Topic: Free Agency, Matches 41 quotes.

My independence is sacred to me. It is a portion of that same Deity that rules in the heavens. There is not a being upon the face of the earth who is made in the image of God, who stands erect and is organized as God is, that would be deprived of the free exercise of his agency so far as he does not infringe upon other’s rights, save by good advice and a good example.

Source: Brigham Young
Discourses of Brigham Young, 1943 ed., p. 62.

Topics: Free Agency

The history of the world with all its contention and strife is largely an account of man’s effort to free himself from bondage and usurpation.

Man’s free agency is an eternal principle of progress, and any form of government that curtails or inhibits its free exercise is wrong. Satan’s plan in the beginning was one of coercion, and it was rejected because he sought to destroy the agency of man which God had given him.

Source: President David O. McKay
General Conference, October 1965

Topics: Free Agency

Be Faithful to Constitutional Government

[L]et us be true to our country and to our country’s ideals. Nearly three thousand years ago an ancient prophet said that this is a land choice above all other lands (see 1 Nephi 2:20), and it is, and the Constitution of the United States, as given to us by our fathers, is the real government under which individuals may exercise free agency and individual initiative.

Let us oppose any subversive influence that would deprive us of our individual freedom or make this government a dictator instead of a servant to the people.

Source: President David O. McKay
General Conference, October 1965

Topics: Free Agency; US Constitution, Defend

Loyalty To Country

Finally, let us be true to our country and to our country’s ideals. Nearly three thousand years ago an ancient prophet said that this is a land choice above all other lands, and it is, and the government of the United States as given to us by our fathers is the real government under which individuals may exercise free agency, individual initiative.

Oh, let us oppose any subversive influence that would deprive us of our individual freedom or make this government a dictator instead of a servant to the people.

Source: President David O. McKay
General Conference, October 1951

Topics: America, Heritage; Free Agency

There are influences and movements and groups and organizations within the borders of the United States which today, if they could, would rob us all of our free agency.

Latter-day Saints, of all people, should stand firm in defense of freedom. Free agency has a special meaning to us. We know that without free agency there would be no progress. We all know that the gospel itself is based upon the principle of free agency. Yet there are some among us who have allowed themselves to slip to one side or the other, and they need to reorient themselves in line with the divine revelations we have received concerning the principle of freedom.

Source: Elder Mark E. Petersen
General Conference, April 1946

Topics: Free Agency

Joseph Smith was among the first American religionists to declare the Constitution of the United States came into being because God suffered its establishment. Read the words of the Lord to the Prophet Joseph found in section 101, verse 77:

According to the laws and constitution of the people, which I have suffered to be established, and should be maintained for the rights and protection of all flesh, according to just and holy principles.

May I be permitted to digress long enough to say that any member of this Church or any citizen of this great republic that advocates the idea that the Constitution of the United States should be relegated to the past is on dangerous ground, for such a proposition destroys one of the fundamentals upon which true religion and democratic government are founded, namely the principle of free agency. Free agency, so far as the Church of Jesus Christ is concerned, is the foundation upon which the whole Gospel plan was formulated in the pre-existent world.

Source: Elder Joseph L. Wirthlin
General Conference, April 1943

Topics: America, Heritage; Free Agency

. . . I . . . say that there are conditions when entrance into war is justifiable, and when a Christian nation may, without violation of principles, take up arms against an opposing force.

Such a condition, however, is not a real or fancied insult given by one nation to another. When this occurs proper reparation may be made by mutual understanding, apology, or by arbitration.

Neither is there justifiable cause found in a desire or even a need for territorial expansion. The taking of territory implies the subjugation of the weak by the strong—the application of the jungle law.

Nor is war justified in an attempt to enforce a new order of government, or even to impel others to a particular form of worship, however better the government or eternally true the principles of the enforced religion may be.

There are, however, two conditions which may justify a truly Christian man to enter—mind you, I say enter, not begin—a war: (1) An attempt to dominate and to deprive another of his free agency, and, (2) Loyalty to his country. Possibly there is a third, viz., Defense of a weak nation that is being unjustly crushed by a strong, ruthless one.

Source: President David O. McKay
General Conference, April 1942

Topics: Free Agency; War

One of the great fundamentals advocated by the founders of this American nation was that of frugal administration of government affairs. Never before in the history of the world has there been such an extravagant expenditure of the people’s money.

Someone made reference to four or five freedoms. We have had more than four or five freedoms, for I think of at least the sixth one—the right under the Constitution of the United States for every man to work how, when, or where he will—and that right has disappeared. It is gone and now lies in the hands of a group who rule the laboring class of the United States.

I point out these few facts to you in substantiation of the point that as a people and a government we are on the high road of apostasy from that inspired Bill of Rights bequeathed to us by the founders of this great republic.

Source: Elder Joseph L. Wirthlin
General Conference, October 1941

Topics: Bill of Rights; Free Agency; Rights

Compulsion does not belong to the theory of government in the Kingdom of God. There are many man-made governments where they seek to control the actions of others, even in their religion and everything else. All this is contrary to the mind and will of God. He desires that every man shall be free “to choose his life, and what he’ll be, for this eternal truth is given, that God will force no man to heaven.”

Source: Elder Rulon S. Wells
General Conference, April 1941

Topics: Free Agency

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