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
5/22/15
Because the fight for freedom is God's fight. For free agency is an
eternal principle. It existed before this world was formed; it will
exist forever. Some men may succeed in denying some aspects of this
God-given freedom to their fellowmen, but their success is
temporary. Freedom is a law of God, an eternal law. And, like any of
God's laws, men cannot break it with impunity. They can only break
themselves upon it. So when a man stands for freedom, he stands with
God. And as long as he stands for freedom, he stands with God.
Therefore, any man will be eternally vindicated and rewarded who
stands for freedom. - Ezra Taft Benson, Conference Report,
April 1967, Second Day-Morning Meeting, p. 59
8/23/15
Be
loyal to yourself, your family, your God and church, your country,
friends, and employers. This will assure you true freedom and
independence and result in peace, great achievement, happiness, and
eventually eternal life. It has been said by W. H. Murray that until
one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back,
always ineffectiveness. The moment one definitely commits himself,
then Providence moves too. I know this is true. - Franklin
D. Richards, "Conference Report," April 1969, First Day—Morning
Meeting, p. 21