Topic: Free Agency, Matches 41 quotes.

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

The Lord Himself has always favored government by the people. You will remember that in the days of Samuel the Prophet the Lord instructed him to let the people have whatever form of government they desired. They clamored for a dictator, a king, and because the Lord respected the right of free-will and human choice, because He recognized the right of men to govern themselves, and that it is better that humanity be self-governed, even though they are poorly governed, than to be compelled to obey even the divine law, He told the Prophet to let the people have a king, a dictator, since they insisted upon it. And the Bible tells us that after the decision of the Israelites to have a king, their dictatorial rulers wasted the substance of the people, they took away their personality and their freedom, and oppressed them with heavy taxes and other burdens. Instead of making a government for the people, as in a democracy, the people became the subjects of the dictators who did not rule for the good of the many but to bring power, wealth and idleness to a few.

Source: Elder Richard R. Lyman
General Conference, October 1940

Topics: Free Agency; Kings

Two Antagonistic Forces At War

These great present-day battles, to which I have referred, the greatest of all time, are contests between two forces which are utterly antagonistic. One of these is impelled by the despotic passion to rule mankind and rob human beings of their free agency, and the other has for its cherished ideal the right and ability of man to rule himself. The one contemplates government dominated by dictators; the other is the plan of the Almighty who created men free and equal and endowed them with the right and the intelligence to be their own sovereigns. The Creator never intended that a tyrant should assume the role of dictator and lord it over the sons and daughters of God under the despotic motto: “Might makes right.”

Source: Elder Richard R. Lyman
General Conference, October 1940

Topics: Free Agency; Tyranny

To every man, says Joseph Smith, is given an inherent power to do right or to do wrong. In this he has his free agency. He may choose the right and obtain salvation, or he may choose evil and merit abomination.

A man may act as his conscience dictates so long as he does not infringe upon the rights of others. That is the spirit of true democracy, and all government by the Priesthood should be actuated by that same high motive.

Source: President David O. McKay
General Conference, October 1938

Topics: Free Agency

The fostering of full economic freedom lies at the base of our liberties. Only in perpetuating economic freedom can our social, political, and religious liberties be preserved.

Source: David O McKay
Church News, 12 Mar. 1952, p. 2

Topics: Economics; Free Agency

These two things [The Free Agency of Man and The Knowledge of Good and Evil] are God-given attributes. We inherited them from our divine parents. They are not the gift of any government—they are our inalienable rights with which we have been endowed by our Creator and we may not rightfully be deprived of them by any human power.

Source: Elder Rulon S. Wells
General Conference, April 1935

Topics: Free Agency

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