One Voice Among Many

Over the past couple of weeks I’ve spent some time reading several of the writings of President J. Reuben Clark. His insights into the mission and destiny of America were profound, and his warnings regarding the dangers that exist to individual liberty and the responsibility we bear to take actions in the preservation of liberty were clear. While he was alive, President Clark was just one voice among many warning of the potential for our liberty to be lost. But he was a powerful voice that we would do well to hear and follow.

I’m sure most are familiar with President Clark, but here are a few biographical facts about him to serve as a quick reminder.

Joshua Reuben Clark received a law degree from Columbia University , worked in the U.S. Attorney General’s office and later as an attorney for the U.S. Department of State. He was appointed to the post of Under Secretary of State in the Coolidge adminstration. In 1930 he was appointed to the role of U.S. Ambassador to Mexico.

In 1933 Clark was called by President Heber J. Grant to serve as Second Counselor in the First Presidency. This was a unique and unusual calling, since Clark was not a general authority of the church prior to this call. In 1934, upon the death of Anthony W. Ivins who had served as First Counselor in the First Presidency, Clark was ordained an apostle and called to replace Elder Ivins as First Counselor, with David O. McKay as Second Counselor. Following the passing of President Grant, Elders Clark and McKay were chosen by President George Albert Smith to continue as first and second counselors respectively. When David O. McKay became President of the Church, Elder Clark was called to be Second Counselor in the First Presidency, with Stephen L. Richards serving as First Counselor. Upon the passing of President Richards, President Clark was called to replace him in the capacity of First Counselor in the First Presidency where he served until his death in 1961.

President J. Reuben Clark was a very skilled man with a rich background. He was a distinguished statesman with many years of civic service within the U.S. government, and served nearly thirty years as an apostle and counselor to three church presidents. There is little question that he was eminently qualified to speak with authority on matters of civic government, as well as gospel matters. And speak of these things he did. President Clark was an outspoken advocate of the U.S. Constitution and spoke often and emphatically of threats to our freedom and our need to work to defend our liberties.

I want to share some of the statements made by President Clark regarding the defense of our liberty. I am placing these comments in a specific order, not necessarily chronologically, to help convey a clear message that emerges from his inspired counsel.

President Clark stated,

“The great struggle which now rocks the whole earth more and more takes on the character of a struggle of the individual versus the state. . . Upon its final issue, liberty lives or dies. The plain and simple issue now facing us in America is freedom or slavery. We have largely lost the conflict so far waged. But there is time to win the final victory, if we sense our danger and fight." (Church News, 1949)

In this first quotation President Clark is asserting several things. First, that there is a world-wide struggle that exists. We know from other statements by several latter-day prophets that the central theme of this battle is the agency of man, and that it is a continuation of the war in heaven.

President Clark suggests that this struggle has become characterized to an increasing degree by the conflict of individuals versus the state. What does this imply? It is clear from the writings of President Clark that he is alluding to the rights of the individual in contrast to the growing control of government in usurping these individual rights. The struggle essentially is this, the mechanism being used in many cases to rob man of individual liberty is government. This is not just true of countries under communist or fascist rule, but even here within our own land. If government extends beyond her rightful (or constitutional) bounds to deprive individuals of their freedom to choose, and dictates the actions of her citizens in a way that curtails this freedom of choice, individual liberty is diminished. It is important to note here that as freedom to choose is diminished, so to is accountability. Without accountability we cannot prove ourselves and one of the primary purposes of this life is thwarted.

On another occasion, President Clark said the following.

“This gigantic worldwide struggle more and more takes on the form of war to the death. We shall do well and wisely so to face and so to enter it. And we must all take part. Indeed, we all are taking part in that struggle, whether we will or not. Upon its final issue, liberty lives or dies.”

It is again affirmed by Pres. Clark that the struggle is worldwide, it is serious enough to be classified as a war to the death, and that either the preservation or loss of liberty depends upon the outcome of this war. Included in this statement is the added admonition that we all have a part to play in the struggle. We have no choice as to our participation (we all are taking part in that struggle, whether we will or not) but we do have a choice regarding the side we will join and the effort we will put forth.

The next statement I’d like to share from President Clark begins to describe how the war is waged by the forces intent on depriving individuals of liberty.

“I wish to say with all the earnestness I possess that when you see any curtailment of these liberties I have named [freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of religion], when you see government invading any of these realms of freedom which we have under our Constitution, you will know that they are putting shackles on your liberty, and that tyranny is creeping upon you, no matter who curtails these liberties or who invades these realms, and no matter what the reason and excuse therefore may be.”

We are here instructed that anytime government begins to take action, for any reason, that infringes upon the freedoms guaranteed by our constitution, liberty is under assault. Let’s consider this a bit more. There are many examples we can point to in our day of government making excuses for why this action or that must be taken, even if those actions infringe on liberty. Consider actions taken by the government in the name of ensuring public safety, stabilizing the economy, ensuring equality, supporting the less-fortunate, protecting the environment, encouraging growth, promoting diversity, maintaining peace, serving the ‘greater good’ and the list goes on and on. All of these may be worthwhile objectives when regarded on their own merits, and I certainly don’t mean to suggest that there is not a reasonable expectation of the government in regard to many of these pursuits, but when such ends serve as a mechanism for curtailing freedoms, we are at risk.

Consider some of the consequences that have resulted from the government overreaching with one of the aforementioned ends in mind. Freedom of speech, the right to bear arms, the right to assemble, freedom of religion, and the right to property have been threatened, and in some cases completely disregarded. Excessive taxation has occurred, energy dependence has increased, God has been pushed out of public discourse, the family has been undermined, poverty has increased, single parenthood has exploded, personal property has been confiscated, and much more.

And President Clark continues,

“And do not think that these usurpations, intimidations and impositions are being done to us through inadvertence or mistake. The whole course is deliberately planned and carried out. Its purpose is to destroy the Constitution and our constitutional government; then to bring chaos, out of which the new Statism with its slavery is to arise, with a cruel relentless, selfish, ambitious crew in the saddle.” (Church News, )

This statement is painfully clear. Encroachments upon our freedom are no accident. They are planned, coordinated, and carried out with a purpose in mind. This personally gives me great pause when I consider some of the proposals made by those in government that will supposedly benefit us in this way or that, but actually undermine our freedom. For example, while many politicians suggest that government run healthcare is best for the American people, I cannot ignore the power this places in the hands of the state over our lives. Under government supported healthcare the state would be in a position to dictate our lifestyles, our diets, when we access medical care, what care we are entitled to receive, how we use our free time, how many children we have, if we’ve ‘earned’ the investment the state would make in keeping us alive, and many other aspects of our personal lives.

Part of proposed energy policy could dictate the temperature setting within our homes, the distance we can travel, when we can run home appliances, the quantity of emmisions we are entitled to create, the kind of automobiles that can be manufactured, etc.

Other proposals regarding education would give government control over who is given money to attend colleges and universities, what those intitutions teach, and who those institutions will admit. The government then has control over who has access to higher education and of what that education consists. Organic evolution, global warming, moral relativism, allegience to the state and other forms of indoctrination are then unfettered and uncontested. There are already many examples of state run education dictating aspects of curriculum that are objectionable and not in alignment with gospel truth. President Clark once said regarding education, “Our government with its liberty and free institutions will not long survive a government trained and supervised youth”. (Church News, 1940)

The partnership of government and labor unions limit employers, reduce production and productivity, and drive up both availability and cost of goods that we are free to purchase. Proposed legislation would even deprive workers of the right to a secret ballot, and ultimately, the right to not be represented by corrupt unions. Unreasonable gun control laws would limit who may have access to a firearms, how the weapon can be used, and where it may be taken. These rules would certainly diminish the ability of citizens to protect themselves from the violation of their rights by individuals or groups.

All of these threats to our freedom are real, and can be verified by just a few minutes of reviewing proposed and actual legislation in our country.

The terrifying truth that we are taught by President Clark is that these threatened encroachments on our liberty are not inadvertent, but are coordinated and purposeful. It would be foolish to think that the potential for these sundry proposals to subordinate our individual liberties to the control of the state is not well understood by those proposing and championing such causes. They are aware of the implications, and some of those pushing adoption of such measures are doing so for the very purpose of extending state control into the realm of individual liberty.

Well, this post has extended longer than I had intended, and there are still several things I wish to present from the writings of President Clark. I will hold the remaing for a subsequent post. But in way of conclusion for now, I’ll share one more quote.

“I say unto you with all the soberness I can, that we stand in danger of losing our liberties, and that once lost, only blood will bring them back; and we of this church will, in order to keep the Church going forward, have more sacrifices to make, and more persecutions to endure than we have yet known.” (Conference Report, 1952)

This is sobering indeed. There is a real need, and an urgent need, when we see any force, whether from without or within, whether from our own government or elsewhere, begin to encroach upon individual liberty, we must stand up to prevent liberty from being lost. The freedom of our children depends on it. The continued mission of the Church requires it. And, our ability to answer to the Lord for how we spent the priceless gift of liberty we were given, at great sacrifice from so many before us, hinges upon it.

More to come from President Clark in the next post. . . .

Thanks,
Richard