Freedom Is Not Free

I had a wonderful tour guide in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. He was passionate about George Washington and about his Christian faith.

He talked about Washington's character; several times Washington had the opportunity to take over the government, and I imagine he would have been a benevolent ruler, but instead he allowed an even better plan to be installed by some other wise men.

Maintaining liberty is more than just having elections. As our government was being formed, people had to decide which powers to give to the government, because an overly powerful leader, though elected, might take away liberty. A concerned citizen during that time said "when a man is at the head of an elective government invested with great powers, and interested in his re-election, [you may know] in what circles appointments will be made; by which means an imperfect aristocracy bordering on monarchy may be established." In other words, an elected president with too much power might choose to give government positions to all his friends and become like a monarch.

If the elected person makes all the decisions, then it will not be too hard to figure out a way to stay in power. Although I become frustrated by the fighting between different government entities, I'm grateful that those different structures keep an eye on each other, especially since it's hard for me to know what things are going wrong.

Back to my tour guide, he connected this political idea to Jesus Christ. Freedom from sin is not free. I know that, when left unattended to, my sins and weaknesses would stop me from progressing. I believe that the wonderful people that I meet have become wonderful, despite their imperfections, because of strength from Christ's Atonement. We are also freed from the bands of death; I believe this because God's prophets have taught it.

A lot of people think of the phrase "there is no such thing as a free lunch" when they think of economics. But I had a free lunch more than once just this week. And the Book of Mormon says "the way is prepared from the fall of man, and salvation is free." Indeed, to me lunch was free, and to us the Resurrection and the path to salvation is free, but that doesn't mean that nobody paid. The economic principle is meant to explain opportunity costs; when we choose something we are inevitably giving up something else. But many things were decided and paid for by others and yet they continue to bless us.

I am grateful that the founding generation was willing to give up some comfort to fight for our lasting political freedom, and I am grateful that the Savior sacrificed His life for our spiritual freedom so that we may have everlasting life.