Beware of Bondage

                The liberty principle for this Freedom Friday is the simple fact that bondage comes in many different packages.  When most people consider bondage, the first thing they usually think about is slavery or human trafficking; there are, however, other types of bondage such as forced labor, forced marriage, debt bondage, and many other ways to restrict freedom.

                Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles warned in a recent General Conference to beware of bondage. He echoed the advice of a prophet known as Jeremiah.  “My purpose is to review many forms of bondage and subjugation.  I will compare some circumstances of our day with those in the days of Jeremiah before the downfall of Jerusalem.  In presenting this voice of warning, I am grateful that most Church members are righteously avoiding the conduct that was so offensive to the Lord in Jeremiah’s time.

                “The prophecies and lamentations of Jeremiah are important to Latter-day Saints.  Jeremiah and the Jerusalem of his day are the backdrop to the beginning chapters in the Book of Mormon.  [See 1 Nephi 5:13; 7:14.] Jeremiah was a contemporary of the prophet Lehi.  The Lord dramatically informed Jeremiah of his foreordination:  `Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations’ (Jeremiah 1:5).

                “Lehi had a different calling, mission, and assignment from the Lord.  He was not called in his youth but in his maturity.  Initially his was a voice of warning, but after faithfully declaring the same message as Jeremiah, Lehi was commanded by the Lord to take his family and depart into the wilderness.  In doing so, Lehi blessed not only his family but also all people….

                “Turning from the worship of the true and living God and worshipping false gods like wealth and fame and engaging in immoral and unrighteous conduct result in bondage in all its insidious manifestations.  These include spiritual, physical, and intellectual bondage and sometimes bring destruction….

                “These messages have echoed and been reinforced across the centuries in all dispensations.  They are at the heart of the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ in this, the final dispensation.

                “The captivity of the Jews and the scattering of the tribes of Israel, including the ten tribes, are prominent doctrinal factors in the Restoration of the gospel.  The ten lost tribes made up the Northern Kingdom of Israel and were carried away captive into Assyria in 721 B.C.  They went to the north countries.  Our tenth article of faith states, `We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes.’  We also believe that as part of the covenant the Lord made with Abraham, not only the lineage of Abraham would be blessed but also all the people of the earth would be blessed.  As Elder Russell M. Nelson has stated, the gathering `is not a matter of physical location; it is a matter of individual commitment.  People can be “brought to the knowledge of the Lord” [3 Nephi 20:13] without leaving their homelands.’ 

                “Our doctrine is clear:  `The Lord scattered and afflicted the twelve tribes of Israel because of their unrighteousness and rebellion.  However, the Lord also [utilized] this scattering of his chosen people among the nations of the world to bless those nations.’

                “We learn valuable lessons from this tragic period.  We should do everything within our power to avoid the sin and rebellion that lead to bondage.  We also recognize that righteous living is a prerequisite for assisting the Lord in gathering His elect and in the literal gathering of Israel.

                “Bondage, subjugation, addictions, and servitude come in many forms.  They can be literal physical enslavement but can also be loss or impairment of moral agency that can impede our progress.  Jeremiah is clear that unrighteousness and rebellion were the main reasons for the destruction of Jerusalem and captivity in Babylon.

                “Other kinds of bondage are equally destructive of the human spirit.  Moral agency can be abused in many ways.  I will mention four that are particularly pernicious in today’s culture.

                “First, addictions that impair agency, contradict moral beliefs, and destroy good health cause bondage.  The impact of drugs and alcohol, immorality, pornography, gambling, financial subjugation, and other afflictions imposes on those in bondage and on society a burden of such magnitude that it is almost impossible to quantify.

                “Second, some addictions or predilections, while not inherently evil, can use up our precious allotment of time which could otherwise be used to accomplish virtuous objectives.  These can include excessive use of social media, video and digital games, sports, recreation, and many others.  How we preserve time for family is one of the most significant issues we face in most cultures….  Let us be at the forefront in protecting time for family.

                “Third, the most universal subjugation in our day, as it has been throughout history, is ideology or political beliefs that are inconsistent with the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Substituting the philosophies of men for gospel truth can lead us away from the simplicity of the Savior’s message….  This is emblematic of our own day, where gospel truths are often rejected or distorted to make them intellectually more appealing or compatible with current cultural trends and intellectual philosophies.  If we are not careful, we can be captured by these trends and place ourselves in intellectual bondage.  There are many voices now telling women how to live.  They often contradict each other.  Of particular concern are philosophies that criticize or diminish respect for women who choose to make the sacrifices necessary to be mothers, teachers, nurturers, or friends to children….

                “Fourth, forces that violate sincerely held religious principles can result in bondage.  One of the most invidious forms is when righteous people who feel accountable to God for their conduct are forced into activities that violate their conscience – for example, health providers forced to choose between assisting with abortions against their consciences or losing their jobs.”

                After discussing the various types of bondage, Elder Cook counseled us to “work to improve the moral culture that surrounds us.  Latter-day Saints in every country should be good citizens, participate in civic affairs, educate themselves on the issues, and vote.

                “Our primary emphasis, however, should always be to make any necessary sacrifices to protect our own family and the rising generation.  The vast majority of them are not yet in bondage to serious addictions or false ideologies.  We must help inoculate them from a world that sounds a lot like the Jerusalem that Lehi and Jeremiah experienced….

                “Our challenge is to avoid bondage of any kind, help the Lord gather His elect, and sacrifice for the rising generation.  We must always remember that we do not save ourselves.  We are liberated by the love, grace, and atoning sacrifice of the Savior.  When Lehi’s family fled, they were led by the Lord’s light.  If we are true to His light, follow His commandments, and rely on His merits, we will avoid spiritual, physical, and intellectual bondage as well as the lamentation of wandering in our own wilderness, for He is mighty to save.”