Choices, Christianity, and Politics

Yes, you read that title correctly. I've had some things on my mind today, and I want to share them.

Someone wrote to Matt Walsh complaining that Matt was being unfair by only accepting, publishing, and sending in the stories that represent the problems with Obamacare. This man basically said that he now has health insurance, and his success story is more important than the many, many disastrous stories. Watch Matt's response here. Matt's response was judged by some as cold because he said he would always choose to care for his family first.

A couple of Bible stories have come to my mind today, accompanied by the thought I've seen perpetuated by many Democrats recently that Jesus Christ was not Republican and that Republicans do not represent Christian values. I am not looking for confrontation here. I will say, however, that associating Jesus Christ with any political party (and accusing those of the opposite party of not being Christian) is not only un-Christian but sacrilegious.

The most common accusation I have seen is that too many Republicans complain about taxes being raised to give services to those who may be in need--or something along those lines. (I'm trying to keep these as unpolitical and as unbiased as possible, so please recognize that.) They point out that Jesus Christ would care for the poor and suggest that the Republicans do not.

It is, of course, true that Christ cares for the poor. Jesus Christ cares for all people. He cares for all of us so much that He has given us agency: the opportunity to choose for ourselves.

So which Bible stories have come to my mind? The first was the story of the rich young man who had been observing the commandments and wanted to know what he needed to do to inherit eternal life. The scriptures say, "Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions." (New Testament, Mark 10:21-22) Lest someone say this proves the point because this young man was un-Christian, there are several things that I believe we should all notice in this story. First, we know that Jesus loved the young man. Second, the young man was given the choice of whether to sell his possessions. Finally, all we know is that he went away grieved. The scriptures do not tell us what he did after he left. He was grieved, but perhaps we should also consider that he was caught off-guard. The scriptures don't tell us that he didn't sell his possessions to give to the poor; maybe he did. At one time or another, I'm sure each of us has left a church meeting sobered, perhaps even grieving, over instruction we received, because it was difficult. It doesn't mean we didn't do it.

My greatest point in sharing this story is that Christ did not demand this of the young man. He commanded it, yes, but He did not take the agency of the young man; he still had the opportunity to consider and choose for himself.

The second was that of the Elijah and the widow. If you remember the story, there was a famine in the land. Elijah asked the widow for food, but she only had enough for a last small meal for herself and her son:

"And she said, As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die. And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son. For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth. And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days. And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Elijah." (Old Testament, 1 Kings 17:12-16)

Again in this case, we see that the widow had a choice. Could there have been a more difficult choice? But what a beautiful promise she received: "The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth." I can only imagine her faith in God and in His prophet here on earth, the absolute trust she must have felt in giving up what she believed to be her last meal to feed a man of God. She did it by choice. And she was blessed for it.

I'm not sure how clearly I can word what I want to say from here. I just know that it is painful to be accused, and to see others accused, of not being Christlike, and I am grateful that it is Jesus Christ Himself who will judge me, since He knows me and my heart and my desires perfectly.

But when either party accuses the other of not being Christ-like or Christian, it is as if they are attempting to put the government in the place of God. Not only did Christ not force obedience or giving from either the rich young man or from the widow, but He provided amazing blessings to the widow and her son. The government can't promise that--if they do, it's an empty promise. The gospel of Jesus Christ teaches self-sufficiency, which must involve caring for oneself and one's family first. Then, any surplus can be given to help those in need.

One major problem I see is using the government as a middle-man in caring for the poor. Our big government is out of touch with the people, and it takes to much overhead to implement any program, no matter how well-intended. There are other organizations to whom I readily and generously donate: various programs within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but also always to two or three other charities each year. I do want to help people! I do want to be a part of good causes! But I have yet to see an efficient government program, so yes, I do complain about money being taken from me to cover government attempts at caring for the poor. I would rather donate where I know that (1) every cent goes to those in need and (2) the money does not go only to provide for those in need, but to help them provide for themselves.

Not only that, but I've been grateful to feel like I can help others here and there: immediate family, grandparents, close friends. Is it un-Christian that I choose to help those I know who are doing their best to stay afloat? Especially when I can see their struggles to stay afloat? I'm pretty sure it is most Christian to care first for those I know and love, and then to reach out to others if I am still able. Matt Walsh's point in his response was not that he wants anyone to go hungry. It was simply that if someone must go hungry, he will feed his family first. I do not see this as un-Christian. His responsibility is to his wife and children before any other person. As a single person, my responsibility is first to myself (I can't help others if I can't help myself!), then to immediate family (parents and siblings).

But I'm not looking to place myself above anyone else, either. I know there are many Christians still in our country. Sometimes we do not agree on politics. But if we are to save this country, we need to join together. We can't point fingers and accuse others of not being Christian because they aren't exactly like us. We need to stand together on common ground. We need to stand for Jesus Christ and for the values He taught and lived. In short, we need to be Christian--we need to be disciples of Jesus Christ. If we are willing to work together instead of pointing fingers and accusing, I believe we will quickly find that conditions will improve for everyone. Remember the people of Enoch? "And the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them." (Pearl of Great Price, Moses 7:18) Instead of pointing fingers and accusing, let's work on becoming a Zion community: a people who love each other and who truly want the best for each other!

Government will not be perfect until Jesus Christ returns in glory to the earth, to rule and reign. But we can prepare now by striving to become a Zion community. We can prepare by loving and serving and giving--and by allowing others the opportunity to choose to love and serve and give. Let us become a Zion people, a people whom Jesus Christ will claim when He returns to the earth!

Choice and Accountability

There seems to be an epidemic in the world today--not a physical disease, but an idea: the idea that there should be no consequences for our actions. This was prophesied long ago:

"Yea, and there shall be many which shall say: Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die; and it shall be well with us. And there shall also be many which shall say: Eat, drink, and be merry; nevertheless, fear God—he will justify in committing a little sin; yea, lie a little, take the advantage of one because of his words, dig a pit for thy neighbor; there is no harm in this; and do all these things, for tomorrow we die; and if it so be that we are guilty, God will beat us with a few stripes, and at last we shall be saved in the kingdom of God. Yea, and there shall be many which shall teach after this manner, false and vain and foolish doctrines, and shall be puffed up in their hearts, and shall seek deep to hide their counsels from the Lord; and their works shall be in the dark." (2 Nephi 28:7-9)

What happened to the understanding that with actions come consequences? I'm pretty sure most of us learned this when we were quite young.

One of the Young Women's values is Choice and Accountability. It is accompanied by the statement, "I will choose good over evil and will accept responsibility for my decisions." Young Women ages 12-18 recite their theme, which includes this value, every week. Is it too much to expect adults to remember the same?

For that matter, I learned a little song when I was four years old at most:

"Choices, choices, good and bad--

The good ones make me happy, and the bad ones make me sad.

When I make a mistake, then I'll fix it, I will,

'Cause my choices are connected to the way I feel."

Our Heavenly Father sent us to this earth with agency: the freedom to choose. With that agency came the ability to discern between right and wrong--the ability to judge. Agency does not exist without (1) opposition and (2) knowledge: "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 or the other" (2 Nephi 2:16). This ability to discern between right and wrong is given to every person:

"For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God. But whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do evil, and believe not in Christ, and deny him, and serve not God, then ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of the devil; for after this manner doth the devil work, for he persuadeth no man to do good, no, not one; neither do his angels; neither do they who subject themselves unto him. And now, my brethren, seeing that ye know the light by which ye may judge, which light is the light of Christ, see that ye do not judge wrongfully; for with that same judgment which ye judge ye shall also be judged." (Moroni 7:16-18)

Did you catch that? "I show unto you the way to judge" and "see that you do not judge wrongfully." Mormon's letter to his son, Moroni, makes it clear that our agency must involve judgment: we must judge between right and wrong, between good and evil. Not only must we judge, but we can judge with a perfect knowledge based on the criteria that are listed.

Those of us who have received the gift of the Holy Ghost have an even greater ability and responsibility to judge--not to condemn, but certainly to judge! We have the promise of the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost, but we can only have that constant companionship as we constantly make judgments and choose good over evil.

With agency comes the knowledge that there are consequences for our actions:

"And if ye shall say there is no law, ye shall also say there is no sin. If ye shall say there is no sin, ye shall also say there is no righteousness. And if there be no righteousness there be no happiness. And if there be no righteousness nor happiness there be no punishment nor misery. And if these things are not there is no God. And if there is no God we are not, neither the earth; for there could have been no creation of things, neither to act nor to be acted upon; wherefore, all things must have vanished away." (2 Nephi 2:13)

There will always be consequences. It was Lucifer's plan to force us all back to heaven--to remove agency and thus remove accountability and consequences. That plan was rejected. We chose our Heavenly Father's plan, in which we would have agency. We knew we would make mistakes. We knew that each action would come with a consequence.

Remember when Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden of Eden? Here are God's words to Adam and Eve:

"Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." (Genesis 3:16-19)

They suffered consequences because of their choice to partake of the forbidden fruit. However, there is a phrase in there that stands out: for thy sake. There will always be consequences, not because of a desire for punishment or revenge, but for thy sake. I must be accountable for my own actions, but this is partly because the Lord will use these consequences as teaching opportunities, if we will allow it.

And remember, there is good news in all of this! We must accept the consequences, but because of the atonement of our Savior, Jesus Christ, we are not called upon to bear the full punishment. He has redeemed us. "Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered" (2 Nephi 2:7). But our eventual exaltation depends not only on the atonement and sacrifice of Jesus Christ, but on the conditions described: a broken heart and a contrite spirit, which often come by accepting the consequences of our own actions.

Amulek further clarifies the conditions for salvation: "And I say unto you again that he cannot save them in their sins; for I cannot deny his word, and he hath said that no unclean thing can inherit the kingdom of heaven; therefore, how can ye be saved, except ye inherit the kingdom of heaven? Therefore, ye cannot be saved in your sins" (Alma 11:37). While Christ has taken upon Him all of our shortcomings, He will not save us in but rather from our sins. This is accomplished partially by our own judgment, aided by the gift of the Holy Ghost, when we choose good over evil; we will continually receive His help and guidance as we strive to choose right. It is also accomplished as we humble ourselves before God and repent of our sins, which must come with some penalty. There must be remorse, and there must be some degree of suffering on our part if we are to be forgiven. Jesus Christ, the only perfect Being to ever walk the earth, suffered all things. Can we expect, in our imperfections, not to suffer at all? Of course not. We must accept the consequences of our actions, as this is part of the repentance process.

Will the consequences bring sorrow? Probably. That's part of life. That's part of the process of learning and growing and repenting. If the sorrow leads to a broken heart and a contrite spirit, to an acknowledgement of our wrongdoing and a desire to be forgiven and to improve each day, then the atonement can "answer the ends of the law."

Our Heavenly Father has provided a perfect plan: a plan for our happiness, for our growth, and ultimately for our immortality and eternal life. Through the sacrifice of His Only Begotten Son, we have the opportunity to progress and to become like Him. Let us never forget our eternal potential! Along with that, may we also remember that consequences are for our own good, to teach us and mold us and help us to become like Him. And as we remember this, we must also remember how judgment relates to this plan of happiness.

Ultimately Jesus Christ will be our Judge. For that I am humbly grateful. He knows my heart, He knows me better than I know myself, and He will judge me as only He is able. I am also grateful to know that I do not have to carry the burden of judging other people; that judgment, too, is His. However, if I expect mercy in His judgment, if I want to become like Him, as He has commanded, I must continually be judging now: judging between good and evil and striving to choose good over evil.

Hold fast to your agency. Yield it only to your Father in Heaven, in the form of a broken heart and a contrite spirit. Acknowledge His wisdom and power. Acknowledge His grace, through which we have the opportunity to repent and to be saved. Acknowledge His hand in all things. Acknowledge that He desires our happiness, and that sometimes unpleasant consequences come in order to steer us in the direction of lasting happiness. Acknowledge that He is the Creator of all things, and most importantly of all mankind, and that His plan is for us to return to Him and to partake of all that He has.

His plan is perfect. We accepted it once; we know this because we are here on earth. Let us continue to accept it and to fight for it, agency, consequences, and all!