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Freedom Must Be Actively Sought: A Need to Return to Values

We Have Forgotten Our Past 

"We forget how the Greeks and Romans prevailed magnificently in a barbaric world and how that triumph ended--how a slackness and softness finally overcame them to their ruin. In the end, more than they wanted freedom, they wanted security and a comfortable life; and they lost all--comfort and security and freedom."
By President Thomas S. Monson, LDS Church
Ensign, July 2013

Must we learn such costly lessons over and over again?  Times change, but truth persists. As we witness our friends being caught up in the tsunami of popular opinion, we must have the courage and steadfastness of purpose to follow Him who knows the beginning from the end—Jesus Christ.

We Must Become Modern-day Pioneers for Time-honored Values

While nearly impossible to measure, I believe that living essential values are paramount to the success of any community. It is also my opinion that we, as a global family, are trending toward moral bankruptcy.  We can be Pioneers in our day by standing up for what is right, and by preparing the way for others to follow.   I perceived the following seven values and social issues to currently be undervalued or under attack:

  • The agency and accountability of man
    • You are responsible for the choices you make.  This is paramount.
  • Chastity
    • Sexual fidelity makes sense once you understand the purpose and eternal nature of families.
  • Hard work and self-reliance
    • "When you live for a strong purpose, then hard work isn't an option. It's a necessity."  —Steve Pavlina
  • Importance of education
    • The more knowledge we can attain in this life, the better prepared we are to understand and serve others.
  • Avoiding unwholesome media
    • You eyes and brain are the gateway to your soul.  Keep it clean so God can dwell in you.
  • Kindness
    • True loving-kindness actually takes an effort. (And it is not a respecter of persons.)
  • Service
    • You cannot be obsessed with comfort & security, and be service-minded at the same time.
My life is a witness to the importance of these principles.  If someone were to further inquire into my stance on these issues, I'd happily respond by sharing with them the doctrines that convince me so. I'd subsequently invite them to my home to learn more from the full-time LDS missionaries.  (That invitation would either quiet them, or address their concerns.) In my life, I have discovered that it is these (and many more) selfless principles—not hedonism—which yield true freedom.  LDS President Monson said, "the unsatisfied yearnings of the soul will not be met by a never-ending quest for joy amidst the thrills of sensation and vice."

I believe Benjamin Franklin was trying to say something similar back in 1775: "They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety."
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