Religious Freedom

The importance of religious freedom is comparable to, but deeper than, the importance of a free market. The freedom to believe, share, gather, and live according to our religion allows us to focus on what's most important thus be productive in the most important areas of our lives(see Elder Hales' talk).

When a government tries to over-regulate or shut down markets, people inevitably continue trading. Only instead of doing it openly, it is done in a black market. Likewise, people have found ways to continue worshipping God under all sorts of oppression (see Mosiah 24:11-12).

Even though people can still worship while under attack, the joy of the gospel can be spread even more efficiently when there is religious freedom. In fact, "no government can exist in peace, except such laws are framed and held inviolate as will secure to each individual the free exercise of conscience, the right and control of property, and the protection of life"(Doctrine and Covenants 134:2).

I want to better embrace the idea that people are free by respecting their conscience driven choices. I believe that many people share this desire. 

I am excited about a facebook event that I hope will give the opportunity to many people to share why they are grateful for the religious freedom that we have. For the event, people post why they are grateful for religious freedom with #religiousfreedom. If you want to join the event, follow this link, join, and invite friends! If you are part of the event, then you will see a reminder posted on the event page.

 I hope we can all find ways to share what's important to us.

Present Value-Valor Actual

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Money in the future is worth less than the same amount of money today. That is because if we had the money today, then we could invest it and it would earn interest and be a greater amount in the future.

A personal application of that would be that doing things of greatest importance right now would be better than doing them later (Alma 34:33-34). For example, developing a stronger testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ today rather than next week will allow me to help others and develop good relationships starting today.

Another application of this principle is that we shouldn't completely ignore future blessings that we will receive. While it's true that focusing on future events can be unwise if we forget to live in the present, if we allow future blessings to at least give us hope, then we are very wisely taking into account the present value of future blessings.

Valor Actual

Una cantidad de dinero que tengas en el futuro vale menos que la misma cantidad de dinero hoy. Eso es porque si tuviéramos el dinero hoy, entonces podríamos invertirlo y el dinero acumularía interés y sería una cantidad más grande en el futuro.

Una aplicación personal de eso sería que hacer las cosas más importantes ahora mismo es mejor que hacerlas más tarde(Alma 34:33-34). Por ejemplo, desarrollar un testimonio más fuerte del evangelio de Jesucristo hoy en vez de hacerlo la otra semana me permitirá ayudar a los demás y desarrollar buenas relaciones que me bendecirán desde hoy y para siempre.

Otra aplicación de este principio es que no deberíamos ignorar el hecho de que vamos a recibir bendiciones en el futuro. Aunque es verdad que el enfocarnos en eventos futuros puede ser imprudente si nos olvidamos vivir en el presente, si dejamos que bendiciones futuras nos den esperanza, entonces estamos sabiamente tomando en cuenta el valor actual de bendiciones futuras.

Tools

The government can manipulate the economy in a couple of ways, and depending on the situation, it will use different tools from a set of monetary policy tools.

The Federal Reserve System (Fed) may want to raise or lower the interest rate. It could prevent inflation by raising the interest rate, or prevent deflation by lowering the interest rate.

This graph shows one way that the Fed could raise the interest rate.

The curved line represents banks' demand for money. The black right angle is the original supply curve, the supply of money. The height of the yellow intersection is the interest rate, where supply meets demand. 

Here, the Fed can raise the interest rate is by selling bonds (gray change). As they sell bonds, they are taking money out of the economy, and with less money going around it will be harder to get money, which is reflected by a higher interest rate.

Now look at this different potential situation, in which the demand for money is greater.

Here note that selling bonds (gray change) does not do anything to the interest rate, because the demand curve does not intersect with that part of the supply curve.

So, another tool the Fed has is raising the 'discount rate'(green change) that they offer. The discount rate, or overnight lending rate, is a special interest rate offered by the Fed, somewhat independently of what is naturally determined in the market. In the purple situation, raising the discount rate will directly raise the interest rate. But, note that in the top graph (blue situation), this tool has no effect on where supply meets demand, and so it does not affect the interest rate. This happens when the private interest rate is lower than the discount rate, so nobody cares what the discount rate is. 

Also note that the tool we used in the blue situation (selling bonds, gray change) has no effect on the purple situation's interest rate, where the interest rate is determined by the discount rate offered by the Fed. Neither buying nor selling bonds will have any immediate effect on the interest rate in the purple situation.

Okay! Well that may have been a little rough, but I really think there are some principles that we can learn from this that will make us happier people.

We need different tools to deal with our unique circumstances.

Hard work is a tool; something that helps me to find satisfaction, serve others, and clear my mind of depressing thoughts. Sometimes I just need to stop worrying and overthinking things, and act on what I know is good.  

My sister inspired me in a letter that I received while serving a mission in Guatemala; it said "Work hard, pray harder." Prayer is a wonderful tool, a gift from God. I have often found peace in kneeling and sharing my feelings with my Heavenly Father. Just as praying often leads me to get on my feet and act, working hard and serving others leads me to need help from my Heavenly Father through prayer.

There are many other tools. For example, this morning I read a written blessing that I was given to guide me several years ago. It seemed that Heavenly Father had prepared that tool to meet some specific needs.

With a unique array of tools, we are all unique children of God, and I know that he can use us as tools in his hands in unique and wonderful ways!