what is the real issue?

in my humble opinion, when we vote on the issues of our day, there is a higher principle at play that many overlook, but which i believe will very much influence the decisions people will make this november and ultimately our future. in a democracy, supreme power is given completely to the people. i very much believe that there is eternal truth, right and wrong. and i believe that it is not the right of the people, or the government they elect, to decide what that truth or moral standard is for me or for anyone else. as the founders of this great country, i also believe that as human beings we are endowed by our creator with certain unalienable rights... in my opinion, among these inalienable rights, and maybe the greatest of them all, is the gift of agency or the right to choose. god granted each one of us the ability and the capability to choose for ourselves. i see no greater cause on this earth to fight harder to preserve and protect than this free agency. as a latter-day saint, i know of only one great battle or war that took place not on this earth, before the world was even created. there was a war in heaven, and it was a battle over just this, whether mankind should have the right to choose between good and evil or be compelled to do good. god's plan was to allow mankind the right to choose for themselves and it won out. why would we willingly cast the fruits of this great battle aside and forfeit this god-given gift to the masses or to those they choose to govern them? america itself was founded on the premise of freedom and many wars have been waged to uphold these freedoms. america without freedom is no longer america. i firmly believe that it is the responsibility of this country's government to provide for the freedoms and agency awarded to its people by god and our forefathers and it is the responsibility of religions, churches, and families to provide guidance for this people's proper use of these freedoms. as we vote on any issue, i hope and pray that the people will broaden their view... remember, sometimes it's not just about whether or not you believe a certain issue to be right or wrong, there most likely is a higher principle at stake.


i love the words written in the founding documents of the united states of america, the men who wrote them were truly inspired. in the preamble of the declaration of independence, thomas jefferson wrote their vision for america. again, i love these words and have hope that we will continue our efforts to make them a reality.

"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. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed..."

-- US Declaration of Independence, 1776