the will and control of the supporting power”
(Mormon Doctrine,378).
Elder James E. Faust
“The Lord said that it is important for the Church
to ‘stand independent above all other creatures
beneath the celestial world’ (D&C 78:14). Members
of the Church are also counseled to be independent.
Independence means many things. It means being
free of drugs that addict, habits that bind, and diseases
that curse. It also means being free of personal debt
and of the interest and carrying charges required by
debt the world over” (in Conference Report, Apr.
1986, 24–25; or Ensign,May 1986, 21).
Elder Neal A. Maxwell
“One of the last, subtle strongholds of selfishness is
the natural feeling that we ‘own’ ourselves. Of course
we are free to choose and are personally accountable.
Yes, we have individuality. But those who have
chosen to ‘come unto Christ’ soon realize that they
do not ‘own’ themselves. Instead, they belong to
Him. We are to become consecrated along with our
gifts, our appointed days, and our very selves. Hence,
there is a stark difference between stubbornly
‘owning’ oneself and submissively belonging to God.
Clinging to the old self is not a mark of independence,
but of indulgence!” (in Conference Report, Oct.
1990, 18; or Ensign,Nov. 1990, 16).138 INDEPENDENCE