Evidences and Reconciliations -- What is a "Liberal"?

            The word liberal, correctly used, has a noble meaning. The true liberal hates slavery of every kind. He battles for human freedom. He wants liberty in thought and action. He is tolerant, free from bigotry, and generous in all his deeds. He places truth above all else and hungers for full truth. He welcomes all new improvements and calls for more -- the telegraph. electric light, telephone, printing press, typewriter, railroad, airship, radio. He insists that every new invention must be used for human welfare, with all respect to civil and moral law. In short, the liberal seeks to make better the day in which he lives, and he becomes therefore a crusader for the betterment of the human race.

            Such a liberal, to accomplish his purpose. holds fast, without the least concession, to the convictions of his soul. He is anchored to the rock of truth, as he may see it. He never wavers from the basic, underlying principles of the cause, whether of church or state, to which he is committed. All the world knows how and where he stands. His liberalism lies in his constant attempt to make the underlying, unchanging principles of the cause he represents serve the changing conditions of the day. He may differ with the superficial conventions of the past, but not with its established truths. He may refuse to continue the church architecture of the past but will insist that the ancient truths of the Gospel be taught in every building dedicated to worship. He may be forever seeking, under changing conditions, to make the doctrine of human brotherhood more effective in behalf of the needy. He is a believer who seeks to use his beliefs in every concern of his life.

            Unfortunately, the word liberal is not now always properly used. It has been used, or misused, for so many purposes that its original meaning has largely vanished. Word-juggling, making a good word cover a doubtful or an ugly cause, is an age-old pastime. Words are too often used as shields to hide or disguise truth. Many men are inclined to hide their true motives behind a word. The self-called liberal is usually one who has broken with the fundamental principles or guiding philosophy of the group to which he belongs. He is an unbeliever. He claims membership in an organization but does not believe in its basic concepts, and sets out to reform it by changing its foundations. He is forever entangling his unbelief with his membership. He wants the protection of the organization, therefore refuses to admit frankly that he rejects the fundamental beliefs of the cause and seeks truth elsewhere. It is a species of cowardice.

            In the United States, communists, nazis, or fascists would probably insist that they are liberals. In a church, the liberal refuses to accept the doctrine of the church or the way of life that it enjoins upon its members. It is an undeserved compliment to designate such men by the noble word liberal; they are apostates from a cause, engaged in building their own cause under false colors, whether in the state or the church. They are often without basic convictions, rudderless mariners, victims of every passing wave. Such men, whatever they may call themselves, are dangerous to human happiness. Certainly, they are not entitled to be called liberals within the organization of which they are members. Their chief pastime is to sow the seeds of anarchy in the hearts of others.

            It is folly to speak of a liberal religion, if that religion claims that it rests upon unchanging truth. Neither can one be a liberal in religion except in the application of the underlying doctrine to human needs. It would be as preposterous as speaking of a liberal science, since science rests upon truthful observations of nature. It is only in the use of scientific discoveries that the word liberal may be used. One either accepts or rejects truth. There is no middle course.

            Proponents of a liberal religion are probably not certain of the foundations of their own faith and characterize their distrust by the world liberal. They are doubters. For example, a Catholic or Protestant Christian who denies the literal resurrection of Jesus Christ has no right to claim the title liberal. He is an agnostic to, or unbeliever in, a fundamental, necessary doctrine of the church. It is well to beware of people who go about proclaiming that they or their churches are liberal. The probabilities are that the structure of their faith is built on sand and will not withstand the storms of truth. Usually, if they try to define their liberalism, the teeth of the wolf appear under the sheep's clothing.

            Under the definition of true liberalism, the Church of Jesus Christ is preeminently liberal. First, it makes truth and love of truth its foundation. The whole latter-day work was initiated by Joseph Smith's search for truth. "In the midst of this war of words and tumult of opinions, I often said to myself: What is to be done? Who of all these parties are right?" ... Thus came the first great vision of Joseph Smith: and as a consequence of his search for truth came the other revelations, and the enduring light-giving structure of the Church. In his differences with the beliefs of the churches of his day, he did not seek cover under the name of an existing church. Instead he frankly formed another Church and fought out the issue on the basis of his own fundamental doctrine.

            It is understood that every worthy member of the Church must likewise seek and find truth for himself. Then the Church recognizes that there is constant change on earth but insists that every change must respect and use the basic doctrine of the Church, and must be for human good. If declares that men "live and move and have their being" under the law of progress. Change steps upon the heels of change in the unfolding of a progressive universe. The simple eternal truths of existence are combined and combined again. in different ways. but progressively, to serve man on his never-ending journey. It is much as the endless combination of the few numerical digits from simple to increasingly larger numbers. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints do not need to look elsewhere for a liberal Church. -- J.A.W.