The Book of Mormon's Case for Freedom Written by Anthony Charles Olsen Latest Version Found At: http://www.userdimensions.com/thebookofmormonscaseforfreedom.pdf E-Mail: Freedom@UserDimensions.Com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/the-book-of-mormons-case-for-freedom/260925490607798 DRAFT Version: 0.025 (8/5/2017) Copyright 2017 Feel free to download and share with anyone. You may not alter the contents. Be sure to get the latest version from the links above.
Table of Contents Table of Contents Preface... 3 This book only intended for those who believe in the Book of Mormon...3 Introduction... 4 Why I'm writing this book?... 4 Other sources available for additional research...5 The world's rejection of prophets... 5 Misc... 5 Chapter 1 - What Is Freedom?... 7 Why Would The Definition Of Freedom Be Corrupted?...7 The Relationship Between Freedom and Liberty...9 Freedom Comes From Liberty... 9 Liberty Can Come From Freedom...10 Explanation... 10 Modern definitions of Freedom/Liberty...11 Examples of Positive Freedom... 12 Examples of Negative Freedom... 13 Liberty/Freedom is the opposite of Captivity/Bondage/Slavery...14 Freedom is being able to act without force or coercion...16 To act... 16 To choose... 16 Not compelled... 17 Without coercion (threat of force)...17 Religious freedom... 17 Among the Lamanites... 17 Among the Jaredites... 18 Conclusion... 18 Chapter 2 Why Is Freedom Good?... 19 Introduction... 19 Lehi explains the need for freedom to his son, Jacob...19 Liberty should be sought and preserved...24 Providing Liberty is good... 24 Freedom is more effective at solving problems than Force is...26 Removing Liberty is wrong...26 Chapter 3 Force And Captivity, The Antithesis of Liberty and Freedom...27 How We Might Be Unknowingly Helping Satan...27 Why do people seek Force?... 28 To avoid having to work... 28 todo add more... 28 The Freemen versus the King-men (to do)...29 Gadianton Robbers and Secret Combinations (to do)...32 Among the Jaredites (to do)...32 Among the Nephites (to do)...34 Among us (to do)... 35 Amalickiah and Captain Moroni (to do)...35 Using hatred and anger to control...36 Chapter 4 When Is Force Justified?... 37 Introduction... 37 Defending Liberty/Freedom... 37 Sometimes force should be used...37 1
Sometimes force should not be used...41 The people of Alma versus the Lamanites...41 Gidgiddoni versus the Gadianton robbers...42 Alma versus the people of Ammonihah...44 King Noah versus Abinadi and Alma...45 Influence without using force...46 Captain Moroni, the Amalickiahites, and the king-men...46 Conclusion... 47 Taxes... 48 Taxes are grievous... 48 How much tax is too much?...48 50% tax under King Laman TO DO...48 20% tax under King Noah...49 0% tax under King Benjamin and King Mosiah...50 Armies were not paid... 51 King Benjamin's Idea of Charity Did Not Involve Taxing His People...51 King Mosiah also had 0% tax...51 Army food tax under Captain Moroni...52 Judges paid under laws from King Mosiah...52 Conclusion... 53 Charity should be voluntary... 53 Nephite Laws... 54 Examples... 54 God gave the Nephites their initial laws...55 Corruption in Nephite laws...55 Social Freedom: Not all iniquities should be Illegal...56 One-time divinely appointed exceptions...59 Nephi slaying Laban for the brass plates (to do)...59 Israelites slayed the previous inhabitants of the land of Israel...60 One-time divinely appointed exceptions Conclusion...60 Conclusion... 61 Scripture References... 63 1 Nephi... 63 2 Nephi... 63 Jarom... 64 Words of Mormon... 64 Mosiah... 64 Alma... 65 Helaman... 67 3 Nephi... 67 Ether... 67 Moroni... 68 2
Preface This book only intended for those who believe in the Book of Mormon This book is intended only for those who believe that The Book of Mormon is a volume of holy scripture comparable to the Bible. It is a record of God s dealings with the ancient inhabitants of the Americas and contains the fulness of the everlasting gospel. (Book of Mormon Introduction). Since this book will attempt to prove the value of freedom based on what the Book of Mormon says, the reader must first believe that the Book of Mormon itself is scripture. One who does not believe so will not be convinced by the Book of Mormon-based logic and this book is of no worth to such a person. Anyone who does not know if the Book of Mormon is scripture should first endeavor to find out for themselves the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon before proceeding with this book. It is recommended that such an individual try the experiment that Moroni suggested near the end of the Book of Mormon, after the reader had read what was previously written: 3. Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts. 4. And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. 5. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things. - Moroni 10:3-5 This is how I gained a testimony that the Book of Mormon is true, and this is how most people gained a testimony of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. Only God can give someone a testimony of whether something came from Him or not. Preface 3
Introduction Why I'm writing this book? 15. And it came to pass that Akish did administer unto them the oaths which were given by them of old who also sought power, which had been handed down even from Cain, who was a murderer from the beginning. 16. And they were kept up by the power of the devil to administer these oaths unto the people, to keep them in darkness, to help such as sought power to gain power 20. And now I, Moroni, do not write the manner of their oaths and combinations, for it hath been made known me that they are had among all people... 23. Wherefore, O ye Gentiles, it is wisdom in God that these things should be shown unto you, that thereby ye may repent of your sins, and suffer not that these murderous combinations shall get above you, which are built up to get power and gain and the work, yea, even the work of destruction come upon you, yea, even the sword of the justice of the Eternal God shall fall upon you, to your overthrow and destruction if ye shall suffer these things to be. 24. Wherefore, the Lord commandeth you, when ye shall see these things come among you that ye shall awake to a sense of your awful situation, because of this secret combination which shall be among you;... 25. For it cometh to pass that whoso buildeth it up seeketh to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries; and it bringeth to pass the destruction of all people, for it is built up by the devil - Ether 8:15, 16, 20, 23-25 (Moroni talking to us) I'm writing this book in the hope of using the Book of Mormon to bring people out of darkness and to preserve freedom. I feel touched by Ezra Taft Benson's plea to the members of the Church: But members of His restored Church might well provide the balance of power to save our freedom. Indeed we might, if we go forward as General Moroni of old, and raise the standard of liberty throughout the land. My brethren, we CAN do the job that must be done. We can, as a Priesthood, provide the balance of power to preserve our freedom and save this nation from bondage. The Prophet Joseph Smith is reported to have prophesied the role the Priesthood might play to save our inspired Constitution. Now is the time to move forward courageously to become alerted, informed and active - Ezra Taft Benson. Our Immediate Responsibility. BYU Devotional, October 25, 1966. Introduction 4
Writing this book is my attempt to follow this counsel. I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. What I can do, I ought to do and, by the grace of God, I shall do. - Edward Everett Hale Other sources available for additional research Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have many sources of inspired information available, including the Bible, the Doctrine and Covenants, the Pearl of Great Price, modern prophets, and personal revelation through prayer, which provide many additional scriptures on the subject of freedom. In this book, I will attempt to limit myself to only using those references found in the Book of Mormon for a more focused study of the subject. As such, this book is not intended to be a complete study on freedom, but instead only a piece of a complete study. I recommend that after reading this book, the reader seek additional information on the subject of freedom from the above sources. While some arguments herein are founded on basic beliefs of the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I will not attempt to prove those points unless a reference is found within the Book of Mormon. The world's rejection of prophets This book attempts to define freedom and its role in America by using the words of the Book of Mormon. I believe that modern politics have veered so far from God's ideal of freedom that his ideal would not be recognized today, even by many members of the LDS church. I expect that most people of the world would react to my opinion of God's ideal of freedom similarly to how the world has reacted to prophets of old. They'll be angry, gnash their teeth, and call me crazy. They may act similarly to King Noah, who said of Abinadi: Away with this fellow,...; for what have we to do with him, for he is mad. (Mosiah 13:1) As such, this book will even offend some members of the LDS church, because the Book of Mormon speaks against some of our national traditions and our country's modern beliefs. It should not, however, speak against anything the prophets of God have said in the past or the present. It is my hope that those who may disagree with what the Book of Mormon has to say regarding freedom will choose not to be offended and will approach this subject with the Spirit and with an mind open to the merits of the logic that the Book of Mormon puts forth. I likewise hope that God blesses me in my endeavors to create this book and that he will help me uproot any imperfections in it so that I may not lead anyone astray. If you have anything you can contribute to the logic contained in this book, please let me know. Any constructive suggestions and input on this book are welcome. Book of Mormon references would be appreciated with any such help. Misc This book quotes heavily from the Book of Mormon. As far as I've been able to see, the Book of Mormon has no emphasis added to its verses. All emphasis seen in this book was added by the author (me) to highlight the sections of the scripture being discussed. Introduction 5
Other times non-relevant in-between scripture are omitted and are replaced with.... The sections of the book that are incomplete will be highlighted in yellow. The final version of this book will not have this highlighting. This book is NOT written with any authorization or approval from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Nothing said in this book should be construed to imply an official Church standing on any issue. This book is merely an attempt by an imperfect individual to convey what he has learned from reading the Book of Mormon, hoping it will be of benefit to others. Introduction 6
Chapter 1 - What Is Freedom? Freedom is such a basic term that most people might wonder why it would need to be defined, thinking that its definition should be obvious to all. It is unfortunate that this is not actually the case; not everyone knows what the definition of freedom actually is. Why Would The Definition Of Freedom Be Corrupted? Why can't we automatically assume that what the world teaches us is the correct definition of freedom? 20. Wo unto them that call evil good, and good evil, that put darkness for light, and light for darkness, that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! - 2 Nephi 15:20 (See also Isaiah 5:20) Here, Nephi is quoting Isaiah who is talking about some of the qualities of wicked men. The wicked often attempt to blur the issues and change the meaning of good and evil, light and darkness, and sweet and bitter, so that it would be harder to identify evil, darkness, and bitterness when they are in front of us. By doing so, the devil can more easily move forward with his agenda to make...all men miserable like unto himself (2 Nephi 2:27). In the war in heaven, Lucifer sought to destroy the agency of man, and for this reason, and others, he was cast out of heaven and became Satan, the devil, the father of all lies, to deceive and to blind men. Satan has never stopped attempting to destroy man's agency. This war continues on earth. He seeks to take away our freedom through enticing us with addictions, sin, and through political, educational, secular, and secret movements. Satan's secret combination has at its heart the goal of destroying freedom. 15. And it came to pass that Akish did administer unto them the oaths which were given by them of old who also sought power, which had been handed down even from Cain, who was a murderer from the beginning. 16. And they were kept up by the power of the devil to administer these oaths unto the people, to keep them in darkness, to help such as sought power to gain power 20. And now I, Moroni, do not write the manner of their oaths and combinations, for it hath been made known me that they are had among all people 25. For it cometh to pass that whoso buildeth it up seeketh to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries; and it bringeth to pass the destruction of all people, for it is built up by the devil - Ether 8:15, 16, 20, and 25 If you combine Satan's desire to destroy freedom with Satan's pattern of perverting definitions of what is good and what is evil, it becomes apparent that one way Satan would attempt to overthrow freedom would be by perverting the definition of freedom itself to, if possible, mean the opposite of how God defines freedom. It is therefor not surprising today to see 2 definitions of freedom ( Positive Freedom and Negative Freedom - We'll discuss this more later) which coincidentally mean the opposite of each other, while both being superficially called Freedom. It is common for people to give the benefit of the doubt to both parties in a debate, assuming that both sides are Chapter 1 - What Is Freedom? 7
being honest and truthful. This assumption cannot be made when Satan is leading one side of the debate. As such it would be wise not to automatically assume honesty from the different voices that you hear in the world. If God's people speak of truth, Satan will be there with his cleverly disguised anti-truth. The result is that men won't always see truth and anti-truth they might see two arguments that look like truth, but one of them is a fraud. Another thing to note is that Satan's followers usually yell louder than God's followers, so the first argument you are presented with, or hear, in the world could very well be the counterfeit one Satan has manufactured. Also, once someone has started down the path of lying for the sake of their cause, they are no longer only limited to the honest options. Since they're OK with lying, they have more alternatives available. They can outpromise the people of God and can lie about the costs of their approach and about the plan itself. Therefore, simply going with what superficially looks like the best option may prove unwise. You need to dig deeper than that to separate truth from error. Satan will attempt to keep us in the dark and would be happy if he could convince us to sleep at our guard posts: 21 And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell. - 2 Nephi 28:21 We should not let ourselves be lulled away into carnal security. We should be alert and pay close attention to the details otherwise we may be fooled into believing Satan's teachings. Nephi continues with his warning regarding Satan: 22 And behold, others he flattereth away, and telleth them there is no hell; and he saith unto them: I am no devil, for there is none and thus he whispereth in their ears, until he grasps them with his awful chains, from whence there is no deliverance. 23 Yea, they are grasped with death, and hell; and death, and hell, and the devil, and all that have been seized therewith must stand before the throne of God, and be judged according to their works, from whence they must go into the place prepared for them, even a lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment. - 2 Nephi 28:22-23 Because of this plan of Satan's, we should never let our guard down and assume that there is nothing to be concerned about. We should also be wary of the opinions of the world. 24 Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion! 25 Wo be unto him that crieth: All is well! 26 Yea, wo be unto him that hearkeneth unto the precepts of men, and denieth the power of God, and the gift of the Holy Ghost! - 2 Nephi 28:24-26 Having been raised in the world, we should not assume that everything that we know is correct. There's always more to learn and understand. 27 Yea, wo be unto him that saith: We have received, and we need no more! - 2 Nephi 28:27 In one of Nephi's visions, he sees a great and spacious building. He describes how it stood in the air, high above the earth (1 Nephi 8:26). This building had no foundation. Nephi later tells us that the great and spacious building was the pride of the world (1 Nephi 11:36). People in such a predicament, whether consciously or unconsciously, feel insecure in their position, which fear manifests itself in the secondary emotion: Chapter 1 - What Is Freedom? 8
Anger. A person grounded upon Christ's teachings will be grounded upon Christ's solid logic a solid foundation, and will not feel as insecure about his position or be inclined towards anger. The world, in its pride, does not teach Christ's teachings. The world's teachings are like the great and spacious building: without a foundation. 28 And in fine, wo unto all those who tremble, and are angry because of the truth of God! For behold, he that is built upon the rock receiveth it with gladness; and he that is built upon a sandy foundation trembleth lest he shall fall. 29 Wo be unto him that shall say: We have received the word of God, and we need no more of the word of God, for we have enough! 30 For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have. 31 Cursed is he that putteth his trust in man, or maketh flesh his arm, or shall hearken unto the precepts of men, save their precepts shall be given by the power of the Holy Ghost. - 2 Nephi 28:28-31 The Relationship Between Freedom and Liberty What exactly is the relationship between liberty and freedom? Freedom Comes From Liberty 13 And now as ye have been delivered by the power of God out of these bonds; yea, even out of the hands of king Noah and his people, and also from the bonds of iniquity, even so I desire that ye should stand fast in this liberty wherewith ye have been made free, and that ye trust no man to be a king over you. - Mosiah 23:13 40 But behold, they have received many wounds; nevertheless they stand fast in that liberty wherewith God has made them free; and they are strict to remember the Lord their God from day to day; yea, they do observe to keep his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments continually; and their faith is strong in the prophecies concerning that which is to come. - Alma 58:40 21...stand fast in that liberty wherewith God hath made them free.... - Alma 61:21 9...I, Pahoran, do not seek for power, save only to retain my judgment-seat that I may preserve the rights and the liberty of my people. My soul standeth fast in that liberty in the which God hath made us free. - Alma 61:9 In liberty, God makes us free. Freedom comes from liberty. Chapter 1 - What Is Freedom? 9
Liberty Can Come From Freedom 27 Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself. - 2 Nephi 2:27 Liberty can come from freedom. Explanation Freedom comes from liberty, but liberty can come from freedom as well. This may seem confusing until you understand that liberty is the freedom you are left with after you've acted upon the freedom you had before. Freedom is the physical ability to act as you wish. Liberty is the freedom you are left with as a result of your actions. But in many instances liberty and freedom are synonymous with each other. Chapter 1 - What Is Freedom? 10
7 And it came to pass that this matter of their contention was settled by the voice of the people. And it came to pass that the voice of the people came in favor of the freemen, and Pahoran retained the judgment-seat, which caused much rejoicing among the brethren of Pahoran and also many of the people of liberty, who also put the king-men to silence, that they durst not oppose but were obliged to maintain the cause of freedom. Alma 51:7 The people of liberty should maintain the cause of freedom. If you seek liberty ( and eternal life ), you should support freedom. Modern definitions of Freedom/Liberty The world's modern-day philosophers talk about positive freedom and negative freedom. They define positive freedom as forcing others to do something or not to do something, and negative freedom as not forcing others to do or not to do something. Negative freedom provides the recipient with more options, but doesn't control what others do. Positive freedom controls the people around you in an attempt to provide you with more choices. Positive and negative refer to the government's contribution, or lack of contribution, to the options available. Positive freedom means that the government gets involved to provide the choices (usually found in freedom from statements). Negative freedom indicates the choices that are available naturally without government intervention (usually found in freedom to statements). Note that some of the following examples might be seen as good while others might be seen as evil. Also, only some of the costs and benefits could be listed (for space considerations) for each example. Chapter 1 - What Is Freedom? 11
Examples of Positive Freedom Positive Freedom: Preventing a store owner from acting on his racist opinions by forcing him to have to sell to everyone, regardless of their skin color Benefit: A person whose skin color would otherwise be discriminated against has equal options as someone with a different skin color Cost: The store owner isn't free to choose to whom he sells his merchandise Positive Freedom: Attacking an invading army for the sake of defending your country Benefit: The local residents are spared from the attacking army Cost: The invading army isn't free to attack Positive Freedom: Forcing someone to promise his employee a certain wage Benefit: The employee gets promised higher wages Cost: The employer isn't free to choose how much he'll offer to get a job done Positive Freedom: Forbidding someone from breaking into others houses and stealing their possessions Benefit: People's houses and their possessions are safe Cost: The bugler isn't free to take what he wants Positive Freedom: Forbidding an athlete from taking steroids Benefit: Athletes not taking steroids don't have someone artificially stronger to compete with Cost: Athletes are limited in their choices to get stronger Positive Freedom: Forbidding someone from murdering someone else Benefit: People's lives are defended Cost: The murderer's choice to murder is taken away Positive Freedom: Taking money from someone with more and giving to someone with less Benefit: The poor get more money Cost: The rich lose their property Positive Freedom: Forcing an employer to pay for his employees' medical costs Benefit: Employees get free or less expensive medical benefits Cost: The employer loses money and the ability to choose which benefits to provide Positive Freedom: Forbidding someone from producing and selling medications without government permission and oversight Benefit: People are promised that the medications they obtain are safer to use Cost: People lose the choice to choose for themselves along with any associated risks, and medication producers aren't allowed to bring certain products to the market Positive Freedom: Forbidding the general public from using meth Benefit: The people are promised fewer drug addicts living among them, along with lower crime rates Cost: More people are thrown into prison Positive Freedom: Throwing someone into prison for not obeying the laws of the land Benefit: Fewer lawbreakers on the streets Cost: The enforcement of laws results in freedoms lost, since laws say what you can or can't do. Chapter 1 - What Is Freedom? 12
Examples of Negative Freedom Negative Freedom: Allowing a store owner to sell what he wants to whomever he wants Benefit: The store owner is free to choose what he offers for sale to whom Cost: A person whose skin color is discriminated against may have fewer stores he can buy from and may not be able to afford to shop at the stores that will sell to him Negative Freedom: Not defending our country from an invading army Benefit: The invading army is free to subject the residents as they wish Cost: The local residents might be conquered and lose their freedom Negative Freedom: Allowing someone to promise his employee whatever wage he wants to promise Benefit: The employer is free to choose what he'll offer for a job and can pay people whatever he/she thinks they're worth Cost: The employee does not get promised to be paid more Negative Freedom: Not forbidding someone from breaking into others houses and stealing their possessions Benefit: The bugler is free to take what he wants Cost: The person's house and their possessions aren't safe Negative Freedom: Allowing an athlete from taking steroids Benefit: Athletes have more choices available to get stronger Cost: Athletes who don't take steroids might have a tougher time competing with those who do Negative Freedom: Allowing someone to murder someone else Benefit: The murderer has the option to murder Cost: People's lives might be lost, and, as a result, their freedoms lost as well Negative Freedom: Letting everyone keep their own property as they choose Benefit: The rich get to keep their property and give to charity how/when/where they choose Cost: The poor no longer get government welfare and are then at the mercy of people who may or may not give to them. Negative Freedom: Letting an employer choose what medical benefits to provide Benefit: The employer gets to choose what benefits to provide to his employees Cost: The employee may not get as many medical benefits or be able to afford his medical care Negative Freedom: Letting anyone produce and sell any type of medication Benefit: More medical products are brought to the market, and people have more choices to choose from Cost: People have more risk with the medications they buy, and those who are not aware of the risks or who don't know how to protect themselves could be hurt or killed Negative Freedom: Allowing the general public to use meth Benefit: The people have more opportunities to learn from their mistakes Cost: There's the risk of more drug addicts and the crimes that accompany them Negative Freedom: Not enforcing any laws Benefit: People could do whatever they wanted to do Cost: Complete lawlessness would result in anarchy where no one's freedoms are protected Chapter 1 - What Is Freedom? 13
Positive Freedom ( Freedom from... ) requires the use of force to get others to comply, whereas Negative Freedom ( Freedom to... ) is the absence of that force. It is not a coincidence that these two definitions of freedom are opposites of each other. As such, I believe that what is called negative freedom is in fact freedom, and that positive freedom is not freedom at all, but is instead force. I believe that the modern world's attempt to break freedom into positive freedom and negative freedom is one of Satan's attempts to blur truth--it is Satan's attempt to disguise force as freedom so that people will feel justified in using force beyond those scenarios God has authorized. That being said, I do believe that force is sometimes not only justified, but sometimes even commanded by God. 21 And thus Moroni put an end to those king-men, that... they were brought down to humble themselves like unto their brethren, and to fight valiantly for their freedom from bondage. - Alma 51:21 Captain Moroni compelled the King-men to fight valiantly for their Freedom from (Positive Freedom) bondage. Here Captain Moroni traded some freedoms to defend other freedoms. This can be a dangerous balancing act, but is needed as long as people seek to take away our Lives, Liberty, or Property. Complete freedom (without complete righteousness) is anarchy, which is bad. Complete force is totalitarianism, which is also bad. Complete freedom is not possible unless everyone lives completely righteously, since without defending your freedoms (which often requires force), others may use force to take it away. So in other words, complete freedom (without complete righteousness) is anarchy and leads to someone else taking over...usually as a tyrant, resulting in totalitarianism. Where does the truth lie? How do you achieve the greatest amount of freedom possible? When is force justified? Liberty/Freedom is the opposite of Captivity/Bondage/Slavery 7 Wherefore, this land is consecrated unto him whom he shall bring. And if it so be that they shall serve him according to the commandments which he hath given, it shall be a land of liberty unto them; wherefore, they shall never be brought down into captivity; if so, it shall be because of iniquity; for if iniquity shall abound cursed shall be the land for their sakes, but unto the righteous it shall be blessed forever. - 2 Nephi 1:7 Liberty is the opposite of captivity. 27 Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself. - 2 Nephi 2:27 Here we also read that liberty is the opposite of captivity. If someone is free to choose to do drugs, once he is addicted, he's bound by his addiction and has less freedom. His addictions leave him in a form of captivity and his choices have resulted in a loss of liberty, which is an increase in captivity. 5 the Messiah should be made manifest unto them in the latter days, in the spirit of power, unto the bringing of them out of darkness unto light yea, out of hidden darkness and out of captivity unto Chapter 1 - What Is Freedom? 14
freedom. - 2 Nephi 3:5 Freedom is as opposite to freedoom as light is to darkness. 11 And Moroni was a strong and a mighty man; he was a man of a perfect understanding; yea, a man that did not delight in bloodshed; a man whose soul did joy in the liberty and the freedom of his country, and his brethren from bondage and slavery; - Alma 48:11 Liberty and freedom are the opposites of bondage and slavery. 4 And he did raise the standard of liberty in whatsoever place he did enter, and gained whatsoever force he could in all his march towards the land of Gideon. 5 And it came to pass that thousands did flock unto his standard, and did take up their swords in the defence of their freedom, that they might not come into bondage. - Alma 62:4-5 Liberty/freedom is the opposite of bondage. 7 Now this he did that he might preserve their hatred towards the Nephites, that he might bring them into subjection to the accomplishment of his designs. 8 For behold, his designs were to stir up the Lamanites to anger against the Nephites; this he did that he might usurp great power over them, and also that he might gain power over the Nephites by bringing them into bondage. 9 And now the design of the Nephites was to support their lands, and their houses, and their wives, and their children, that they might preserve them from the hands of their enemies; and also that they might preserve their rights and their privileges, yea, and also their liberty, that they might worship God according to their desires. 10 For they knew that if they should fall into the hands of the Lamanites, that whosoever should worship God in spirit and in truth, the true and the living God, the Lamanites would destroy. - Alma 43:7-10 Liberty means that: you are not subjected, no person exercises power over [you], you are not in bondage, and you are free to worship God. 9 And it came to pass that they laid hold on them, and bound them and cast them into prison. And there was a proclamation sent abroad that the judge was slain, and that the murderers had been taken and were cast into prison.... 38 And he was brought to prove that he himself was the very murderer, insomuch that the five were set at liberty, and also was Nephi. Helaman 9:9,38 Being cast into prison is the opposite of liberty. Therefor, laws that cast people into prison are a burden on Liberty and are only sometimes justified when God condones the use of Force. Chapter 1 - What Is Freedom? 15
36 And it came to pass that the Lamanites promised unto Alma and his brethren, that if they would show them the way which led to the land of Nephi that they would grant unto them their lives and their liberty. 37 But after Alma had shown them the way that led to the land of Nephi the Lamanites would not keep their promise; but they set guards round about the land of Helam, over Alma and his brethren.- 13 And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came to them in their afflictions, saying: Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will covenant with my people and deliver them out of bondage. 14 And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions.... 17 And he said unto Alma: Thou shalt go before this people, and I will go with thee and deliver this people out of bondage.... 21 Yea, and in the valley of Alma they poured out their thanks to God because he had been merciful unto them, and eased their burdens, and had delivered them out of bondage; for they were in bondage, and none could deliver them except it were the Lord their God. - Mosiah 23:36-37, 24:13-14,17,21 The people of Alma lost their liberty when the Lamanites set guards over them. Even though there was no Force used, the Guards threatened to use Force, and Liberty was still lost. We'll talk more about this later. Also, this bondage was a burden and an affliction. Conversely, Liberty can help ease burdens. Freedom is being able to act without force or coercion To act 13 And if ye shall say there is no law, ye shall also say there is no sin. If ye shall say there is no sin, ye shall also say there is no righteousness. And if there be no righteousness there be no happiness. And if there be no righteousness nor happiness there be no punishment nor misery. And if these things are not there is no God. And if there is no God we are not, neither the earth; for there could have been no creation of things, neither to act nor to be acted upon; wherefore, all things must have vanished away. 14 And now, my sons, I speak unto you these things for your profit and learning; for there is a God, and he hath created all things, both the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are, both things to act and things to be acted upon. - 2 Nephi 2:13-14 God created all things both things to act and things to be acted upon. Being able to act for yourself is inherent in the design of the creator. To choose 27 Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to Chapter 1 - What Is Freedom? 16
choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself. - 2 Nephi 2:27 Being free means that you can choose for yourself. Not compelled 27 Therefore, O my son, whosoever will come may come and partake of the waters of life freely; and whosoever will not come the same is not compelled to come; but in the last day it shall be restored unto him according to his deeds. - Alma 42:27 Freedom means not being compelled. Without coercion (threat of force) 36 And it came to pass that the Lamanites promised unto Alma and his brethren, that if they would show them the way which led to the land of Nephi that they would grant unto them their lives and their liberty. 37 But after Alma had shown them the way that led to the land of Nephi the Lamanites would not keep their promise; but they set guards round about the land of Helam, over Alma and his brethren. - Mosiah 23:36-37 The people of Alma lost their liberty when the Lamanites set guards over them. Even though the scriptures don't say that the guards had attacked anyone yet, simply having them there, and knowing why they were there, was enough to take away the people of Alma's liberty. They were experiencing coercion, or the threat of force. A bank robber can rob a bank at gunpoint, but never actually fire a single bullet, and yet the people will say that they had to comply. No actual Force was used...but the threat of force was real. The people were coerced into complying with the bank robber's demands. Likewise the people of Alma were coerced by the threat of Force. Sometimes coercion and Force are used interchangeably to mean the same thing. Religious freedom Among the Lamanites After King's Lamoni's father was converted the he declared religious freedom among the Lamanites 1 Behold, now it came to pass that the king of the Lamanites sent a proclamation among all his people, that they should not lay their hands on Ammon, or Aaron, or Omner, or Himni, nor either of their brethren who should go forth preaching the word of God, in whatsoever place they should be, in any part of their land. 2 Yea, he sent a decree among them, that they should not lay their hands on them to bind them, or to cast them into prison; neither should they spit upon them, nor smite them, nor cast them out of their Chapter 1 - What Is Freedom? 17
synagogues, nor scourge them; neither should they cast stones at them, but that they should have free access to their houses, and also their temples, and their sanctuaries. 3 And thus they might go forth and preach the word according to their desires, for the king had been converted unto the Lord, and all his household; therefore he sent his proclamation throughout the land unto his people, that the word of God might have no obstruction, but that it might go forth throughout all the land, that his people might be convinced concerning the wicked traditions of their fathers, and that they might be convinced that they were all brethren, and that they ought not to murder, nor to plunder, nor to steal, nor to commit adultery, nor to commit any manner of wickedness. 4 And now it came to pass that when the king had sent forth this proclamation, that Aaron and his brethren went forth from city to city, and from one house of worship to another, establishing churches, and consecrating priests and teachers throughout the land among the Lamanites, to preach and to teach the word of God among them; and thus they began to have great success. - Alma 23:1-4 As a result of this religious freedom, thousands of Lamanites were converted and they became the Anti-Nephi- Lehies, or the people of Ammon. Among the Jaredites Something similar happened among the Jaradites. When righteous king Shule gave the prophets freedom to preach anywhere, the wicked people repented and prospered. 23 And also in the reign of Shule there came prophets among the people, who were sent from the Lord, prophesying that the wickedness and idolatry of the people was bringing a curse upon the land, and they should be destroyed if they did not repent. 24 And it came to pass that the people did revile against the prophets, and did mock them. And it came to pass that king Shule did execute judgment against all those who did revile against the prophets. 25 And he did execute a law throughout all the land, which gave power unto the prophets that they should go whithersoever they would; and by this cause the people were brought unto repentance. 26 And because the people did repent of their iniquities and idolatries the Lord did spare them, and they began to prosper again in the land. And it came to pass that Shule begat sons and daughters in his old age. - Ether 7:23-26 Conclusion When freedom was applied to religion, religious success resulted. Likewise applying freedom to other subject areas also results in similar blessings. Chapter 1 - What Is Freedom? 18
Chapter 2 Why Is Freedom Good? Introduction Alma explained to his son Corianton that God will not compel you to be righteous. 26 And thus God bringeth about his great and eternal purposes, which were prepared from the foundation of the world. And thus cometh about the salvation and the redemption of men, and also their destruction and misery. 27 Therefore, O my son, whosoever will come may come and partake of the waters of life freely; and whosoever will not come the same is not compelled to come; but in the last day it shall be restored unto him according to his deeds. - Alma 42:26-27 God is all powerful. He can command the mountains to move; at his command the entire world was created. At his command he could also force us to do whatever he wanted us to do. Why doesn't he? Why would God not compel us to partake of the waters of life? Why is being righteous optional? And how is this part of his great and eternal purposes, which were prepared from the foundation of the world? Lehi explains the need for freedom to his son, Jacob Shortly before Lehi died, he spoke his final words of counsel to his children and grandchildren. In 2 Nephi, chapter 2, he spoke to his son Jacob about three subject areas: The need for God's commandments, The need for freedom in choosing whether or not to keep those commandments, and The need for a Savior to redeem us from our sins Here I'll mostly be focusing on why there is a need for freedom and how it relates to the atonement. While the threat of a dictator taking away everyone's freedom to do good is something most people recognize as evil, there's another variation on that threat to freedom which is more dangerous because it is less recognized and more prevalent. This other threat is from those who, while meaning well, think that the world would be a better place if all forms of evil were forced out of existence--removing the option for evil from the choices on freedom's menu. It is this other threat to freedom that Lehi discusses in his counsel to Jacob. 2 Nevertheless, Jacob, my first-born in the wilderness, thou knowest the greatness of God; and he shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain. - 2 Nephi 2:2 Lehi starts off by pointing out that the bad things that have happened to Jacob can be for his own gain. They can be life lessons. Jacob's life would have less gain without them. Even though though the afflictions themselves are seen as bad, there's a purpose behind why God allows them to happen: it is through affliction that we grow and improve ourselves. Chapter 2 Why Is Freedom Good? 19
11 For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my first-born in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility. 12 Wherefore, it must needs have been created for a thing of naught; wherefore there would have been no purpose in the end of its creation. Wherefore, this thing must needs destroy the wisdom of God and his eternal purposes, and also the power, and the mercy, and the justice of God. - 2 Nephi 2:11-12 If you take freedom to choose good or evil from the equation then you destroy the wisdom of God and his eternal purposes, making all of God's creations a thing of naught, and righteousness could not be brought to pass. If you take away freedom to choose evil you are as negatively affecting God's eternal purposes as evil dictators who take away freedom to choose good. Both freedom to choose good AND freedom to choose evil need to exist in order for opposition in all things to exist. That being said, evil should not be encourage nor supported. As long as the evil does not affect someone else's freedom to choose, force should not be introduced to forbid the evil. (We'll discuss in a later chapter the instances in the Book of Mormon where God not only justified the use of force, but sometimes even commanded it.) God gave us a savior so that we could repent of our sins...but repenting of our sins is only needed because we committed sins, which was an option only because God gave us the freedom to commit sin. Why is that? God has the ability to force us to be righteous all the time and to make it so that no evil ever occurs. If he forced us, we wouldn't need a savior. Why didn't he take this approach? Why did the Savior sacrifice himself for our sins instead of simply taking away our freedom to commit sins, which thing was within his power? Was freedom to sin important enough to the Savior to offer himself as a sacrifice to pay for our sins? Did Jesus sacrifice himself...for our freedom? For the freedom to be good and the freedom to sin? Yes. No, Jesus does not want us to sin. The hope is that we'll never sin and that we'll be righteous continuously. But, we'll never learn how to be righteous without opposition in all things. Sinners are not redeemed unless they repent and turn away from their sins, but without the option to sin, righteousness could never prevail. 13 And if ye shall say there is no law, ye shall also say there is no sin. If ye shall say there is no sin, ye shall also say there is no righteousness. And if there be no righteousness there be no happiness. And if there be no righteousness nor happiness there be no punishment nor misery. And if these things are not there is no God. And if there is no God we are not, neither the earth; for there could have been no creation of things, neither to act nor to be acted upon; wherefore, all things must have vanished away. 14 And now, my sons, I speak unto you these things for your profit and learning; for there is a God, and he hath created all things, both the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are, both things to act and things to be acted upon. - 2 Nephi 2:13-14 Here, the word act is referring to our freedom, while the phrase acted upon refers to force used against us. 15 And to bring about his eternal purposes in the end of man, after he had created our first parents, and the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and in fine, all things which are created, it must needs be that there was an opposition; even the forbidden fruit in opposition to the tree of life; the one being sweet and the other bitter. 16 Wherefore, the Lord God gave unto man that he should act for himself. Wherefore, man could not Chapter 2 Why Is Freedom Good? 20
act for himself save it should be that he was enticed by the one or the other. - 2 Nephi 2:15-16 God commanded Adam not to partake of the forbidden fruit, nevertheless God gave Adam freedom to act for himself. God allowed Adam to choose for himself, even if Adam choose to disobey God's commandments. Why did God allow this... especially knowing that Adam would partake of the forbidden fruit? Why didn't God simply remove the forbidden fruit, or force Adam never to partake of it? Why did God choose freedom instead of force? Is freedom part of the wisdom of God and his eternal purposes? 17 And I, Lehi, according to the things which I have read, must needs suppose that an angel of God, according to that which is written, had fallen from heaven; wherefore, he became a devil, having sought that which was evil before God. - 2 Nephi 2:17 We are taught that Satan sought to destroy the agency (freedom) of man, and that this was the evil that Satan that he was guilty of having sought for. Satan's has never ceased in his efforts and continues with his goals here on earth. 18 And because he had fallen from heaven, and had become miserable forever, he sought also the misery of all mankind. Wherefore, he said unto Eve, yea, even that old serpent, who is the devil, who is the father of all lies, wherefore he said: Partake of the forbidden fruit, and ye shall not die, but ye shall be as God, knowing good and evil. 19 And after Adam and Eve had partaken of the forbidden fruit they were driven out of the garden of Eden, to till the earth. - 2 Nephi 2:18-19 The devil will always try to entice mankind to disobey God's commandments. We never should encourage sin but in all things discourage it--while still allowing everyone the freedom to choose for themselves. It may be hard for some to understand how allowing someone to sin could actually eventually produce greater righteousness. This is the great genius behind the principle of freedom, and if we seek to remove that freedom, then righteousness could not be brought to pass. 20 And they have brought forth children; yea, even the family of all the earth. 21 And the days of the children of men were prolonged, according to the will of God, that they might repent while in the flesh; wherefore, their state became a state of probation, and their time was lengthened, according to the commandments which the Lord God gave unto the children of men. For he gave commandment that all men must repent; for he showed unto all men that they were lost, because of the transgression of their parents. - 2 Nephi 2:20-21 Because God has given us the freedom to sin, all of us have sinned. None of us are perfect. All of us have sunk low because of the sins which we've chosen to commit through the freedom God has granted unto us. So, how could God's gift of freedom be a good thing then? Lehi explains: 22 And now, behold, if Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen, but he would have remained in the garden of Eden. And all things which were created must have remained in the same state in which they were after they were created; and they must have remained forever, and had no end. 23 And they would have had no children; wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin. 24 But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things. 25 Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy. - 2 Nephi 2:22-25 Chapter 2 Why Is Freedom Good? 21
Freedom to choose good or evil is the only way that we can actually do good. We cannot do good if good and evil are not both an option. Without freedom, Adam and Eve would have done no good, for they knew no sin. Sin has to be an option in order for good to come about. This is the wisdom of him who knoweth all things. What is this wisdom? Why does God allow people to have freedom? So that they might have joy! Here we go back to our earlier chart: This continual path from freedom to liberty to more freedom to more liberty only works if captivity is an option. Man could have no liberty if they knew no captivity. Or, in other words doing no good, for they knew no sin. (Note: I do not believe knew here means that man had to actually commit sin, but simply to know of its existence as an option. I do not believe that the path from freedom to liberty requires a detour through captivity.) The natural response people have to this is, But if we let people commit sin, then evil things will happen! What will we do then? As if to answer this response, Lehi proceeds in the very next verse to explain how God, in his infinite wisdom, planned for this: 26 And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall. And because that they are redeemed from the fall they have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the law at the great and last day, according to the commandments which God hath given. - 2 Nephi 2:26 The Messiah's atonement allows us the opportunity of going through this fall, experiencing freedom, learning, growing, and being redeemed from the fall. The atonement made freedom possible because it allowed us to choose liberty even after we've sinned and chosen captivity. Choice gives us experience and provides opportunities to learn. Even thought Satan's plan of force would have provided us with a Utopia where noone would have sinned (it would not have been permitted) and no atonement would have been needed, noone would have learned anything in the absence of freedom. God knew that his plan would have allowed evil, and the resulting suffering, to exist on earth. God loves us and seeing anyone suffer pains his heart, but he knows that greater good would result than in the absence of such freedom. Earth is not a retirement home but a military boot camp--tough and trying...but in the end, rewarding. We're not here to rest on our laurels, but instead to earn them. God's plan of agency, and it's need for repentance, is precisely because he loves us. In fact, we know that it was because of God's love for all of us that he gave his only begotten Son, making this plan of Salvation possible. Lehi drives home this point in the next verse: 27 Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient Chapter 2 Why Is Freedom Good? 22
unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself. - 2 Nephi 2:27 Liberty is an option after we've sinned only because of the Savior's atonement. So it is only because of the Savior's atonement that the continual flow of Freedom/Liberty is possible. Lehi, knowing the importance of freedom, then proceeds not to attempt to force his children to keep the commandments of God, but instead to exhort them then with all the feeling of a tender parent (1 Nephi 8:37). 28 And now, my sons, I would that ye should look to the great Mediator, and hearken unto his great commandments; and be faithful unto his words, and choose eternal life, according to the will of his Holy Spirit; 29 And not choose eternal death, according to the will of the flesh and the evil which is therein, which giveth the spirit of the devil power to captivate, to bring you down to hell, that he may reign over you in his own kingdom. 30 I have spoken these few words unto you all, my sons, in the last days of my probation; and I have chosen the good part, according to the words of the prophet. And I have none other object save it be the everlasting welfare of your souls. Amen. - 2 Nephi 2:28-30 Understanding the purpose of the atonement puts greater meaning to Moroni's testimony at the end of the Book of Mormon. 32 Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye Chapter 2 Why Is Freedom Good? 23