Russell M. Nelson 1924-

“A strong human spirit with control over appetites of the flesh is master over emotions and passions and not a slave to them. That kind of freedom is as vital to the spirit as oxygen is to the body! Freedom from self-slavery is true liberation!” (“Accomplishing the Impossible: What God Does, What We Can Do,” Conference Report October 2013)

“One’s religion is not imposed by others. It is not predetermined. It is a very personal and sacred choice, nestled at the very core of human dignity. Therefore, care must be exercised to assure that government remains truly neutral in matters of religion, not only in lip-service and constitutional guarantees, but also in impartial application of the law. Individuals and institutions are naturally inclined to seek preference over others, but the state must not yield to those inclinations. To discriminate in favor of one religion, using non-religious labels such as ‘culture’ or ‘history,’ is to discriminate against others. If the state allows dominance of any one religious institution over another, discrimination results, allowing unequal treatment and regrettable restriction of other religious societies.” (from the International Scientific and Practical Conference, March 16, 2005)

“Obedience allows God’s blessings to flow without constraint. He will bless His obedient children with freedom from bondage and misery. And He will bless them with more light.” (“Face the Future with Faith,” Conference Report April 2017)

“Principles of agency pertain on both sides of the veil. There, in postmortal realms, personal choice and accountability will be of paramount importance.” (“The Spirit of Elijah,” Ensign, Nov. 1994, p. 84).

Thomas S. Monson 1927-2018

“When we safeguard (the heavenly virtue of freedom), when we honor it, when we protect it, we will walk with Washington, we will pray with patriots, and we shall have peace on earth, good will to men.” (“Choir Honored for Love of God, Country.” LDS Church News, 26 November 1988)

“We forget how the Greeks and Romans prevailed magnificently in a barbaric world and how that triumph ended—how a slackness and softness finally overcame them to their ruin. In the end, more than they wanted freedom, they wanted security and a comfortable life; and they lost all—comfort and security and freedom.” (“The World Needs Pioneers Today“, Ensign 2013)

“President Monson told of having gone to eastern Germany in August. He said he was reminded of tense scenes during his first visit 27 years earlier. “Back then, the flame of freedom had flickered and burned low,” he related. “A wall of shame sprang up, and a curtain of iron came down. Hope was all but snuffed out. Life . . . continued on in faith, nothing wavering. Patient waiting was required. An abiding trust in God marked the life of each Latter-day Saint.”

“When I made my initial visit beyond the wall, it was a time of fear on the part of our members as they struggled in the performance of their duties. I found the dullness of despair on the faces of many passersby but a bright and beautiful expression of love emanating from our members.”

President Monson said that he was touched by the members’ sincerity, and humbled by their poverty. “They had so little,” he said. “My heart filled with sorrow because they had no patriarch. They had no wards or stakes-just branches. They could not receive temple blessings-neither endowment nor sealing. No official visitor had come from Church headquarters in a long time. The members were forbidden to leave the country. Yet, they trusted in the Lord with all their hearts, and they leaned not to their own understanding. In all their ways they acknowledged Him, and He directed their paths. I stood at the pulpit, and with tear-filled eyes and a voice choked with emotion, I made a promise to the people: ‘If you will remain true and faithful to the commandments of God, every blessing any member of the Church enjoys in any other country will be yours.’ ”

President Monson said that the heavenly virtue of patience was required. “Little by little the promise was fulfilled,” he said. “First, patriarchs were ordained, then lesson manuals produced. Wards were formed and stakes created. Chapels and stake centers were begun, completed and dedicated. Then miracle of miracles, a holy temple of God was permitted, . . . Finally, after an absence of 50 years, approval was granted for full-time missionaries to enter the nation and for local youth to serve elsewhere in the world. Then, like the wall of Jericho, the Berlin Wall crumbled and freedom, with its attendant responsibilities, returned.”

The final part of the promise was fulfilled when President Monson and his wife, Frances, and Elder Dieter Uchtdorf and his wife, Harriet, went to Goerlitz, the very city where the promise was given 27 years earlier, and dedicated a beautiful meetinghouse there Aug. 27. The precious promise was thus fulfilled.” (“Seek Heavenly Virtue of Patience,” LDS Church News, 7 October 1995.)

Gordon B. Hinckley (1910-2008)

“[The Constitution] is the keystone of our nation. It is the guarantee of our liberty. That original document, with the Bill of Rights, constitutes the charter of our freedom. Through all of the years that have followed we have had some ambitious men who have sought to subvert the great principles of the Constitution, but somehow we have endured one crisis after another. We have been involved in terrible wars during this, the bloodiest of all centuries in the history of man. All of this is part of the miracle that is America, the struggle, the travail, the bitterness, the jealousies, the cynicism, and the criticism. But beyond and above it all is the wonder of a nation that for more than two centuries has remained free and independent and strong, the envy of the world, the hope of the world, the protection of free men everywhere, the manifestation of the power of the Almighty.” (“Keep Faith with America”, commencement address at Weber State University, Ogden, Utah on 6 May 1999)

“As I have stood before the cross that marks [my brother’s] grave, I have thanked God for the cause for which he died, for the great and eternal concepts” of human dignity, liberty, and freedom to worship, speak and assemble. Those concepts were handed down by God to the framers of the U.S. Constitution…I pray that America may always be worthy of [God’s] blessing. There is no place for arrogance among us. There is no place for conceit or egotism. As we look to God, we will grow in strength.” (Salt Lake LDS Tabernacle, American Legion’s 78th National Convention, Sunday, September 1, 1996)

Ezra Taft Benson 1899-1994

“The greatest right humans possess is the right of free choice, free will, free agency.” (Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson [1988], p.691)

“The time is fast approaching when it will require great courage for Latter-day Saints to stand up for their peculiar standards and doctrine—all of their doctrine, including the more weighty principles such as the principle of freedom. Opposition to this weighty principle of freedom caused many of our brothers and sisters in the pre-existence to lose their first estate in the war in heaven.” (Conference Report, April 1963)

“The fight for freedom is God’s fight. Freedom is a law of God, a permanent law. Men cannot break it with impunity. They can only break themselves upon it. When a man stands for freedom, he stands for God. As long as he stands for freedom, he stands with God. And were he to stand alone, he would still stand with God. Any man will be eternally vindicated and rewarded for his stand for freedom. The Lord has so endowed this matter of freedom with such everlasting repercussions that it sifted the spirits of men before this world in the Great War in heaven, and it seems today to be THE CENTRAL ISSUE that is sifting those who are left in the world. Life’s failures arise when men neither take the time nor find the season to perform their eternal duties.” (An Enemy Hath Done This, pp. 54-55)

“I don’t know how you feel, my brethren and sisters, but I’d rather be dead than to lose my liberty. I have no fear we’ll ever lose it because of invasion from the outside. But I do have fear that it may slip away from us because of our own indifference, our own negligence, as citizens of this land. And so I plead with you this morning that you take an active interest in matters pertaining to the future of this country.” (“The LDS Church and Politics”, BYU Devotional, December 1, 1952)

“The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints proclaims that life is eternal, that it has purpose…[God has a] plan…for the benefit and blessing of us, His children. … Basic to [that] all-important plan is our free agency. … The right of choice … runs like a golden thread throughout the gospel … for the blessing of His
children.: (The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson [1988], pp. 80-81.)

Spencer W. Kimball (1895-1985)

“Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness” (D&C 58:27.) All men have been given special powers and within certain limitations should develop those powers, give vent to their own imaginations, and not become rubber stamps. They should develop their own talents and abilities and capacities to their limit and use them to build up the kingdom. (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball [1982], p.257)

“You probably think you have found a new freedom: to think wholly for yourself, to make wholly your own determinations, to criticize and decide for yourself what is right and wrong. That was decided eternities ago. Right and wrong are not to be determined by you or me. Those elements were decided for us before our birth. We have the free agency to do the right or do the wrong, but who are we to alter those changeless things? W e can scoff at sacred things, express our own little opinions, but remember that millions of men and women with keener minds than ours, with more erudite training than yours and mine, have said things and done things more startling, more ugly, more skeptical than you or I could think of. Millions have gone down the path you are entering. They have all come to grief or will ultimately. Shall the violin say to Tony Stradivarius, “You did not make me”? Shall the created thing question the creator?” (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball [1982], p.160)

“Of course we can choose; the free agency is ours, but we cannot escape the consequences of our choice.” (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball [1982], p.195)

“Men have free agency, as the Lord has made clear. They may do right or wrong but they cannot escape the responsibility of answering for their errors if they are normal individuals.” (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball [1982], p.159)

Harold B. Lee (1899-1973)

“Now there is another important understanding that we have from the scriptures. W e are all free agents, which means to some people who manifest a spirit of rebellion that they are free to do anything they please, but that is not the correct meaning of free agency as the prophets have declared in the scriptures where free agency has been defined: “they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great mediation of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil” (2 Nephi 2:27.) (Stand Ye In Holy Places [1974], p.11)

“As an essential to the obtaining of a fulness of [the] attributes and qualities [of godhood], man has been given his free agency, that he should act for himself and choose his course according to his own pleasure. As mortals, we have this priceless heritage; but like reckless spendthrifts that we are, we often squander our precious treasure in riotous living and return to eat the husks with our Father’s swine.” (The Teachings of Harold B. Lee, edited by Clyde J. Williams [1996], p.75)

“But, you ask, why does God, if He truly loves his children, permit Satan to tempt us and thereby jeopardize our chances to gain the best experiences in mortality and return to enjoy eternal life in His presence? The answer is given by a great prophet-teacher: “Wherefore, the Lord God gave unto man that he should act for himself. Wherefore, man could not act for himself save it should be that he was enticed by the one [which is evil] or the other [which is good].” (2 Nephi 2:16.) Think about that for a moment. If there were no opposition to good, would there be any chance to exercise your agency or right to choose? To deny you that privilege would be to deny you the opportunity to grow in knowledge, experience, and power. God has given laws with penalties affixed so that man might be made afraid of sin and be guided into paths of truth and duty.  (Stand Ye In Holy Places, p.219)

Joseph Fielding Smith (1876-1972)

“The Lord does not delight in the punishment of men. He is kind enough to grant to each his freedom to merit blessings or punishment according to his free will or pleasure. It never was the intention of the Lord to destroy, in the sense of annihilation, any of the souls of his children. His great object is to save them all, if they will freely partake of the blessings of salvation.” (Doctrines of Salvation, 3 Vols. [1954-56], 2:227)

“This great gift of agency, that is the privilege given to man to make his own choice, has never been revoked, and it never will be. It is an eternal principle giving freedom of thought and action to every soul. No person, by any decree of the Father, has ever been compelled to do good; no person has ever been forced to do evil. Each may act for himself. It was Satan’s plan to destroy this agency and force men to do his will. There could be no satisfactory existence without this great gift. Men must have the privilege to choose even to the extent that they may rebel against the divine decrees. Of course, salvation and exaltation must come through the free will without coercion and by individual merit in order that righteous rewards may be given and proper punishment be meted out to the transgressor. Therefore, when the great day of the Lord shall come, the wicked who have merited banishment from a righteous government will be consumed, or the privilege of continuance on the earth will be denied.” (Answers to Gospel Questions 5 vols. [1957-66], 2:20)

“What of our own country? The Lord raised up honorable men to make it a land of freedom, and he declared: “It is not right that any man should be in bondage one to another. And for this purpose have I established the Constitution of this land, by the hands of wise men whom I raised up unto this very purpose, and redeemed the land by the shedding of blood” (D&C 101:79–80). (Doctrines of Salvation 3:273)

“I have heard people say, and members of the Church too, “I have a right to do as I please.” My answer is: No, you do not. You haven’t any right at all to do just as you please. There is only one right that you have, and that is to do just what I read to you: keep the commandments of Jesus Christ. He has a perfect right to tell us so. We have
no right to refuse. I do not care who the man is; I do not care where he lives, or what he is–when the gospel of Jesus Christ is presented to him, he has no right to refuse to receive it. He has the privilege. He is not compelled to receive it, because our Father in heaven has given to every one of us in the Church and out, the gift of free agency. That free agency gives us the privilege to accept and be loyal to our Lord’s commandments, but it has never given us the right to reject them. Every man who rejects the commandments of our Father in heaven is rebellious.” (Conference Report, April 1967, pp.120-121)

David O. McKay (1873-1970)

“Men may choose the right or they may choose the wrong; they may walk in darkness or they may walk in the light; and, mind you, God has not left his children without the light. He has given them in the various dispensations of the world the light of the gospel wherein they could walk and not stumble, wherein they could find that peace and happiness which he desires, as a loving Father, his children should enjoy, but the Lord does not take from them their free agency.” (Gospel Ideals [1953], p.301)

“The Magna Carta… was an expression of freedom-loving men against a usurping king. It was a guarantee of civil and personal liberty. These guarantees later found fuller and complete expression in the Constitution of the United States.” (Stepping Stones to an Abundant Life, p.88)

Close up of the Constitution of the United States of America

We should feel grateful that we are not hampered nor hindered in any way by a government that would presume to tell us how to worship, what to worship, or how to build. I wonder how many of us kneel down and thank the Lord for that freedom vouchsafed to us by the Constitution of the United States, a step towards the liberty, the freedom mentioned by the Savior when he said, “If ye continue in my word . . . ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” [John 8:32].

Very seldom do we think of our God-given privileges to exercise the freedom which dates back to the Constitution, even to the Declaration of Independence.

William E. Gladstone, having read the Constitution one hundred years after it had been in force, said:

The American Constitution is, so far as I can see, the most wonderful work ever struck off at a given time by the brain and purpose of men. It has had a century of trial, under the pressure of exigencies caused by an expansion unexampled in point of rapidity and range; and its exemption from formal change, though not entire, has certainly proved the sagacity of the constructors and the stubborn strength of the fabric…

Do we feel to thank God for the freedom we have here in this country?” (Man May Know for Himself, pp.388-89)

George Albert Smith (1870-1951)

“We should be deeply concerned in the welfare of the nation, and sustain good and great men, as the Lord has commanded us, in order that we may continue to enjoy freedom.” (Conference Report, Apr 1914, 11)

“Since the God of this choice land is Jesus Christ, we know that his philosophy of free agency should prevail here. Thou didst amply demonstrate this great principle to us by raising up wise men for the very purpose of giving us our constitutional form of government, concerning which thou hast said:

. . . I have suffered to be established, and should be maintained for the rights and protection of all flesh, according to just and holy principles; That every man may act in doctrine and principle pertaining to futurity, according to the moral agency which I have given unto him, that every man may be accountable for his own sins in the day of judgment. Therefore, it is not right that any man should be in bondage one to another. And for this purpose have I established the Constitution of this land, by the hands of wise men whom I raised up unto this very purpose. . . (D&C 101:77–80.)

There are those, our Heavenly Father, both within and without our borders, who would destroy the constitutional form of government which thou hast so magnanimously given us, and would replace it with a form that would curtail, if not altogether deprive, man of his free agency. We pray thee, therefore, that in all these matters thou wilt help us to conform our lives to thy desires, and that thou wilt sustain us in our resolve so to do. We pray thee that thou wilt inspire good and just men everywhere to be willing to sacrifice for, support, and uphold the Constitution and the government set up under it and thereby preserve for man his agency.

We thank thee that thou hast revealed to us that those who gave us our constitutional form of government were men wise in thy sight and that thou didst raise them up for the very purpose of putting forth that sacred document.

Wilt thou, O our Father, bless the Chief Executive of this land that his heart and will may be to preserve to us and our posterity the free institutions thy Constitution has provided. Wilt thou, too, bless the legislative and judicial branches of our government as well as the executive, that all may function fully and courageously in their respective branches completely independent of each other to the preservation of our constitutional form of government forever.

We pray that kings and rulers and the peoples of all nations under heaven may be persuaded of the blessings enjoyed by the people of this land by reason of their freedom under thy guidance and be constrained to adopt similar governmental systems, thus to fulfill the ancient prophecy of Isaiah that “. . . out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” (Dedicatory Prayer of the Idaho Falls Temple)

Heber J. Grant (1856-1945)

“We are told in this same Doctrine and Covenants that we should be anxiously engaged in laboring and bringing to pass many good works, of our own free will and accord. The power is in us wherein we are agents unto ourselves. We should not wait to be commanded in all things. He that is compelled in all things is a slothful and not a wise servant. We should have the ambition, we should have the desire, we should make up our minds that, so far as the Lord Almighty has given to us talent, we will do our full share in the battle of life. It should be a matter of pride that no man shall do more than you will do, in proportion to your ability, in forwarding the work of God here upon the earth. That has been my ambition all my life—to do my full share.” (Gospel Standards [1981], p. 39)

“We are trusted by the Lord. We are agents. We have our free will. And when the battle of life is over, we have had the ability and the power and the capacity to have done those things which the Lord required us to do and we cannot blame anybody else.” (Gospel Standards [1981], p.63)

Joseph F. Smith (1838-1918)

“The free agency of man is a fundamental principle which, according to the tenets of the Church, even God Himself does not suppress.” (Teachings Of Presidents Of The Church: Joseph F. Smith [1998], p.283)

“There are many blessings, however, which are common to the human family, which all enjoy, without regard to their moral status or religious convictions. God has given to all men an agency, and has granted to us the privilege to serve Him or serve Him not, to do that which is right or that which is wrong, and this privilege is given to all men irrespective of creed, color or condition. The wealthy have this agency, the poor have this agency, and no man is deprived by any power of God from exercising it in the fullest and in the freest manner. This agency has been given to all. This is a blessing that God has bestowed upon the world of mankind, upon all His children alike. But He will hold us strictly to an account for the use that we make of this agency.” (Journal of Discourses, 26 vols. [1967], 24:176)

Lorenzo Snow (1814-1901)

“We cannot be forced into living a celestial law; we must do this ourselves, of our own free will.” (Teachings of Lorenzo Snow [1984], p.166)

“Now, I believe in the independence of men and women. I believe that men and women have the image of God-given them-are formed after the image of God, and possess deity in their nature and character, and that their spiritual organization possesses the qualities and properties of God, and that there is the principle of God in every individual. It is designed that man should act as God, and not be constrained and controlled in everything, but have an independency, an agency and the power to spread abroad and act according to the principle of godliness that is in him, act according to the power and intelligence and enlightenment of God, that he possesses, and not that he should be watched continually, and be controlled, and act as a slave in these matters.” (The Teachings of Lorenzo Snow, ed. by Clyde J. Williams [1984], p.4.)

Wilford Woodruff (1807-1898)

“For God has given to every man individual agency, and He will hold him accountable for the use of this agency.” (Delivered by President Wilford Woodruff, at the General Conference, Sunday afternoon, October 6, 1889. Collected Discourses, 5 vols. Ed. Brian H. Stuy, Vol. 1)

“The Lord Almighty never created a world like this and peopled it for six thousand years, as He has done, without having some motive in view. That motive was, that we might come here and exercise our agency. The probation we are called upon to pass through is intended to elevate us so that we can dwell in the presence of God our Father. And that eternal variety of character which existed in the heavens among the spirits–from God upon his throne down to Lucifer the son of the morning–exists here upon the earth. That variety will remain upon the earth in the creations of God, and for what I know, throughout the endless ages of eternity. Men will occupy different glories and positions according to their lives–according to the law they keep the flesh.” (The Discourses of Wilford Woodruff [1946], p.8)

“God has given unto all of his children of this dispensation, as he gave unto all of his children of previous dispensations, individual agency. This agency has always been the heritage of man under the rule and government of God. [We] possessed it in the heaven of heavens before the world was, and the Lord maintained and defended it there against the aggression of Lucifer and those that took sides with him, to the overthrow of Lucifer and one-third part of the heavenly hosts [see Revelation 12:1-9; D&C 29:36-37; Moses 4:1-4]. By virtue of this agency you and I and all mankind are made responsible beings, responsible for the course we pursue, the lives we live, the deeds we do in the body. “(Teachings Of Presidents Of The Church: Wilford Woodruff [2004], p.205)

John Taylor (1808-1887)

“We talk sometimes about free will. Is that a correct principle? Yes. And it is a principle that has always existed, and proceeded from God, our Heavenly Father. When God revealed himself to Joseph Smith, it was optional whether he obeyed his counsel or not. I suppose, however, looking at things as they exist, and as they are in truth, God understood that he would do it, he having been selected for that purpose a long, long time ago. And [I suppose] that the Lord knew that he would adhere to those principles and would carry out the designs of heaven as they should be communicated unto and required of him.” (The Gospel Kingdom [1943], p.59)

“Besides the preaching of the gospel, we have another mission, namely, the perpetuation of the free agency of man and the maintenance of liberty, freedom, and the rights of man. There are certain principles that belong to humanity outside of the Constitution, outside of the laws outside of all the enactments and plans of man, among which is the right to live. God gave us the right and no man: No government gave it to us, and no government has a right to take it away from us. We have a right to liberty–that was a right that God gave to all men; and if there has been oppression, fraud, or tyranny in the earth, it has been the result of the wickedness and corruptions of men and has always been opposed to God and the principles of truth, righteousness, virtue, and all principles that are calculated to elevate mankind.” (The Gospel Kingdom [1944], p.222)

“What is it that will enable one man to govern his fellows aright? It is just as Joseph Smith said to a certain man who asked him,”How do you govern such a vast people as this?” “Oh,” says Joseph, “it is very easy.”“Why,” says the man “but we find it very difficult.” “But,” said Joseph, “it is very easy, for I teach the people correct principles, and they govern themselves.” (The Gospel Kingdom [1987], p.323)

Brigham Young (1801-1877)

“What is the foundation of the rights of man? The Lord Almighty has organized man for the express purpose of becoming an independent being like unto Himself, and has given him his individual agency. Man is made in the likeness of his Creator, the great archetype of the human species, who bestowed upon him the principles of eternity, planting immortality within him, and leaving him at liberty to act in the way that seemeth good unto him, to choose or refuse for himself …. As I have just stated, the Lord Almighty has organized every human creature for the express purpose of becoming independent, and has designed that they should be capable of receiving the
principles of eternity to a fulness; and when they have received them unto a fulness, they are made perfect, like unto the Son of Man, and become Gods, even the Sons of God.” (Journal of Discourses, 26 vols [1967], 2:314)

“The volition of the creature is free; this is a law of their existence and the Lord cannot violate his own law; were he to do that, he would cease to be God. He has placed life and death before his children, and it is for them to choose. If they choose life, they receive the blessing of life; if they choose death, they must abide the penalty. This is a law which has always existed from all eternity, and will continue to exist throughout all the eternities to come. Every intelligent being must have the power of choice, and God brings forth the results of the acts of his creatures to promote his Kingdom and subserve his purposes in the salvation and exaltation of his children.” (Discourses of Brigham Young [1954], p.62)

“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.” (Discourses of Brigham Young [1954], p.62)

Joseph Smith (1805-1944)

To read more of Delisa’s articles, click here.

“Come, all ye lovers of liberty, break the oppressor’s rod, loose the iron grasp of mobocracy, and bring to condign punishment all those who trample underfoot the glorious Constitution and the people’s rights.” (History of the Church 6:499)

Delisa Hargrove

I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I have moved 64 times and have not tired of experiencing this beautiful earth! I love the people, languages, histories/anthropologies, & especially religious cultures of the world. My life long passion is the study & searching out of religious symbolism, specifically related to ancient & modern temples. My husband Anthony and I love our bulldog Stig, adventures, traveling, movies, motorcycling, and time with friends and family.

Raised by the daughter of Pharaoh, he likely could have claimed the throne of Egypt if he had desired it. Instead, he identified with his own people, the house of Israel. And when the time was right and the Lord’s prophet was prepared (whether this prophet realized he was prepared or not), Moses was called to deliver the children of Israel from bondage in Egypt.

First, the Lord tells Moses that He does know of the trials that Israel is experiencing:

“I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians.” (Exodus 3:7-8)

Sometimes it is easy for us to think that we suffer our trials alone. But as the Lord tells us here, He is mindful of us and does know of our sorrows, and He is prepared to deliver us. But notice here what His solution is:

“Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.” (Exodus 3:10)

The Lord was going to deliver Israel, but His plan was not to come down and talk to Pharaoh Himself. Instead, His plan was to work through His prophet. Throughout the ages, we have seen this pattern repeated.

President Spencer W. Kimball, the twelfth prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, once said: “God does notice us, and He watches over us. But it is usually through another person that he meets our needs.” This is the Lord’s pattern of doing things. Among the other things this accomplishes, it requires us to stretch and grow so that we may meet the needs of others around us. Sometimes this may seem like a burden, but it is truly a great opportunity for us as we rise to meet the challenge.

And suddenly Moses felt the weight of this responsibility given to him:

“Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?” (Exodus 3:11)

Just like many of us do when we are given new responsibilities, Moses felt dreadfully inadequate. He sincerely wondered how he could even do this great thing the Lord had asked him to do. Perhaps he wondered if someone else could do it better than he could.

Sometimes we think of our prophets as something like superheroes who never worry about anything, come by their abilities naturally, and always know exactly what to do. But the story of Moses shows us that this is not the case. Moses was terribly concerned about his abilities to carry out this assignment. The Lord’s next words to him must have been a comfort to him:

“Certainly I will be with thee.” (Exodus 3:12)

The Lord went on to teach Moses some miracles that he could perform to testify to the people of Israel that his call came from God. And he again reassured him that He would be with him:

“I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.” (Exodus 4:12).

We have to remember that this is the Lord’s work that we’re doing. He wants this work to succeed, and He wants us to succeed at it. So we don’t need to be afraid in the face of our own inadequacies as we are doing the work of the Lord, because He will be there to help us. Ether 12:27 in the Book of Mormon tells us:

“And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.”

Our weaknesses can be made strengths as we turn them over to the Lord and as we truly seek to do His work.

This post was originally published in November 2007. Minor changes have been made.

Katie P

And behold, Enoch saw the day of the coming of the Son of Man, even in the flesh; and his soul rejoiced, saying: The Righteous is lifted up, and the Lamb is slain from the foundation of the world.

To a lesser extent, prophets became a type of, or mirrored, Christ’s eternal symbol of the sacrificial lamb slain in finality of divine mission.

Joseph Smith

Joseph Smith Jr.

When Joseph went to Carthage to deliver himself up to the pretended requirements of the law, two or three days previous to his assassination, he said: “I am going like a lamb to the slaughter; but I am calm as a summer’s morning; I have a conscience void of offense towards God, and towards all men. I shall die innocent, and it shall yet be said of me—he was murdered in cold blood.”

In Doctrine and Covenants 135:4, John Taylor recorded Joseph Smith’s prophecy of his own death. John Taylor testified that Joseph,

. . . like most of the Lord’s anointed in ancient times, has sealed his mission and his works with his own blood.

What other prophets sealed their testimonies with their own deaths?

Abinadi

And [King Noah] said unto him: Abinadi, we have found an accusation against thee, and thou art worthy of death.

 

Now Abinadi said unto him: I say unto you, I will not recall the words which I have spoken unto you concerning this people, for they are true; and that ye may know of their surety I have suffered myself that I have fallen into your hands.

 

Yea, and I will suffer even until death, and I will not recall my words, and they shall stand as a testimony against you. And if ye slay me ye will shed innocent blood, and this shall also stand as a testimony against you at the last day.

King Noah and his wicked priest burned Abinadi at the stake, even after he declared that his death would testify against them.

John the Baptist

But when Herod’s birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod.

 

Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask.

 

And she, being before instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John Baptist’s head in a charger.

Herod beheaded John the Baptist and gave John’s head to Salome as promised.

Stephen

And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.

Brought to trial and condemned because of false witnesses, Stephen testified of Jesus Christ and His divine mission.  Stephen also testified that many prophets suffered at the people’s hands.

Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:

 

Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.

 

When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.

 

But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,

 

And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

 

Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,

 

And cast him out of the city, and stoned him…And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

 

And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Isaiah

Extracanonical accounts tell of Isaiah’s prophetic demise. Isaiah told Hezekiah that Hezekiah’s only son and heir would depart from the faith and execute Isaiah. This news distressed Hezekiah so much that he determined to slay his son.  Isaiah testified that this path was his calling.

Isaiah said to Hezekiah the king, but not in the presence of Manasseh only did he say unto him: `As the Lord

 

Isaiah, by Ted Henninger

liveth, and the Spirit which speaketh in me liveth, all these commands and these words will be made of none effect by Manasseh thy son, and through the agency of his hands I shall depart mid the torture of my body.

 

And Sammael Malchira will serve Manasseh, and execute all his desire, and he will become a follower of Beliar rather than of me:

 

And many in Jerusalem and in Judea he will cause to abandon the true faith, and Beliar will dwell in Manasseh, and by his hands I shall be sawn asunder.’

 

And when Hezekiah heard these words he wept very bitterly, and rent his garments, and placed earth upon his head, and fell on his face. . .

 

And on that day Hezekiah resolved in his heart to slay Manasseh his son.

 

And Isaiah said to Hezekiah: `The Beloved hath made of none effect thy design, and the purpose of thy heart will not be accomplished, for with this calling have I been called and I shall inherit the heritage of the Beloved.’

Hezekiah died. Manasseh ruled in wickedness and had Isaiah sawed in two.

Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Amos, Zechariah

The demise of the following prophets is recorded in extra-Biblical accounts as well.

Extra-Biblical texts say that Jeremiah died by stoning in Egypt after being carried there from Jerusalem.

In Babylon, the chief priest slew Ezekiel after Ezekiel rebuked him for worshipping false idols. An alternate story claims that someone killed Ezekiel for cursing his children and flocks.

The priest of Bethel, Amaziah, severely tortured Amos. Amaziah’s son mortally beat Amos with a club. Amos apparently initially survived and made his way home where he died a few days later.

Zechariah, son of Jehoiada, denounced King Jehoash, his father-in-law. Jehoash immediately slew Zechariah in the temple courtyard and sprinkled his blood on the altar. The priests burned his body. Rabbinic literature records Zechariah’s death as the Sabbath Day of Atonement, the day a lamb is slain for the sins of the congregation.

They Lived For Christ and Died for Christ

To read more of Delisa’s articles, click here.

All of these prophets laid down their lives for Jesus Christ’s sake, sealing their testimony with their blood.

Paul taught, “For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.”

Of their sacrifices, the Savior promised, ” And all they who have given their lives for my name shall be crowned.”

Featured image: The Good Shepherd by Del Parson

Delisa Hargrove

I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I have moved 64 times and have not tired of experiencing this beautiful earth! I love the people, languages, histories/anthropologies, & especially religious cultures of the world. My life long passion is the study & searching out of religious symbolism, specifically related to ancient & modern temples. My husband Anthony and I love our bulldog Stig, adventures, traveling, movies, motorcycling, and time with friends and family.

I vicariously witnessed hurricane Harvey as my friend survived it and wrote about it on her blog. I was shocked by the images on TV. So much flooding! But as time passed, people came out of the woodwork to help each other. I saw people taking their own boats out into the flooded areas to rescue those stranded by rushing waters.

Children were carried to safety on makeshift boats, and even pets were rescued by kind-hearted strangers. The stories are numerous. I admire those who have helped clean up the homes of neighbors and strangers. Their Christlike example humbles me.

Right after Harvey, several of my friends and family endured Hurricane Irma in Florida. It hit with a ferocity that scared me and brought me to my knees. I remember praying strongly for my family and friends living there, and I am so grateful that all of them reported that things were not as bad as they had expected. There was a lot of destruction, but few lives were lost.

After the storm passed, I saw a similar response of overwhelming service as people helped clean out destroyed homes and clear broken trees. Then, of course, we’ve had the horrible fires across the West Coast that left many, many homes destroyed. I pray those affected have been blessed with support and love from their neighbors.

Service is Important

As these disasters continue one after another, I am reminded of the words of President Spencer W. Kimball as he spoke about the importance of service. He said:

“Service to others deepens and sweetens this life while we are preparing to live in a better world. It is by serving that we learn to serve. When we are engaged in the service of our fellowmen, not only do our deeds assist them, but we put our own problems in a fresher perspective. When we concern ourselves more with others, there is less time to be concerned with ourselves! In the midst of the miracle of serving, there is the promise of Jesus that by losing ourselves, we find ourselves!

 

The Lord does notice us, and He watches over us. But it is usually through another person that He meets our needs. Therefore, it is vital that we serve each other. The righteous life is achieved as we magnify our view of life, and expand our view of others and of our own possibilities. Thus, the more we follow the teachings of the Master, the more enlarged our perspective becomes. We see many more possibilities for service than we would have seen without this magnification. There is great security in spirituality, and we cannot have spirituality without service!” (Emphasis added)

Service Blessed Me

Service has held a special place in my life. When I was in college, I went through a terrible time of loneliness. I was depressed and being two thousand miles from home, I felt lost—so I visited with my Bishop (the leader of our congregation). He suggested that I find someone to serve.

My best friend and I decided to visit the local nursing home and visit. We were so blessed to meet a wonderful woman named Agnes. She was in her 90s and had terrible osteoporosis. Her back was so bent that we sat on the floor so that she could see us from her chair. She had an amazing sense of humor. We loved hearing stories from her childhood—her family had a farm, and she had a lot of adventures. She didn’t have any family nearby either, so we became her foster granddaughters.

We made it a regular thing to go see Agnes. We sang with her, talked with her, and mostly just laughed. Then one Sunday when we went to see Agnes, her room was empty. The staff hadn’t had a way to contact us, and we had no warning that Agnes had passed away until that moment. It was a terrible shock! As we drove home, we realized something: our friendship with Agnes had cured our homesickness. We no longer felt sad and lost. Instead, we felt purpose in our lives again.

Services Blesses the Giver and Receiver

To read more of Abby’s articles, click here.

Though we mourned Agnes, we were so grateful for the gift she had given us. We had gone to the nursing home to serve her, but in reality, she had served us—and we had all been lifted by the experience. Now every time I feel like my life needs more direction, I remember the council of my bishop. I remember Agnes. Then I look for opportunities to serve.

If you are experiencing tragedy or heartache in your life, I pray you will feel the love our Savior and Heavenly Father have for you. I fear these disasters are not going to slow down as the time of the Savior’s coming draws nearer. President Kimball gave the talk I quoted on service back in 1981, and his council is needed now more than ever. So let’s step forward and be an example of the believers. Let’s make sure this world has as much good in it as possible—through our examples and faithfulness.

Article was previously published on Abby’s page at Patheos.com

Abby Christianson

Abby is capable and caring. She is learning more about Autism and parenthood every day. Having completed training to be an RBT (Registered Behavior Technician) for ABA therapy she is beginning to understand her son. And even though she is the first to admit she makes a lot of mistakes, she is so grateful to be on this journey. She comes from a family with many autistic members. She invites us to join her, as she shares her adventures. She wishes to emphasize that Autism is a difference not a defect. If you or a family member have autism, Abby wants you to know that the challenges can be overcome, and there are blessings in autism. You or your loved one are not sick or broken. Together we will teach the world this new language.

13 And the hand of providence hath smiled upon you most pleasingly, that you have obtained many riches; and because some of you have obtained more abundantly than that of your brethren ye are lifted up in the pride of your hearts, and wear stiff necks and high heads because of the costliness of your apparel, and persecute your brethren because ye suppose that ye are better than they.

 

14 And now, my brethren, do ye suppose that God justifieth you in this thing? Behold, I say unto you, Nay. But he condemneth you, and if ye persist in these things his judgments must speedily come unto you. (Jacob 2)

President Ezra Taft Benson (1899 – 1994; served as the President of the Church from 1985 – 1994)

In these verses, and in several that follow, Jacob specifically points out one danger of pride—it causes people to think they alone are responsible for the good things that come to them, and therefore, it causes them to persecute or look down on others. This means they have forgotten to praise God and give Him the credit for their blessings.

If people stop crediting God for their blessings, they see no need to live His commandments or honor Him in any way, and this, of course, leads to further sin and apostasy. This is why pride is so strongly condemned. In the Book of Mormon, we see a reoccurring pattern of obedience leading to wealth, and wealth leading to pride. It takes a strong spirit and diligence to cope well with wealth.

In 1989, Ezra Taft Benson, a former prophet of God, gave what is considered a signature talk on pride to members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, sometimes nicknamed Mormons. In Beware of Pride, he explained one of the most serious dangers of pride:

The central feature of pride is enmity—enmity toward God and enmity toward our fellowmen. Enmity means “hatred toward, hostility to, or a state of opposition.” It is the power by which Satan wishes to reign over us.

 

Pride is essentially competitive in nature. We pit our will against God’s. When we direct our pride toward God, it is in the spirit of “my will and not thine be done.” As Paul said, they “seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s.” (Philip. 2:21.)

 

Our will in competition to God’s will allows desires, appetites, and passions to go unbridled. (See Alma 38:12; 3 Ne. 12:30.)

 

(See Hel. 12:6.) They pit their perceptions of truth against God’s great knowledge, their abilities versus God’s priesthood power, their accomplishments against His mighty works.

 

Our enmity toward God takes on many labels, such as rebellion, hard-heartedness, stiff-neckedness, unrepentant, puffed up, easily offended, and sign seekers. The proud wish God would agree with them. They aren’t interested in changing their opinions to agree with God’s.” Ezra Taft Benson, “Beware of Pride,” Ensign, May 1989, 4

We can clearly see from this explanation that pride can destroy a person’s testimony of God and his relationship with God. This is why prophets from the earliest days of Earth have counseled people against becoming prideful. Wealth, or the love of wealth, can lead to pride, but so can a love of our talents, for instance. While there is nothing wrong with being grateful for our talents—praising God for them and offering them to Him as we practice them—we must always remember where they came from and how they should be used. Our talents come from God and must be used for Him in humility.

Of course, we aren’t asked to hate ourselves. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints celebrate that we are all children of a Heavenly King, and therefore have a bit of divinity tucked inside us. We all have gifts and talents and blessings. But it’s the knowledge that we all have them that allows us to think of them with the proper perspective and avoid the sin of pride. We are all children of God and therefore, He loves and values us all equally. When pride allows us to think we are better than other children of God, we face spiritual danger.

As President Benson, quoted above, explained, “The antidote for pride is humility—meekness, submissiveness. It is the broken heart and contrite spirit.”

Terrie Lynn Bittner

The late Terrie Lynn Bittner—beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend—was the author of two homeschooling books and numerous articles, including several that appeared in Latter-day Saint magazines. She became a member of the Church at the age of 17 and began sharing her faith online in 1992.

The map

I was traveling across the state of Idaho, USA and was using the map feature in my car to help me navigate the roadways. The map was driving me crazy! The arrow on the map that indicated where I was always pointed up. Mentally, I call this “pointing north.” I realize that up is not always north, but that is how I reference directions.

As I drove the car and went around corners, I noticed the whole map of the state of Idaho rotating around the direction I was facing. I felt like I was spinning out of control. I wanted the map to right itself so that it was like looking at a physical map of the state. Everything “should” be oriented north to south, with me making the turns to navigate the roadways.

When I complained about the map to my wife she just laughed. She prefers the view the GPS gives with the map always turning around her so that she is the focal point of the orientation, not the map. She has a hard time translating left and right turns when the map is not facing the same direction she is. I have no difficulty (normally) translating a right turn as turning left on the map when facing south.

We both prefer the “big picture,” meaning we both like to see the whole map first so we see where we are going, but I like to remain in the big picture and navigate within it, while my wife likes to travel looking at just the streets ahead, facing the direction the GPS gives us.

Doctrinal differences

As I have participated in conversations on Facebook about various doctrinal topics, one thing stands out as the predominant conversation generator. When someone makes a statement of fact about a doctrine, some agree, some disagree, and many will say, “But what about …?.” I have come to the conclusion that it is almost impossible to make a blanket statement about doctrine in the church and have that statement stand in all situations.

I wrote an article about the law of witnesses, and I received a query from a reader asking about the exceptions to that law. What about the solo witnesses in the scriptures, like Abinadi, Moses, Joshua, Elisha, and Elijah?

I had to do some considering about these names and their situations for a while before I could respond. In Doctrine and Covenants 6:28 the Lord repeats the law of witnesses that extends back at least as far as Moses in the Old Testament.

28 And now, behold, I give unto you, and also unto my servant Joseph, the keys of this gift, which shall bring to light this ministry; and in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.

The Lord does not bandy words around lightly. If He says that “every word” will be established in His plan of salvation by the mouth of more than one person, then the accounts of these so-called solo witnesses have to be incomplete. There has to be another witness.

I needed another voice on this matter, so I went to my mother, my primary instructor for all things gospel related. (May she outlive me!) She pointed out to me that the Lord provides witnesses to us in many forms. The scriptures teach us that “all things” denote there is a God. When we bear witness by bearing our testimony, who is there to witness to the hearer that what we are saying is the truth? Isn’t the Holy Ghost also a witness? Doesn’t He accompany us and carry our testimonies into the hearts of those who hear us?

Witnesses also come in the form of things we hear, things we see, things that happen, and things we feel. Witnesses come in the form of miracles, healings, prophecies, and many other forms. Just because we don’t have names for witnesses of those who appear in the historical records to be “solo” voices for the Lord, it doesn’t mean the Lord did not provide witnesses for them.

I really believe that if the Lord says that every word will be established through two or more witnesses, then that is exactly what happens. This was my response to my reader. But this, again, pointed out to me that no matter how well I think I have thought through something, there is always someone out there who will see it from a different perspective, or will see something I missed.

In Abraham 3:18 we learn about the differences among us. The Lord told Abraham that if you take any two spirits and put them next to each other, one will always be more intelligent than the other.

18 Howbeit that he made the greater star; as, also, if there be two spirits, and one shall be more intelligent than the other, yet these two spirits, notwithstanding one is more intelligent than the other, have no beginning; they existed before, they shall have no end, they shall exist after, for they are gnolaum, or eternal.

This verse, and others like it, tells me that if you take all the billions plus of God’s children and line them up next to each other, no two of us will have the same level of intelligence. In my book this equates to a vast diversity in capacity and capabilities among the children of God.

Final Thoughts

When I spouted off to my wife about how frustrating my map was to me, she pointed out that our old GPS machine behaves in the same way. This is the same machine we have been using for the last decade. I hadn’t remembered that. So why did it bother me now, but not for the last decade?

In every Sunday School class, quorum meeting, Primary class or Relief Society class we have a room full of people who are all over the spectrum in terms of capacity, capability, readiness, and level of knowledge. For me to think that anything I say is the definitive word on a subject is just plain silly. For me to think that the “strange” opinions offered by my fellow Saints are any less strange in the grand scheme of things than what I say, is just presumptuous on my part.

When the Brethren speak to us in Conferences and in the magazines of the Church, they teach truth, but never the whole truth. The gospel is too interconnected to fully cover any one subject with just a few words. Even something as simple as the principle of repentance is connected to faith, contrition, love, forgiveness, humility, timing, readiness, and so much more.

To read more of Kelly Merrill’s articles, click here.

We need to learn to recognize that we all speak truth in bits and pieces. We don’t all see truth for what it is at this moment in time. I was ready to condemn our GPS system for its flaws until my wife pointed out to me that I had tolerated it blindly for the last 10 years. I had only now made the connection. I had only now seen what had been right in front of me all this time.

Tolerance is something that is required among a people who want to live in peace with each other. None of us learn at the same pace, accept truth at the same pace or in the same way, or express ourselves with the same ability. But God loves us all equally, despite our differences. We need to love each other in the same way. We need to be patient and tolerant one with another.

Kelly P. Merrill

Kelly Merrill is semi retired and writes for https://gospelstudy.us. He lives with his wife in Idaho. His strength is being able to take difficult to understand subjects and break them down into understandable parts. He delights in writing about the gospel of Christ. Writing about the gospel is his personal missionary work to the members of the Church and to those of other faiths who are wanting to know more about Christ’s gospel and His Church.

gospelstudy.us

In the second part, we will deal with the Lord’s anger, what it is, and how it is the same or different from what we experience. I quote heavily from multiple talks and articles, so a good share of these two articles is the combined work of a professional counselor, members of the Seventy, and apostles and prophets.

A Look at Human Anger

In 3 Nephi 11:29 we read,

 … He that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another.

It is one thing to contend with another person. You can actually contend with someone, as in a rivalry, and be civil, but not if you contend with anger. President Spencer W. Kimball, in his book The Miracle of Forgiveness, tells us basically that anger is “a sin of thought” which, if not controlled, may lead to vicious and violent acts. Following is a definition of anger as defined by Burton C. Kelly in a 1980 Ensign article. This excerpt from his article points out that anger is intimately connected with how we choose to use our agency.

We make ourselves angry. What others say and do is usually a part of the equation, but anger cannot arise without our contribution. … As long as we decide our own emotions, we can change and control them. If other people or events were, in fact, responsible for what we feel, we would not have the freedom nor ability to change—unless we could control those other people and events, which is usually impossible. And so we have the first principle defining anger: we are ultimately responsible for the anger we feel.

 

The primary function of anger is to control others. Some people have learned this art very well. They get what they want by becoming loud and angry. The target of such ire tends to do what the angry individual wants in order to placate him. Anger thus has the unrighteous goal of attempting to diminish the freedom of others.

 

The second characteristic of anger, then, is that anger against others is a result of sin, or unrighteous thinking” (Burton C. Kelly, “The Case Against Anger,” Ensign, February 1980).

He continues on to describe how anger is actually a sin of thought, because we experience certain things when we commit this sin. To commit this ‘thought sin’ we either selfishly want to force our will on someone else or we set ourselves up as judge of the other person and condemn them for not behaving in the manner we would choose for them to behave. Either way, it is an act of desiring to strip them of their agency for selfish reasons.

We have seen that anger against another can only result after we commit sin (think unrighteously), but there is something in the nature of anger itself and its consequences that is also sinful. Anger itself is a sin when sin is defined as anything that retards the growth or progress of an individual. This is the third characteristic of anger that we need to recognize.

Modern prophets have also warned against anger: “Never suffer anger to arise in your bosom; for, if you do, you may be overcome by evil” (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, 6:290); “The moment a man or woman becomes angry, they show a great weakness” (Wilford Woodruff, Journal of Discourses 4:98); “Anger that leads a man … to condemn his brother is crime” (David O. McKay, Pathways to Happiness, comp. Lewellen R. McKay, Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1957, p. 321).

At this point we should look at our definition of anger. I am using it in the sense that it is an emotion that results from judging others unrighteously, wanting to control others, or selfishly wanting our own ends met.

I once had a counselor tell me that one does not lose their temper; they use their temper to get what they want. This is what Brother Burton is saying. Anger is an agency-violating sin because we cannot experience anger without judgment or selfish thoughts and desires. Anger is the overt expression of pride, which is the opposite of charity.

Leaders Counsel Against Anger

In the April 1998 General Conference, Elder Lynn G. Robbins gave a talk entitled “Agency and Anger.” In it he said:

“In the Joseph Smith Translation of Ephesians 4:26, Paul asks the question, ‘Can ye be angry, and not sin?’ The Lord is very clear on this issue: ‘He that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another.

 

‘Behold, this is not my doctrine, to stir up the hearts of men with anger, one against another; but this is my doctrine, that such things should be done away’ (3 Ne. 11:29–30).”

Elder Robbins continues with this final paragraph:

“Nor can becoming angry be justified. In Matthew 5, verse 22, the Lord says: ‘But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment’ (emphasis added). How interesting that the phrase ‘without a cause’ is not found in the inspired Joseph Smith Translation (see Matt. 5:24), nor in the 3 Nephi 12:22 version. When the Lord eliminates the phrase ‘without a cause,’ He leaves us without an excuse. ‘But this is my doctrine, that such things should be done away’ (3 Ne. 11:30). We can ‘do away’ with anger, for He has so taught and commanded us.”

Brother Elray L. Christiansen, in the April, 1971 General Conference gave a talk called “Be Slow to Anger.” This is an excerpt from his talk on the importance of learning to control the emotions that cause anger.

“Even in our families, situations may arise that could cause irritations. It is then that parents must be calm and exemplary. The man with an uncontrolled temper is like an undisciplined child—he expresses his emotions explosively or by sulking, and disregards the feelings of those about him. In the home, anger should be controlled and love should abound. When, in his most impressionable years, a child experiences ugly situations that result from uncontrolled tempers, when he hears unkind words exchanged between his father and mother, and when he sees contention crowd out an atmosphere of kindness and mutual respect—when these conditions make a child’s environment, what chance has he to become refined and noble? The minds of children are like the sensitive plates of a photographer; they record every incident, good and bad. Our children may forget what is said, but they never forget that which they are made to feel. . . .

 

But to lose our temper, to explode, to become ugly, punitive, and hateful when faced with frustrations is inexcusable!

 

Why is it inexcusable to explode with anger and become vindictive? Simply because the power has been given us to control and to overcome such tendencies. If not curbed, such tendencies soon lose for us the respect and love of others.”

If you’d like to read more of Kelly’s articles, click here.

From these Brethren, we learn that anger is a passion that needs to be controlled. It is not approved by the Lord, and those who do not conquer their anger stand condemned by God. Anger almost always translates into a desire to usurp someone else’s agency, and is fueled by pride or selfishness.

Interestingly enough, I have found that in the times that I felt anger with my children or with others, I was generally surprised by an unexpected event. I felt trapped and powerless. It was at these times I felt the most anger. But if I knew something was going to happen, whether it was a choice that one of my children was going to make or if it was a personal event in my own life, anger was not really an issue. There is something about being able to see an event for what it is, and not experiencing that trapped feeling, that enables one to handle things more calmly and with more love.

What tools have you learned that enabled you to get past the hurt and anger and feel love in a stressful situation? Do you think seeing an event or decision in advance really helps us avoid anger?

References Used in Parts 1 and 2

“Love and Law” by Dallin H. Oaks, October 2009

“The Grandeur of God” by Jeffrey R. Holland, October 2003

“Agency and Anger” by Lynn G. Robbins, April 1998

Strong’s Expanded Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Red Letter Edition) 2010 pp. 24-25

Hebrew #639 ‘aph, af: the nose or nostril; hence, the face; wrath, anger; 4b…quick to anger might literally mean “short of face/nostrils” constitute an idiom meaning longsuffering or slow to anger. This meaning is applied to God as a figure of speech (anthropopathism)whereby He is attributed human emotions. Since God is infinite, eternal, and unchangeable and since anger is an emotion representing a change in one’s reaction, God does not really become angry. He only appears to do so in the eyes of men.

“Be Slow to Anger” by Elray L. Christiansen, April 1971

“The Case Against Anger” by Burton C. Kelly (of the Counseling Center faculty and professor of educational psychology at Brigham Young University), Ensign, February 1980

Kelly P. Merrill

Kelly Merrill is semi retired and writes for https://gospelstudy.us. He lives with his wife in Idaho. His strength is being able to take difficult to understand subjects and break them down into understandable parts. He delights in writing about the gospel of Christ. Writing about the gospel is his personal missionary work to the members of the Church and to those of other faiths who are wanting to know more about Christ’s gospel and His Church.

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