No other government on the face of the earth has created a document which is designed to protect the free agency of mankind more than the U.S. Constitution.The war in heaven occurred based on one particular issue, the ability to use agency freely.
The sole purpose of a government establishment in this nation is to enforce the existence of freedoms so that we may indeed use our agency. Without a government properly established to protect our unalienable rights to choose, we would become nothing more than the third of the hosts of heaven who elected the alternative plan. Our “lives, liberty and our possession of property” is what is most critically tied to our exercise of freedom. Any government that would uphold our freedoms must be willing to uphold the freedoms in all 3 of these aspects.
If our property is forced to be taken from us and allocated to someone else, where is our choice for charity? If we do not control property, which God has bestowed upon us, then we have nothing to govern here on earth and thus nothing to exert our freedom of choice upon. If we are forced as to what to believe, then we have no agency over what we do and say. In order for there truly to be opposition in all things, both sides of an opposition must be effectively accessible. This does not occur if freedom of choice does not exist.
However, given that a government is given a great deal of power, although bestowed such by a free people, there is still the tendency to abuse such power. (See D&C 121:39) This is why the U.S. Constitution is so important not only to our nation, but to rest of the world and to our eternal lives.
The U.S. Constitution was much more than a brave act of a few men centuries ago. It was an act that the Lord had a great hand in orchestrating. We are told that the Lord himself raised up these men for that particular time to create such a document, that the generations to follow may have true freedom to live His Gospel. (See D&C 101:80)
Today we have the Constitution as a measure by which we can see for ourselves if an act of government is just or unjust. What are we given such a measure for if we are not to proactively hold our government accountable in such a manner as to ensure that the Constitution is upheld as the benchmark of all government actions?
This land today would easily be at the mercy of a monarchy or a communistic ruler if it were not for the blood and sacrifice of our forefathers. It would not foster the freedom to act that we now enjoy today. It’s ironic however, that the very freedoms the Constitution protects are the very ones we hesitate to use on our own behalf in order to ensure that this nation remains as the Lord would desire.
Ezra Taft Benson is one of many prophets who reverences the U.S. Constitution.
Let us understand, the freedom to choose is not a right bestowed upon us by a government. It is bestowed upon us eternally by a loving Heavenly Father. He has only given us more ability to choose by providing us with this nation and has inspired the Constitution to come forth that our freedoms may not be held in bondage by any of the hosts of heaven who would fight for Satan’s plan. However, when all is said and done, the Constitution amounts to nothing more than a piece of paper if our lives are not focused on protecting the freedoms that “heavenly banner” reinforce for us. Just as the Book of Mormon fails to benefit our lives without our focus of it, so too does the U.S. Constitution become meaningless without our brave stands to hold it high.
There are countless injustices which have been performed by the hands of our government which threaten to usurp the wisdom of the U.S. Constitution. These wrongs can only be righted if we are willing to raise our modern-day Titles of Liberty in the form of letters, e-mails, faxes, editorials, and every other conceivable proactive acts which will hold the government accountable to this inspired document. Not having an understanding of the Constitution so that you are able to defend it, recognize its truths, and recognize when it’s been violated is just as much a transgression as other deadly sins of omission such as church and temple attendance, scripture reading, personal and family prayers, etc. Sins of omission are not the lesser sins. In fact they tend to have the greater impact on the execution of sins of commission.
As we read the Book of Mormon over and over again, and we see the same story unfold numerous times, do we not wonder why we were given these particular accounts to read?
Why, in spite of the Jaredites being on this land so much longer than the Nephites, do we have so much more Nephite history than the Jaredites? Could it be because the Nephite government better represented our own today—that of self-governing? Why are these scenarios of government overthrow brought to our attention again and again? If you read them from the perspective of how the government’s violation of the law of the land was the undoing of the prosperity of the people (both spiritually and materially) then perhaps you can appreciate just how important this aspect is to our salvation as well. (See 3 Nephi chapters 1-7)
We have the truth of the Gospel. We have covenanted to build up His kingdom here on the earth. We must be proponents of freedom in everything we do and not embrace one iota of socialism. The Constitution in this land makes that possible as it allows us to follow eternal truths. We must fully support both the Gospel, and the armor which helps protect the Gospel in order to bring the Gospel unto all.
Copyright 2009 Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved. You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Kellene Bishop.
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