Ask any group of teenagers, or senior citizens, any group of construction workers, any board of directors: Is there anything you want that you do not have? Will not the answer be a resounding “yes”? For most people have unfulfilled desires. Most people think that if their desires were fulfilled, they would be happy. They tend to see whatever it is that keeps them from having what they want as an evil. The teenagers often resent the restrictions placed upon them by their elders. Senior citizens wish for good health. Construction workers want higher wages. Boards of directors want less competition. Everyone seems to want the freedom they think would fulfill their desires. What is this thing, freedom?
It is helpful to understand that there are two things which come under the head of freedom which are often confused with one another. These are license, the permission to do something we wish to do, and ability, the power to accomplish what we have permission to do. Many senior citizens have permission (license) from society to enjoy much leisure time, but ill-health often denies them the ability to do so. Young people often have the ability to do things they desire, but cannot get permission to do them. Both groups desire to be freer than they are.
Let us call the one “personal freedom.” Personal freedom is the ability to do what we wish to do. It is something within us, personal to us. It is not something that others give to us, though they may help. It is a matter of the strength, and discipline of our mind, body and spirit. It is being able to run, to think, to feel, and to enjoy as we wish.
The other kind of freedom might be called “social freedom.” Social freedom is what other people allow us to do. Society is arranged so that we can freely go some places, but most of us are stopped by people from going into bank vaults or hospital operating rooms. We may say many things but may suffer if we slander someone. We may associate with some people at will, but some social groups exclude us. Some of us are allowed to vote, others are not.
It turns out, not surprisingly, that these two kinds of freedom, personal and social, are closely related. But the way in which they are related is surprising to many. It also turns out that both are essential to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
The first thing we might ask about the relationship of the two is which one comes first. Does social freedom make personal freedom possible, or is it personal freedom that makes social freedom possible? Much can be told about a person’s politics and religion by what his answer is to this which-came-first-the-chicken-or-the-egg problem. But the world should not be in the least doubt as to what the Savior of Mankind thinks about this problem. His mortal ministry is a clear emphasis that one is more important than and needs to precede the other.
The Savior was born into a society where there was relatively little social freedom, though it was not entirely lacking. Rome ruled the Mediterranean world with an iron fist. Merchants had great freedom of commerce, but slavery was the base of the social order. Taxation was heavy, local corruption was everywhere, provincial authorities could do much evil at whim. The murder of the children of Bethlehem in Herod’s attempt to destroy Jesus epitomizes the climate. Yet the Savior and His disciples were able to travel, to preach, and to bring souls to Christ.
The Savior’s answer to the problem of freedom was clearly this: be concerned about personal freedom, not politics. He required drastic changes in the lives of his followers, even the giving up of their lives. But he said nothing about government redistribution of income, about throwing off foreign oppression, about forcing the Jews to accept the Samaritans. His relative silence about social injustice has made it difficult to use His teachings as a tool of oppression. We cannot therefore conclude that the Savior did not care about the slaves and the poor. We do see that the best way to begin to help the total problem is to enlarge personal freedom: to make better individuals first.
It is obvious to all that a person who has great health and strength is more free than one who is sickly and weak. To be free to run, to swim, to jump, to climb, to play, to work, these are treasured freedoms. Often these are valued more when they have gone than when one possesses them. But they are prized.
It is also plain to see that physical health and strength are not accidents. There are laws of heredity and hygiene which relate to abundant health. Consciously pursued by intelligent means, health can be preserved and enlarged by most persons, and vigor of mind and body are enjoyed by the diligent far past the norms for their ages. Personal freedom is enhanced by a person who is willing to use the laws of physical health to his advantage. That use involves sacrifice of personal desires and social custom. For few people does the way of health coincide with the desires of the flesh and the eating and drinking habits of their peers.
The Savior has given us commandments concerning health, such as the Word of Wisdom. The Savior’s commandments do not conflict with the natural laws of health. They simply direct us to follow the laws of health to become and stay healthy. The Savior created us and put us upon earth, giving each of us the freedom to be gluttons and wine bibbers or to be wise and healthy. But He also gives us commandment that we should not be gluttons or wine bibbers if we wish to please Him. If we please Him in these matters, we reap two rewards: the rewards of both physical health and of spiritual health.
The first reward, the physical benefit of health is one that any person can receive by doing those things which make for health. This may or may not be a part of their religion, but in any case it is a matter of being prudent. The second reward is spiritual. It comes because of obedience to the Savior’s commandments. By acting on the principle of faith in Him, we not only receive better health and greater strength than we otherwise would have had, but we reap the spiritual health and strength of acting in faith. This faithfulness is more than prudence. We do not say, “I will go along with the Lord because medical science has demonstrated the essential correctness of the Word of Wisdom.” What we say in faith is: “I have tried obeying the commandments of the Lord in the past, and I found that my obedience leads to very good results. I will now go and do all things which the Lord commands me, for I trust His knowledge, wisdom and love above all else.” If we thus follow the Savior in the commandments relating to health, we gain health plus the spiritual rewards.
And all saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, shall receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones;
And shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures;
And shall run and not weary, and shall walk and not faint.
And I, the Lord, give unto them a promise, that the destroying angel shall pass by them, as the children of Israel, and not slay them. Amen. (D&C 89:18–21)
The concept essential to all of this is that we live in a universe of law and order. The Savior’s commandments are in no way capricious, willful, or personal to Him. He commands us to do those things which accord with the laws of the universe to bring about righteousness, happiness, and blessing.
Through faith in Him we may lay hold of every good thing.
Wherefore, I beseech of you, brethren, that ye should search diligently in the light of Christ that ye may know good from evil; and if ye will lay hold upon every good thing, and condemn it not, ye certainly will be a child of Christ.
And now, my brethren, how is it possible that ye can lay hold upon every good thing?
And now I come to that faith, of which I said I would speak; and I will tell you the way whereby ye may lay hold on every good thing.
For behold, God knowing all things, being from everlasting to everlasting, behold, he sent angels to minister unto the children of men, to make manifest concerning the coming of Christ; and in Christ there should come every good thing.
And God also declared unto prophets, by his own mouth, that Christ should come.
And behold, there were divers ways that he did manifest things unto the children of men, which were good; and all things which are good cometh of Christ; otherwise men were fallen, and there could no good thing come unto them.
Wherefore, by the ministering of angels, and by every word which proceeded forth out of the mouth of God, men began to exercise faith in Christ; and thus by faith, they did lay hold upon every good thing; and thus it was until the coming of Christ.
And after that he came men also were saved by faith in his name; and by faith, they become the sons of God. And as surely as Christ liveth he spake these words unto our fathers saying: Whatsoever thing ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is good, in faith believing that ye shall receive, behold, is shall be done unto you.
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, have miracles ceased because Christ hath ascended into heaven, and hath sat down on the right hand of God, to claim of the Father his rights of mercy which he hath upon the children of men?
For he hath answered the ends of the law, and he claimeth all those who have faith in him; and they who have faith in him will cleave unto every good thing; wherefore he advocateth the cause of the children of men; and he dwelleth eternally in the heavens.
And because he hath done this, my beloved brethren, have miracles ceased? Behold I say unto you, Nay; neither have angels ceased to minister unto the children of men.
For behold, they are subject unto him, to minister according to the word of his command, showing themselves unto them of strong faith and a firm mind in every form of godliness. (Moroni 7:19–30)
While it is true that men can discern some good things to do by natural means, say science, by which to build health, we as individuals cannot afford to put our trust in science. Science sees things by starlight, but the Lord shows His servants the way by sunlight. If we wish to see and do all that leads to happiness, we will walk by sunlight, not by starlight.
The starlight at best can help us only with physical things. It cannot direct us in spiritual things for the ways of science are deliberately blind to spiritual phenomena. The truly wise man in this world is the one who rejects the wisdom of men and puts his trust in the true and living God. Then he has access to physical wisdom which science will not discover till long after he is dead. Then he has access to spiritual wisdom that the natural man can never know. Then, through keeping all of the commandments, he becomes a new creature in Christ, not only healthy but renewed, not only knowledgeable but wise, not only hopeful but triumphant in accomplishment. Such a one is President Spencer W. Kimball.
Thus personal freedom lies in being enlarged and strengthened in body, mind and spirit. The only sure way to that freedom is to be a little child with the Savior as our Father and guide. It remains here only to point out briefly how obedience to the Lord brings freedom in areas other than physical health.
Desires. What we desire is fundamental to our personality. Do we hunger for fame, esteem, power, money, ease, comfort? Or do we desire righteousness and the obedience, discipline, sacrifice and hard work that make righteousness possible? Most of us desire a mixture of right and wrong things as we find ourselves, natural creatures in this world. Our desires are largely socially conditioned: we want what our parents and peers want, and we tend to believe that our happiness depends upon our getting what we want. Those who give us what we desire are seen as benefactors. Those who block us in the fulfilling of our desires are seen as evil persons.
The natural man, thus trapped in and by his desires, is not free. He chases the will-o-the-wisp, for the fulfilling of desire does not usually bring him happiness. That failure tends to force many people to substitute pleasure for happiness. They settle for wealth or power, fast cars or horses, boats, drugs and danger. Their desires whip them to and fro. Not finding satisfaction when they get some of what they want, they strive for all of what they want. Nature and society usually prevent them from getting all of the possessions, thrills and power that they want, so they damn the world, die in anger, and go off into the spirit world to commiserate with Cain, Samson, Hitler and company.
The Savior came to save us from all that. He tells us to repent, to turn our hearts from the desires of this world to the work of righteousness. He would have us desire food for the hungry, jobs for the poor, instruction for the unlearned, comfort for those who grieve. If we will yield our hearts to him, we are relieved of desires for wealth, power and pleasure, where we could not find true satisfaction, and are turned to doing good for others. Then He, the Savior, becomes our joy. Lifting the souls of men becomes our happiness. Working to serve others becomes our pleasure.
When we pursue the desires of the world, we are always fighting God. If we achieve it is by stepping on (and being stepped on by) our fellow men. This is not to be free. But when we turn our hearts to God, we ally ourselves with all the righteous beings of the universe which brings us the power of the universe to succeed. We then labor in a work where we do not compete with any of our fellow men. All can run and win the prize. Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor hath it entered into the heart of the natural man to conceive of the happiness that comes from repenting, from yielding our hearts to God that we might be taught anew what to desire. This is real freedom!
Feelings. Desires bring us to what we want, feelings are our reactions to what we have. The natural man is troubled by what he has, no matter what it is. There is always something more to want in a world where desire can be infinite but where resources are finite. Someone else can always be envied, even if mistakenly. Pain is seen as an enemy, as are work and sacrifice. Dissatisfaction with self is reflected in nastiness towards others. It is natural feelings that destroy the fulfillment of natural desire, for nature can never provide enough.
But nature is not all there is. There is a God in heaven who teaches men to school their feelings. He teaches them first to have gratitude. If men are grateful to the Great Creator for a body (even if not a perfect body), for a stunningly beautiful earth (even if not Eden), for companions (even if they are not as He is, not saints), for work to do (even if not fully compensated), their life has a different flavor entirely. Is it possible that spiritual life begins with gratitude, with thankfulness, for all that one already has? He who is grateful knows that every human being has much, and that gratitude warms his soul to a satisfaction that makes it possible to bear great trials, persecution and pain. In a world noted for trial, persecution and pain, is that not a notable freedom?
As gratitude drives out envy and greed, it prepares a place for love. The greatest of all feelings is to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, might, mind and strength. The second is like unto it, to love our neighbors, even if they are not perfect. The love of a perfect God makes it possible to love an imperfect man. To love, in that order, is to live. It is to rise above nature, to know what it means to be a citizen of eternity. Faith in Christ frees feeling, and thus is the soul of man enlarged and exalted.
Thoughts. A soul filled with faith in the word of Christ, having found ennobling desires and excellent feelings, is prepared to understand the things of God. The world would have us believe that it works the other way, that correct ideas make correct desires and feelings possible. But how do you tell correct ideas? If there were a straightforward answer to that question, the world would not languish in error, lies and captivity. The world seemingly cannot accept the idea that truth and happiness are personal things, personal gifts from the Savior. His children know better.
The children of light know that it is not abstract knowledge of truth that saves them. They know that they are saved no faster than they learn about Jesus, the Messiah. But they are not saved by that knowledge. They know they become free only by using that special understanding of the Savior, brought by the Holy Spirit, to put their faith and trust in the Lord. That faith leads them to repentance. The essence of that repentance is to change the desires of one’s heart and the feelings one has about the world. Then we stop sinning. Then we can be taught to think as He thinks, to know as He knows, to see as we are seen.
The greatest freedom this world has or could conceive of is the freedom each person has when he knows the Gospel, to become like the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the freedom to throw off whatever limitation or accident of birth or environment which prevents us from becoming as He is. It is the freedom to grow to be as He is in heart, might, mind and strength. It is the freedom to love with the pure love and to bless others into all eternity.
Thus it is personal freedom which is prior and paramount. The Savior taught the Jews all they needed to be free. His earthly ministry gave them the goal, the mark, to which they should look, and which they could attain. By looking beyond the mark, they lost their kingdoms, both in this world and in the next.