Pythagorean Theorem

Yesterday my 8th grade son brought home a paper from school that had squares and triangles that he was supposed to cut out and then arrange to prove the Pythagorean Theorem. Unfortuanetly, the example triangle that was used in this assignment made it difficult to tell the difference between the b² square and the c² square. So I decided to create a new version of the assignment using a 3,4,5 triangle

Download Improved Version Here

It Is Not Too Late To Start

If you have not started reading the Book of Mormon in response to President Hinckley's challenge it is not too late to start.

Kris said "I haven't started- Am I too far behind to get started?"

In response to that Ryan said "it might be helpful to have a chart for those who would like to start reading Sept. 1"

I previously created a chart that started August first and now to help anyone that has not started yet I have made a chart that starts September 1st.

If you start reading before the start of September you will be ahead of schedule.

If you have family or friends that have not started yet give them a copy of this chart and encourage them to get moving.

UPDATE: There was an error in my program that caused the book of Enos to be left off of the chart. This has been fixed. The link above will download the corrected chart.

Book of Mormon Challenge

President Hinckley has challenged us to read the Book of Mormon by the end of this year. I have created a chart to help you track your progress. The chart has a box for every chapter in the Book of Mormon. The height of each box is proportional to the length of the chapter. As you read each chapter color in the box. The dates next to the chapter boxes tell you where you need to be to finish by the end of the year.

Download Chart Here.

Immigration

The MinuteManProject has focused a lot of attention on Immigration. Yesterday some co-workers asked my opinion on this topic.

I told them that I believe that all men are created equal and that no matter where they were born they should have the freedom to live whereever they want. As part of allowing open immigration we need to drastically reduce the government handouts that are available to immigrants. We should also reduce the handouts available to native citizens.

One of the things that led me to this belief was an article I read many years ago about a family trying to come to America from Cuba. With a little searching I found the article, Bringing the Border War Home. It was published in the October 1995 issue of Reason magazine. Whenever I read this story it brings tears to my eyes.

In the national din over immigration, Lizbet Martinez's story barely rates a whisper. She's just a little girl, born in Cuba in 1983. Her mother was a dentist, her father a truck driver, and Lizbet was their first child. Like all new parents, Danne and Jorge Martinez found that having a child changed their lives in ways they couldn't have imagined before she was born. Sleeping through the night was a thing of the past. And a simple trip to the market suddenly required so much planning and preparation that it seemed like a military operation.

Yet it was only when Lizbet was old enough to go to school that the most profound change of all became obvious. Like many, probably most Cubans, Lizbet's parents led double lives. At work, they dutifully chanted the praises of the Cuban Revolution and its all-powerful leader, Fidel Castro. But at home, behind closed doors, they cursed him for turning Cuba into an economic waste land and political dead end, a country without a future.

That was fine when it was just the two of them. But now Lizbet would be leaving the house each day to sit in class with a teacher who owed his job to his membership in Cuba's Communist Party. What happened if the little girl repeated something she had heard at home? How long would it be until her parents were fired, or their ration cards were confiscated, or their house was seized, or they were summoned to the Ministry of the Interior for questioning?

Read the full story.

Here is an article about where Lizbet Martinez is today.

The following is an excerpt from the Libertarian Party position on Immigration:

The Libertarian Party has long recognized the importance of allowing free and open immigration, understanding that this leads to a growing and more prosperous America. We condemn the xenophobic immigrant bashing that would build a wall around the United States. At the same time, we recognize that the right to enter the United States does not include the right to economic entitlements such as welfare. The freedom to immigrate is a freedom of opportunity, not a guarantee of a handout.

Belief-O-Matic

This quiz will help you determine which religion most closely matches your religious beliefs.

Even if YOU don't know what faith you are, Belief-O-Matic knows. Answer 20 questions about your concept of God, the afterlife, human nature, and more, and Belief-O-Matic will tell you what religion (if any) you practice...or ought to consider practicing.

I took the quiz and was pleased to find out that I don't need to change my religion.

Easter Talk

As I prepared my talk for Easter I tried to write it out word for word. When I did this I got a talk that sounded stuffy and boring. So I decided to just write an outline and the get up and talk. I was nervous about this but I have studied this subject extensively so I thought I could do it. Doing it this way also has the advantage that you are able to look up more as you are not tempted to just read the paper in front of you. Click on the Read More link to see the outline of my talk.

Easter
12 Oaks 1st Ward
March 27 2005

I. Introduction (Talk Slowly)
     A. Greatest event in History – When did it occur
     B. From Ensign
         Subject that I have been interested in for nearly 20 years
     C. Simplified to fit time
         Other possible interpretations
         Supporting evidence for the conclusions

II. Week of the Resurrection
     A. Resurrection on Sunday
         All four of the Gospels agree that the empty tomb was discovered early 
            on a Sunday Morning. For example In Mark 16:2 we read “And very early 
            in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre 
            at the rising of the sun.”
     B. Crucifixion on Friday - Three days
         Count inclusively
         According to Jewish custom, any part of a day was reckoned as an entire day
         Saturday was the Sabbath
     C. John 19:14 - Crucifixion on Preparation of the Passover - 14th of Nisan
         Passover feast each year on the 15th of Nisan
         Nisan first month on the Judean Calendar
         Preparation of the Passover on the 14th of Nissan
         New day on the Judean Calendar begins at Sunset

III. Symbolism of Passover
     A. The Lord instituted the Passover celebration at the time of the exodus of
         the Israelites from Egypt, to commemorate their release from slavery 
            after the angel of death slew the firstborn of Egypt but “passed over” 
            the Israelite homes.
     B. Prophets taught that the Law of Moses was symbolic of things to come.
         Abinadi condemned the wicked priests of Noah with these words: 
            “Therefore, if ye teach the law of Moses, also teach that it is a shadow 
            of those things which are to come—Teach them that redemption cometh 
            through Christ the Lord”
     C. 10th choosing of the sacrificial lamb (Monday)
         Male without blemish and no broken bones
         Triumphal entry
     D. 14th Sacrifice of Passover lamb Between 3 and 5pm (Friday)
         Sacrifice of the Lamb of God
         Beginning with Gethsemane on the night before yet still Friday
         Crucifixion at about 3pm
     E. 15th Feast Celebration of Liberation (Saturday – we call Friday Night)
         Liberation preached to captives in spirit prison
     F. 16th Firstfruits of the harvest presented to the Lord (Sunday)

IV. Year of resurrection and date on our calendar (Check Time)
     A. High priest Caiaphas and the Roman procurator Pilate presided at Jesus'
         trials. This limits the year of the Crucifixion to the period of 
         their common jurisdiction, A.D. 26 to 36
     B. John begins Ministry in the 15th year of Tibereas Caesar.
         29-30AD
     C. Calendars
          1. Many Calendars
          2. Ours is Synchronized with the seasons by adding leap days
          3. Judean Calendar – Lunar-Solar – synchronized with the months and 
              the seasons
               Each month begins when the thin crescent moon is first visible 
                  in the western sky after sunset.
          4. Leap Months
          5. Modern Hebrew calendar follows a fixed pattern
          6. Anciently it was observational
     D. Astronomy
         Isaac Newton first
         Refined with computers
         Between 26 AD and 36 AD only in 30AD and 33AD was the 14th of Nisan
            a Friday.
         Because John started his ministry in 29 or 30 AD and Christ ministry 
            was at least 3 years then 30 is excluded
     E. Crucifixion: Friday 1st of April 33 AD
     F. Resurrection: Sunday the 3rd of April 33 AD
     G. Lunar Eclipse
         On Friday Evening 1st of April 33 ad
         There is an un-canonized “Report of Pilate” that claims at 
            the Crucifixion “the moon appeared like blood.”

V. Date of birth + length of life = Date of Crucifixion
     A. D&C section 20 implies Organization of the church on 6th of April 1830
     B. Then on 6 April 1980, President Spencer W. Kimball stated that Jesus 
         was born on “this day 1,980 years ago.”
     C. Birth was on 6th of April 1 BC.
     D. Book of Mormon – Length of Life
         Sign of Birth on the First day of the First year
         Sign of Death on the Fourth day of the thirty-fourth year
         Thirty-three Nephite years plus three days
         Not the Judean calendar because it was not on the fourteenth
         365-day year of the Mesoamerican calendar
         33 * 356 +3 =12048

E. Exact match
            Counting 12,048 days from 6 April 1 B.C., brings one to 
              Friday, 14 Nisan, 1 April A.D. 33 the exact Crucifixion date 
              deduced from the Bible!

VI. Conclusion
     A. The carefully prescribed elements of the Passover ceremony precisely
          foreshadowed both the events of the Atonement and the time that they 
            would occur.
     B. Adding the length of Jesus' life calculated from the Book of Mormon, to 
         his birthdate as understood from the Doctrine and Covenants, results in
         a biblical death date, to the very day. This precise internal consistency
         between different books of scripture was noticed only recently

VII. Testimony
     A. Son of God
     B. Literally Resurrected – We will all be Resurrected
     C. The Savior Atonement for our sins
          I god suffered these things for all that they might not suffer if 
            they would repent
     D. We can repent and our sins will not be mentioned unto us at the day 
          of Judgment

Simple Human Genome Analysis Program

The Latest Issue of PyZine has an article about using python to analyze the Human Genome. As an example it provides a 14 line program that will count the number of TATA sequences in the Human Genome.

Genes are parts of the DNA that code for specific proteins, but there's no 'treasure map' or Rosetta stone that documents where the genes are in a complete DNA setup. (Moreover, Nature seems to have made it a point to preemptively strike down any formulated rule.) But there are some classic tell-tale signs and one of them is called a TATA box. A TATA box occurs upstream of where the actual transcription begins, but not at a specific upstream location. The occurrence of a TATA box is only indicative and not conclusive, as was mentioned earlier, and so it helps to look for them.

It also has an example of searching for protein sequences in a file of all known human proteins.

Car Accident

Today my daughter was involved in a car accident. She was turning left from a side street onto a major street. There was a car turning right from the major street onto the street that she was turning out of. As that car slowed down she thought that she could go. She did not realize that she did not have a good enough view of the second lane that she had to cross. As she crossed the second lane our Suburban was struck on the left rear by a '63 Ford Falcon. The Suburban was spun completely around and after spinning hit the Falcon on the drivers door. My daughter was scared but not hurt. The driver of the falcon had a bump on his head and a cut on his lip.

It is interesting to see how cars have changed over the years. The Falcon does not have anti-lock brakes, it does not have shoulder straps on the seat belts, it does not have airbags, and it does not have a padded steering wheel. It is also a much heavier car than a modern car of the same size. A driver in a lighter car with anti-lock brakes may have avoided the accident and if he didn't he at least would not have hit his head on the steering wheel.

There has been some talk in the news recently about raising the driving age to 18 because young drivers cause more accidents. My daughter is 18, however, she has only had her drivers license for about a month. I beleive that experience is much more important than age in the ability to drive safely. Also, a 16 year old is more likely to be supervised by their parents while they are gaining expereience. I do not think that the driving age should be raised to 18.

Talking In church on Easter

Today I was asked to talk in church on Easter Sunday. I am planning on talking about the date of the first Easter. The June 1985 Ensign has an article written by John Pratt that talks about this.

The morning of the Savior's resurrection could be considered the most important moment in earthly history. The announcement "He is risen" signaled that death had been conquered and the Atonement accomplished. Certainly it is an event worthy of the celebration and great rejoicing which we accord it each year at Easter. But when did this marvelous event happen? On what date did Jesus rise from the tomb?

I am a little concerned because of the complexity of this topic but I think that if I am carefull I will be able to cover it appropriately.

Learning to Sing

I have never been able to Sing. I have tried karaoke a number of times and it has always been hilarious. The last time I tried to sing karaoke a lady from church that gives voice lessons was there. She said that she could teach me to sing. I had my first voice lesson yesterday. My teacher says that I have potential and that if I work on it I will be able to sing in the ward choir by the end of the year. It seems far fetched but she says that she has taught people worse than me. We will see how it works out; or should I say hear.

Worlds Without Number

A few months ago we had a Family Home Evening lesson where we disscussed the following two scriptures. Moses 1:33 And worlds without number have I created; and I also created them for mine own purpose; and by the Son I created them, which is mine Only Begotten. Moses 1:37 And the Lord God spake unto Moses, saying: The heavens, they are many, and they cannot be numbered unto man; but they are numbered unto me, for they are mine. Most of this lesson was spent looking at the Sloan Digital Sky Survey / Sky Server.

This website presents data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, a project to make a map of a large part of the universe. We would like to show you the beauty of the universe, and share with you our excitement as we build the largest map in the history of the world.

One of the best parts of this site is a page where you can navigate around the image of sky the way you do with mapquest. As you zoom and pan around the map of the sky you will be overwhelmed with the number of stars and galaxies. You can click on an object and it will tell you if it is a star or a galaxy. Many of the objects that look like stars are actually galaxies. The website says that when the survey is done they will have mapped hundreds of millions of celestial objects. We finished our lesson by singing "If You Could Hie to Kolob" (Music and Lyrics)

Brad

My name is Brad.

I am a husband and father. I have a wonderful wife and four wonderful children.

My wife has just recently graduated form college and is now a Registered Nurse. My oldest is the manager of a Cold Stone Creamery. My second child just started attending a local community college. My third child is in middle school and my youngest is in Kindergarten.

I grew up in a family where I was the oldest of 6 children.

I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

I have been a software engineer for the last 20 years. I have experience with the following computer languages: Python, C, VB, Fortran, APL, SQL, dBase, Pascal, Jovial, and Various assembly languages.

I have a day job developing embedded software in C. In my spare time I like to write Python.

I am a Libertarian.

I am interested in Genetics, Biology, Mathematics, Physics, Astronomy, Chess, and Science Fiction.

I also like to play Racquet ball.

Part 4: Government - Prohibited Activites

(this is the text of a letter I wrote in December of 1995 but never finished.)

 This letter will begin the discusion of things governments should not be involved in by covering the topic of welfare.  Welfare is used in a broad sense to include government providing money, food, shelter, health care, or retirment programs to the citezens.  There are moral and practical asspects to this issue. I will start by explaing the moral reasons why government should not provide welfare and then cover the practical reasons.

Moral

 Ezra Taft Benson affirms that the proper role of government excludes socaial programs with this statment:

  No one has the authority to grant such power as welfare programs, schemes for redistributing the wealth, and activities which coerce people into acting in accordance with a prescribed code of social planning.  There is one simple test.  Do I as an individual have a right to use force upon my neighbor to accomplish this goal?  If I do have such a right, then I may delegate that power to my government to exercise on my behalf.  If I do not have that right as an individual, then I cannot delegate it to government, and I cannot ask my government to perform the act for me.  To be sure, there are times when this principle of the proper role of government is most annoying and inconvenient.  If I could only force the ignorant to provide for themselves, or the selfish to be generous with their wealth! (An Enemy Hath Done This, p. 135.)

 Forcing people to be charitable is not possible.  When people are forced to perform charitable acts they are not really being charitable.

 We have lived with a system where government provides so much for the poor that it is easy to assume that government is the only institution that can help these people.  This is not true.  Most people have compasion for those in need, but now they think they don't need to do anything, because the government is taking care of all the problems.  We must not lose our compasion and begin to think that only legislators and burecrats are able to help the poor.  Helping needy people should be left to individuals and voluntary orginiations.  I beleive the private sector can and will take care of peoples needs!

 David Bergland sumarized the moral argument this way: "If you see someone you thing needs help, you have three basic options.  You can do the helping yourself;  you can work to persuade others to help; or you can force others to help.  ...[T]he first two options are morally commendable.  The third is morally reprehensible." (Libertarianism in One Lesson, p. 70.)

PRACTICAL

 Government does not and cannot take care of peoples needs effectively.

 When government provides the basic needs of life, many people will choose not to work.  Especially people that do not have the ability to make significantly more than government provides.  For example an individual earning $5 per hours working 40 hours per week earns $200 dollars.  Then the federal government will take $7.50 for social security leaving $192.50.  If government welfare will provide a life style that is equivalent to $120 per week, the difference between working and not working is only $72.50.  This means the effective hourly wage is only $1.81/hour.

 Government programs are run by written rules and regulations that leave very little room for judgment. To recive welfare requires filling out forms.  If you meet the requirments, then you become "entitled" to receive benefits.  No government employee "knows" the recipient personaly.

 The government employyes that hand out welfare are not spending their own money, so they are not concerned with limiting the amount spent.  They may actualy want to increase the amount spent because then their jobs become more important.

 Through social security goverment has attempted to create a program to provide for the needs of retired people.  This program takes money from current workers and gives it to current retirees.  Any money that is collected in excess of current needs is spent on other government programs.  No money is saved.  This program is like a pyramid scam, where the people that get in early benefit at the expense of those that get in later.  It its present form it cannot survive and may leave many people unprepared for retierment.

Part 3: Government - The Constitution

(from a series of letters I wrote in 1995)

The last letter presented the idea that the legitimate function of government is the protection of life, liberty, and property.  To perform this protective function a government must be give a certain amount of power.  The difficulty lies in controlling and limiting the use of that power.  Here is what Ezra Taft Benson had to say about the use of government power "I believe it a violation of the Constitution for government to deprive the individual of either life, liberty, or property except for these purposes: (a) Punish crime and provide for the administration of justice; (b) Protect the right and control of property; (c) Wage defensive war and provide for the nation's defense; (d) Compel each one who enjoys the protection of government to bear his fair share of the burden of performing these functions."

Inspired

 The constitution was inspired by God.  In D&C 101:80 the Lord states "... I established the Constitution of this land, by the hands of wise men whom I raised up unto this very purpose."

Control of Government Power

 The founders of the constitution knew the principle that would later be taught in D&C 121:39, "We have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion."  However, they also knew that a government must be given power so that it can carry out it's duty to protect life, liberty, and property.  They had fought the war of independence, with great difficulty, under the Articles of Confederation, because it gave the federal government almost no authority.  So as they set up the constitution, they knew the government need to have controlled authority.  To control the power, the Constitution created a government that was limited, distributed, and representative.

 Limited:  The powers granted to the federal government are written specifically into the Constitution.  Whenever the federal government acts constitutionally it is possible to state which article, section, and paragraph of the constitution gives it the authority to act. Because many people were rightfully concerned that the government would get out of control, the Bill of Rights was added.  The Bill of Rights does not actually grant rights to the people.  It presupposes the existence of these rights and prohibits the government from infringing upon them.  Amendment nine then says "The enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people."  In other words, just because the constitution does not list a right of the people, this does not mean it does not exist.  And just in case any one misunderstood that the federal government is supposed to be limited Amendment ten was added that says, "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people."

 Distributed:  The power of the government is supposed to be distributed in two ways.  First, as we learned in school, there are three branches of government with checks and balances between them.  The second way that government is distributed is between the federal, state, and local levels.  Thomas Jefferson said "The way to have good and safe government is not to trust it all to one, but to divide it among the many, distributing to everyone exactly the functions he is competent to.  Let the national government be entrusted with the defense of the nation, and its foreign and federal relations; the state governments with the civil rights, laws, police, and administration of what concerns the state generally; the counties with the local concerns of the counties; and each ward direct the interest within itself.  It is by dividing and subdividing theses republics from the great national one down through all its subordinations until it ends in the administration of every man's farm by himself, by placing under every one what his own eye may superintend, that all will be done for the best.  What has destroyed liberty and the rights of man in every government which has ever existed under the sun?  The generalization and concentration of all cares and power into one body."

 Representative:  By voting the People of this country are given the ability to select who they want to run the government.  This allows the people to direct and control the government.  However, the will of the people can not be allowed to override the proper limited functions of government.  Even if a majority of the people desire the government to implement an unconstitutional program, it can not legitimately be done.  The constitution created a democratic republic; not a pure democracy.  The right to vote carries with it the responsibility to make wise choices.  A second form of representation is contained in the right to a trial by jury.  If the government creates an unconstitutional law, then each time it attempts to enforce the law, it must convince 12 jurors that the law should be valid.  Thephilus Parsons, a early chief justice of the Supreme Court of Massachusetts explained it this way: "The people themselves have it in their power effectually to resist usurpation without being driven to an appeal to arms.  An act of usurpation is not obligatory; it is no law; and any man may be justified in his resistance.  Let him be considered as a criminal by the general government, yet only his own fellow citizen can convict him; they are his jury, and if the pronounce him  innocent, not all the powers of Congress can hurt him; and innocent they certainly will pronounce him, if the supposed law he resisted was an act of usurpation."

Strayed

 Our federal government currently performs many functions that are beyond the bounds of the authority listed in the constitution.  There are many factors that have contributed to this situation.  The Supreme Court has often interpreted the constitution in ways that were never intended.  The states gave up their check on federal power when they ratified the 17th amendment.  They continue to give up their autonomy when they accept federal funds.  Judges tell juries that they can not judge the law; they must convict if the law was violated, even if the law is immoral.  The people of this country no longer understand or care about a limited constitutional government.  We elect whomever promises to give us the biggest piece of the pie.  Most of us either have not read or do not understand the constitution.  I have include a copy of the constitution so that you can read it.  In the next letter I will discus in detail areas where our government has overstepped its constitutional limits.

Part 2: Government

(from a series of letters I wrote in 1995)

In This letter I will begin the section on government.  This letter will cover the basic principles of government.  These principles are general and apply to all governments.  In following letters I will continue the section on government by discussing the Constitutional implementation of the principles of government, and things that governments should not do.

Government Should Be Based on Principles

In regard to questions about government proposals Ezra Taft Benson said "Decisions of this nature should be based upon and measured against certain basic principles regarding the proper role of government.  If principles are correct, then they can be applied to any specific proposal with confidence" (An Enemy Hath Done This. p. 126).  Government like everything else can be proper or improper.  There are valid and invalid uses of government power.  We cannot justify government action based on results alone.  We must consider whether it is right or wrong on a more fundamental, or moral, basis.  The idea that the ends can justify the means is false.
 
Government is Force

Before we consider the principles that we should base government on we must consider what government is.  When an individual breaks a law, force in some way will be applied.  The individual will usually be jailed of fined.  We say the law is enforced.  If government laws and regulations did not have penalties associated with them, they would just be suggestions.  George Washington said: "Government is not reason, it is not eloquence -- it is force!  Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master."  Government is the institutionalization of force.

Government Gets Authority from the People

Now we come to the question of the source of government authority.  As members of the church we understand the concept of a line of authority.  We do not accept the idea that someone or some group can get authority unless it is given to them by someone that already has authority.  So, as we consider government authority we have two choices, either a government is given authority or governments are in some way special and they just have authority.  Although, many people use phrases like "eminent domain" to try to say that governments do not need to be given authority, I cannot think of any reason why we should accept this idea.

So, if we accept the premise that government must be given authority, we must consider the question of who or what can give government authority.  People create governments, so the only available source of legitimate authority is the people.  Because government gets is legitimate authority from the people, the only powers that the government can have are the same powers that individuals have.

President Benson said "Government is nothing more or less that a relatively small group of citizens who have been hired, in a sense, by the rest of us to perform certain functions and discharge responsibilities which have been authorized.  It stands to reason that the government itself has no innate power or privilege to do anything.  Its only source of authority and power is from the people who have created it." (The Constitution, a Heavenly Banner, p. 7)

Proper Role of Government

Individuals can only use force to defensively protect life, liberty and property (see previous letter).  Government is force. Legitimate government authority is derived from individual authority.  Therefore, we conclude, the only legitimate role of government is to defensively protect life, liberty, and property.

Ezra Taft Benson said "I hold that the Constitution denies government the power to take from the individual either his life, liberty or property except in accordance with moral law; that the same moral law which governs the actions of men when acting alone is also applicable when they act in concert with others; that no citizen or group of citizens has any right to direct their agent, the government, to perform an act which would be evil or offensive to the conscience if that citizen were performing the act himself outside the framework of government" (An Enemy Hath Done This, p. 144 emphasis original)

Section 134 of the Doctrine and Covenants is a declaration of our beliefs with regard to earthly governments and laws in general.  Each of the twelve verses begins, like the Articles of Faith, with the phrase "We believe."  I recommend reading and studying the entire section.  I will conclude this letter by quoting verses 2 and 5.  Notice how the proper role of government is to protect the life, liberty, and property of individuals.

We believe that 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.

We believe that all men are bound to sustain and uphold the respective governments in which they reside, while protected in their inherent and inalienable rights by the laws of such governments; and that sedition and rebellion are unbecoming every citizen thus protected, and should be punished accordingly; and that all governments have a right to enact such laws as in their own judgments are best calculated to secure the public interest; at the same time, however, holding sacred the freedom of conscience.

Part 1. Moral case for individual liberty

(from a series of letters I wrote in 1995)

This section is about the way liberty relates to individuals dealing with each other. It does not consider the relationship between government and individuals. Governments will be considered in section two.

Source of Liberty

Some of the books I have read have attempted to explain where the rights of man come from. There are a number of different ideas. Some say men have natural rights because they are human. Others say men have rights because, from a utilitarian point of view, they feel there are benefits. Many say governments grant rights. However, as members of the church, we believe our rights come from God. Specifically God granted to those of us that chose the correct side in the war in heaven, life and free agency. President Benson said "Reason, necessity, tradition and religious convictions all lead me to accept the divine origin of these rights. If we accept the premise that human rights are granted by government, then we must be willing to accept the corollary that they can be denied by government" (emphasis added). Thomas Jefferson wrote in our Declaration of Independence "We hold these Truths to be self evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of happiness" (emphasis added).

Range of Liberty

There are legitimate limits to our freedoms, but before considering the limits it is important to understand that the range of agency should be as great as possible. First, agency should not be limited because it is a gift from God. God allows us great latitude in the use of our agency. As it says in one of our hymns "God will force no man to heaven." There is lots of wickedness in the world that God could stop if the principle of agency was not so crucial. Another reason we must be left free to choose is that, if righteousness was forced, we would not learn nor would we be rewarded for the acts we perform. Satan presented a plan to take away our agency; we rejected his plan. He continues to pursue his goal. Therefore, we must think very carefully about the limits we desire to place on other individuals.

Legitimate Limits on Liberty

We should be free to do whatever we choose, as long as we do not infringe on another individual’s freedoms. Therefore, the only time an individual can justifiably take life or limit liberty is to protect life or liberty. In other words individuals can only use force defensively. The only other case where force may be appropriate is in teaching and raising children, but we cannot use force on adults except to protect ourselves.

There are many examples where the use of force by one individual to limit the liberty of another individual is clearly immoral. We do not go into our neighbors' homes and attempt to compel them to act in ways we desire even if the actions we desire would benefit them or others. We cannot coerce others to give money, goods, or service to us even for righteous causes. It would be wrong to control where our friends shop, what they buy or how much they pay. If we are with a friend when we see someone asking for money, we can reach into our pocket and give willingly but we can't reach into our friend’s pocket to help him give. We believe that alcohol and tobacco are bad, but we do not try to force others to stop using them. We would not want our neighbor to control the shows we watch, the books we read, or the people we associate with. We don't want him to select the church we go to or the things we believe. As individuals we generally should not try to control each other.

The Relationship between Property Ownership and Liberty

As free individuals there are numerous ways we can use our liberties to acquire property. We can trade our labor for property, we can trade things we already own for other goods, we can give or receive gifts from others. Liberty gives us the right to own things, all types of things, land, cars, houses, clothes, food, etc. To be clear I would like to offer a definition of ownership: The owner of an object is the individual that can decide what to do with the thing that is owned. The owner can sell, trade, destroy, improve, save, or do anything else desired with his property.

Because liberty allows us to own property, using force to protect property is equivalent to protecting liberty. If someone attempts to steal our property or take control of it, we have the right to use force to keep it.

Additionally, property ownership draws a line when there are conflicts between individuals using their liberties. Because the owner of an object has the right to control it, we can not claim that liberty allows us to do what we want wherever we want. In our own homes we have almost no limits placed on our liberty. When we invite others into our home, they must abide by our standards or we can make them leave. When we are in another person’s home our liberties our significantly restricted.

Conclusions

Because I have said we can use force to protect life, liberty and property, does not mean I advocate, a system where each of us individually must constantly resort to force for protection. The point I am trying to make is that we will always have the right to use force defensively. Nothing can take away our right to protect our families, our friends, and our property.

To summarize, Liberty is a gift from God. We should place the minimum limits necessary on liberty. The only legitimate use of force is to protect life, liberty, and property. Property ownership draws a line when there are conflicts between individuals exercising their liberties.

In my next letter I will try to show how these principles of individual liberty relate to the proper role of government.

Part 0: Introduction

(from a series of letters I wrote in 1995)

As all of you know, I have recently been spending considerable time studying about the role of government and its relationship to the governed. About a week ago I watched a tape of a talk given by President Benson on September 16, 1987 at a BYU devotional. The titled of the talk was "The Constitution, a Heavenly Banner.” The next day I went down to Deseret Book and purchased a pamphlet that contained this talk. I also found a book by Ezra Taft Benson entitled "An Enemy Hath Done This." I have just finished reading this book. I strongly recommend it to all.

In the general priesthood session of conference on April 9, 1966 President David O. McKay stated:

We therefore commend and encourage every person and every group who is sincerely seeking to study Constitutional principles and awaken a sleeping and apathetic people to the alarming conditions that are rapidly advancing about us. We wish all of our citizens throughout the land were participating in some type of organized self-education in order that they could better appreciate what is happening and know what they can do about it.

With this recommendation from President McKay I would like to share with you some of the things I have learned. This will be the first in a series of letters that will explain my opinions about government and attempt to back them up. I will likely quote from President Benson extensively. It's likely there are items that I am wrong about. If my beliefs are in any way out of harmony with the teachings of the church, I will change my beliefs. Obviously there will be cases where you disagree with me. When you do, let me know why so we can discuss it. I am continually trying to increase my understanding. Feel free to share these letters with your family and friends.

I have organized the material I would like to share into the following four sections: 1) Moral case for individual liberty, 2) Government, 3) Pragmatic case for liberty, and 4) Actions we can take to improve our government.