom if she will. It depends upon her virtue.' (Wells, The
Life of Samuel Adams, 3:175.) — M. Russell Ballard, "Religion
in
a Free Society," Ensign, October 1992, p. 68
8/11/04
I think it is time we should all awaken. Our concern isn't about
the flames of freedom which burn so brightly in our generation;
the concern is that in the upcoming generation the fire has never
been kindled. Our youth have never known anything but criticism of
the United States of America. We need some faithful, free-loving
patriots who will issue forth a clear, loud trumpet call. Remember
Paul's counsel: 'For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who
shall prepare... to the battle?' (1
Cor. 14:8.) Freedom ought to ring in the heart of every
Latter-day Saint regardless of his country. — Vaughn J.
Featherstone, "But
Watchman,
What of the Night?" Ensign, November 1975, p. 8
8/12/04
Latter-day Saints, of all people, should stand firm in defense of
freedom. Free agency has a special meaning to us. We know that
without free agency there would be no progress. We all know that
the gospel itself is based upon the principle of free agency. Yet
there are some among us who have allowed themselves to slip to one
side or the other, and they need to reorient themselves in line
with the divine revelations we have received concerning the
principle of freedom. — Mark E. Petersen, "Conference
Report," April 1946, Afternoon Meeting, p. 168
7/4/05
That means it depends on us. If we would maintain the independence
and freedom the Founding Fathers intended, we must work to
preserve and protect the moral foundation upon which they built
the U. S. government. We must stand boldly for righteousness and
truth, and must defend the cause of honor, decency, and personal
freedom espoused by Washington, Madison, Adams, Lincoln, and other
leaders who acknowledged and loved God. Otherwise, we will find
ourselves in the same predicament President Lincoln observed in
1863.
Said Lincoln:'We have grown in numbers, wealth and power as no
other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have
forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and
multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly
imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these
blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of
their own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too
self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving
grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us!' (A Proclamation
'to designate and set apart a day for national prayer and
humiliation.') — M. Russell Ballard, "Religion
in
a Free Society," Ensign, Oct. 1992, 68–69
7/3/08
The history of the people of ancient America, recorded in the Book
of Mormon, teaches that civilizations are built on moral
foundations; that when people are morally strong, they do well;
that when they are morally weak, they suffer. It teaches us that
freedom cannot outlive morality and that freedom is not free—it
must be earned. — Royden G. Derrick, "Moral Values and
Rewards," Ensign (CR), May 1981, p.66
11/24/08
The only way to avoid being deceived is to get the facts. There
are people who would try to hide the facts from us and replace the
truth with a falsehood. They want us to believe that America is a
failure, that her system of capitalistic free enterprise is
doomed, that she must remedy her failures by adopting theories of
collectivized control. I recognize these voices. I heard them in
forty-three nations which I visited in the past. I heard them
often during my eight years in Washington. None of them came to me
in the name of communism or even socialism, but they came. And
while many of us fought them and resisted them on every front,
nevertheless, it was alarming to discover how many others were
willing to believe and follow. Why do otherwise loyal Americans
believe and follow? Because these voices came from masters of
deception. — Ezra Taft Benson, "The Teachings of Ezra Taft
Benson," p.405
3/12/09
A person whose life is characterized by ingratitude is, by
definition, very self-centered, and when he thinks only of himself
his latitude of choice is extremely limited. For him, life's
constant injustices demand revenge, and the list of personal
injustices is lengthened by injustices to others until the option
of forgiveness drops off the radar scope. The ability to forgive
others is truly one of our most precious personal freedoms, and
when we lose that our agency is seriously curtailed. Certain
nations in the world have very restrictive diplomatic policies
dictated by the insatiable demand for revenge and quick
retaliation in kind. They are in bondage to their own policies. —
Spencer J. Condie, "Your Agency, Handle with Care," p.33
6/24/09
If there is an emperor, asking, a president, a ruler of any nation
or people, whether a monarchy, kingdom or republic—that takes away
from any of his subjects or fellow-citizens the right to worship
God according to the dictates of their own consciences, he
deprives them of a right which the God of heaven has guaranteed
unto them. These are the sentiments of the Latter-day Saints. We
believe in giving to all men freedom, freedom in spirit and
action; we believe in religionists of every creed and faith
enjoying the liberty to worship God according to the dictates of
their own consciences, which right is guaranteed unto them by God
himself; and the man or set of men that would deprive their
fellows of this God-given right, assume a responsibility that they
must answer for before the bar of God. If I had the power and
control of the whole world I would never think of depriving any
man, woman or child of this natural, this inherent right, whether
their religious views were true or false. — "The Discourses
of Wilford Woodruff," edited by G. Homer Durham, p. 189
4/22/10
Today we find ourselves engaged in a worldwide struggle to
preserve liberty and tolerance, the foundations of peace in the
earth. Let it be remembered that these were the very principles
for which our progenitors have made the tragic sacrifices....
Every shrine of the Church is a monument to freedom and truth.
There have been no more sincere and valiant defenders of true
democracy than the Latter-day Saints. No higher concepts of the
liberty of man, the Sonship of God, and the brotherhood of race
have been given to the world than those which have emanated from
the Prophet of the last dispensation. — Stephen L Richards,
"Conference Report," October 1942, First Day—Morning Meeting, p.
23
5/17/10
Of course, the war in heaven over free agency is now being waged
here on earth, and there are those today who are saying 'Look,
don't get involved in the fight for freedom. Just live the
gospel.' That counsel is dangerous, self-contradictory, unsound. —
Ezra Taft Benson, "Conference Report," October 1966, Afternoon
Meeting, p. 122
8/1/11
Just as following wrong alternatives restricts free agency and
leads to slavery, so pursuing correct alternatives widens the
scope of one’s agency and leads to perfect liberty. As a matter of
fact, one may, by this process, obtain freedom of the soul while
at the same time being denied political, economic, and personal
liberty. — Marion G. Romney, "The
Perfect Law of Liberty," Ensign (CR) October 1981