Liberty & Law: A Foundation for Positive Political Influence

Katrina Burton ⃒  May 20, 2020

One of my favorite scriptures, found in 2 Ne 2:27 states, “Wherefore men are free according to the flesh...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.” 

I love that word “liberty”. What an amazing blessing, that God has given us the freedom to choose “liberty”! But...what exactly this mean?

There are a few things I’ve learned since becoming more interested in the political world. One of these things is that in order to have a productive conversation with someone, whether we agree or not, we need a common foundation for understanding; our words need to mean the same to each of us. When it comes to law and policy, the term “liberty” is such a word. How can we defend liberty for ourselves and others if we have varying definitions? We need a common definition of liberty in order to be unified as a nation and capable of affecting positive change at all levels of government...or even communicate effectively through a simple blog.

My favorite example of this quandary comes from Abraham Lincoln, shared by Marion G Romney in a 1981 conference talk entitled, “The Perfect Law of Liberty”. Romney stated, “The meaning of the word liberty is difficult to circumscribe. Abraham Lincoln was of the opinion that ‘the world has never had a good definition of the term. We all declare for liberty,’ he said, ‘but in using the same word we do not mean the same thing. With some, the word liberty may mean for each man to do as he pleases with himself and the product of his labor; while with others (liberty) may mean for some men to do as they please with other men and the product of other men’s labor.’

“Again he said, ‘The shepherd drives the wolf from the sheep’s throat, for which the sheep thanks the shepherd as his liberator, while the wolf denounces him for the same act.’ (Address, 18 Apr. 1864).”

After reading this explanation, I began to wonder...which is better? If liberty is the wolf, “some men do as they please with other men…”, then eventually the wolves eat the sheep. When there are no sheep left, then the wolves must turn on each other, for they believe in doing as they please with others and they know no other way. This then results in the destruction of all. The sheep, on the other hand, may occasionally bump into each other, maybe a bite here and there, but, for the most part, they can get along just fine with the help of a good shepherd who protects them against the wolves. To me, this suggests that the best definition of liberty must lie with the sheep, “each man (may) do as he pleases with himself and the product of his labor.” Under this definition, the sheep, or the people under a common government, are most likely to flourish. In a truly free society, this must be applied equally to all within the nation: I may do with myself and my labors according to my conscience so long as my body and my labors are not used to do with others and their labors against their will.

Now that we have a common understanding of Liberty, we now must find a common moral foundation on which to build liberty within law & policy.
 

Again, “...men are free according to the flesh...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 Ne 2:27). Christ said, “I am the way, the truth…” (John 14:16). “...If ye continue in my word, then ye are my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31-32)

From these verses, we may reasonably understand that if we use our agency/liberty to follow the Savior, then we will be free. If we choose to follow the adversary, then we will be captive. I believe that such holds true for nations as well as individuals: Nations who follow the teachings of the Savior will enjoy the blessings of liberty and those who follow the teachings of the adversary will be enslaved and, when fully “ripe”, destroyed. Just as the blessings of doing good to our enemies, or the sorrows of addiction, may take time to become fully realized, so the blessings of liberty or the sorrows of captivity may take time to be fully recognized. This creates a situation in which we must trust...have faith...that these words, liberty and captivity, will be accomplished over time based on whom we choose to follow.

This definition of Liberty, that “each man (may) do as he pleases with himself and the product of his labor”, in combination with the commandments of God, are my foundation for determining how I choose to influence law and policy; when I read bills, policies, and laws, these truths act as my measures. I will often ask myself, “Does this bill/law/policy allow us to do, according to dictates of our own conscience, with ourselves and our labors or does such allow others to do as they please with us and our labors?” “Does this law show love for my neighbors and protect their liberties? For lawmakers, I encourage such to ask the same: Do the laws which I am called upon to create and enact reflect a definition of liberty which holds true to the foundational laws of the land (the Constitution and Commandments of God), which ultimately lead to greater peace and prosperity, or do they reflect a definition of liberty which will ultimately lead to it’s own destruction? In asking such a question, it is important for us to remember that whatever definition of liberty we apply should be applied to all, equally...it should not benefit one person/group at the expense of another person/group.
 

Marion G. Romney continues: “The issues have changed since the time of Lincoln, but the multipurpose use of the word liberty and its synonym freedom has not changed. The sweets of liberty about which we usually speak may be classified as (1) political independence, (2) economic freedom, and (3) free agency.
 

“I would have us strive for that liberty which comprehends all three of these freedoms, and more. I would have us strive for a freedom of the soul to which they all contribute. I would have us attain that blessed state fore-shadowed by the Prophet Joseph Smith when he said, ‘Let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God.’ (D&C 121:45) One who enjoys such liberty is, in the words of Jesus, ‘free indeed.’ (John 8:36). He is possessed of perfect liberty.”