In our church we are taught that the founding of America was inspired by God and brought about by His sustaining power (1 Nephi 13:12-19). As Mormons we acknowledge His hand in the provenance of our founding documents, and the structure and operation of government established thereby. The principles set forth in the Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Bill of Rights are to us self-evident (at least to those of us not named Harry Reid, apparently).
Those principles and that framework are under heavy attack right now. At its heart, this struggle goes all the way back to the pre-existence: individual liberty (agency) versus central control. It is an eternal irony that although this central control is always pronounced as being on behalf of, or in the interest of, the many or the collective, it unfailingly ends up ultimately serving the interest of an elite few (or one).
It may be that this impetus to central control comes from some sort of evolutionary imperative that is inherent within any organized body - this I do not know. Whether the urge is internal or from an external source such as Lucifer and his minions, however, it is clear that it can only be overcome by education on the part of the individual, and a consistent, diligent effort on his part to prevent his God-given agency from being encroached upon.
Where am I going with this? Recently I have had cause to consider the history and progression of the LDS church, and it seems to me that the same alarming trends toward centralization of power that are seen in our political governments can be observed in the bodies of our church government as well. How many of us actually believe D&C 107:36? Should we not be as zealous in safeguarding our rights and liberties in the latter realm as in the former?
It has been said that that man who would sacrifice his liberty for security deserves neither, and I believe this to be equally true in both spheres. There may be security in following a prophet, but is this what the Lord truly intends for us? Agency is not freedom to choose, it is the freedom to bear responsibility or accountability for the choices that we make. It would certainly be safer and easier to place that burden on the shoulders of a prophet, and claim that we are just following the Lord's anointed, but is it really that easy?
Might not the real test be to see if we will jealously safeguard that agency that He has given us, and stand on our own feet? If we would become like Him, must we not learn to fight our own battles, to learn to not be deceived so that we can come unto Him and receive all that he would give us?
Salvation will not come from Washington, DC - nor will it come from Salt Lake City. It will come from building up our homes and neighborhoods, from sharing the burdens of those in our lives not because we are told to, but because we choose to. In so doing we all grow together and come to a knowledge of Christ in ourselves, not by having someone else hand it to us.
