| Our Sacred Rights |
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| Tuesday, 25 March 2008 | |||||||||
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Written by Jeremy Ashton Our rights are of divine origin. They have been given to us by our Heavenly Father with purposeful intent as part of His plan of salvation. Ezra Taft Benson confirmed this when he wrote “Rights are either God-given as part of the divine plan, or they are granted by government as part of the political plan. Reason, necessity, tradition, and religious conviction all lead me to accept the divine origin of these rights (The Constitution – A Heavenly Banner)”. The Declaration of Independence, a document written under the inspiration of the Lord, states “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness”. The scriptures confirm that “each individual” has the right to “free exercise of conscience, the right and control of property, and the protection of life (D&C 134:2)”. In other words, God has given each of us the individual right to life, liberty, and property. The right to life can be defined as each of us having the right to preserve our lives and continue our existence. This includes having our own person secured from the aggression of others. This right is of obvious importance since one of the principle reasons we came to Earth was to gain a physical body. We are the owners of our own bodies and are solely responsible for how it is used. Jefferson said “rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others”. In other words, we have the right to do whatever we please as long as we do not infringe upon the rights of any other individual. Since the other reason we are on Earth is to prove that we will submit to God’s commands of our own free will and choice, this right should also be held with the highest esteem by all who valiantly fought for agency in the premortal life. The right to property means that we have the right to enjoy the fruit of our labor. When we mix our own labor with natural resources, we gain the right to control the property which has been created. Included in the right of “control of property”, we are free to choose how to utilize and dispose of the property in our own pursuit of happiness. Any time property is taken from the rightful owner without his willing consent, the commandment “Thou Shalt Not Steal” has been violated. The right to life and liberty are both contingent upon an individual having the right to property. In order to preserve life, we must have food and shelter (i.e. property). The truth that liberty is bound by land (i.e. property) is confirmed in the scriptures (Alma 44:5) among other places. These rights are of such vital importance to the plan of salvation that God has declared that they cannot be taken from us by other individuals during our earthly sojourn. In fact, not even the individual bearer of the rights can give them up even if it was their desire. This is the very essence of what Jefferson meant when he wrote that rights are unalienable. These rights are sacred gifts from God to help us achieve eternal salvation. Most Latter-day Saints with firm testimonies of the gospel hold other heavenly blessings with the highest esteem - be it the Gift of the Holy Ghost, the priesthood, temple endowments, etc. Why then do so many of these otherwise faithful Mormons look upon their rights as having such little worth? As the Declaration of Independence states, these rights are also heavenly endowments that have been given to every man in this life. Furthermore, they are of such importance to our earthly missions that, as previously discussed, they cannot be lost during this life. However, individuals, who would be up in arms if they were prevented in their right to exercise the priesthood to bless their families, sit idly by as the government continually violates their other rights on a daily basis. Even worse, many Mormons openly advocate for the further violation of these holy blessings – either indirectly through their elected representatives or directly as government officials. New studies are said to prove that a glass of wine is healthy for the body or day-care is important for the emotional development of a young child. However, faithful Latter-day Saints do not give heed to this knowledge of man by changing how they live the Word of Wisdom or raise their families. Why then do so many of these very same individuals promote new welfare programs based upon “enlightened” economic theory? Why do others advocate for the aggressive use of warfare claiming that it is archaic to believe that the principles which guided the Founding Fathers and the Nephites still apply in the modern world? In both of these instances, the arm of flesh is relied upon over the wisdom of God. The principles of God should always be the primary factor for all decisions we make in life. When deciding whether to support government action, consideration of God-given rights should come first and foremost. It is immoral and against His plan to violate these rights, whether the act is perpetuated by an individual or a group of people (i.e. government). Though we freely enjoy these sacred rights, they were secured to us at an infinite cost – through the atonement of the Savior. As Latter-day Saints we have been called to boldly defend our God-given rights. A valiant defense of these rights will surely bring blessings in this life and the eternities. - - - Jeremy Ashton is the co-editor, co-founder, and regular columnist of LDSFreemen.com. He is a homeschooling father of two in the
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Chris Bolton
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I appreciate the paragraphs from the article listed below supporting individual choice and accountability. I hope that we can all support that too. Even though we as LDS may abhor gambling, prostitution, Sabbath breaking, pre-marital sex, pot smoking, etc..., we need to remember that others have a right to do these things as long as they do not infringe upon the rights and liberties of others. It is also against scripture to advocate using force to ensure righteousness (D&C 134:4). Wasn't that Satan's Plan? Libertarianism is the ONLY philosophy in complete compliance with the Gospel. ***************************************************** "Jefferson said “rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others”. In other words, we have the right to do whatever we please as long as we do not infringe upon the rights of any other individual. " "However, individuals, who would be up in arms if they were prevented in their right to exercise the priesthood to bless their families, sit idly by as the government continually violates their other rights on a daily basis. Even worse, many Mormons openly advocate for the further violation of these holy blessings – either indirectly through their elected representatives or directly as government officials. " "New studies are said to prove that a glass of wine is healthy for the body or day-care is important for the emotional development of a young child. However, faithful Latter-day Saints do not give heed to this knowledge of man by changing how they live the Word of Wisdom or raise their families. Why then do so many of these very same individuals promote new welfare programs based upon “enlightened” economic theory? " |
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Jeremy Ashton
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Chris, Thanks for your comments. I do believe that government should be limited to protecting life, liberty, and property and, in doing so, it should not violate the rights of others. Any use of force by government which violates liberty to enforce "righteousness" is a greater moral sin than the acts that may have been prevented. |
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