Dependence and Freedom by Richard G. Medlock

 

Dependence and Freedom

By Richard G. Medlock

The statement attributed to Jean-Jacques Rousseau captures a profound principle about the relationship between dependence and freedom: slavery does not always begin with chains; it can begin with the gradual loss of a person’s ability to stand, think, work, and act independently. When a person becomes so dependent upon another person, institution, or government that he believes he cannot survive without its assistance, his freedom becomes vulnerable. The image’s contrast between “dependence breeds slavery” and “self-reliance breeds freedom” therefore expresses an important truth: genuine liberty requires a measure of personal responsibility and self-reliance. This does not mean that people should never receive help or that society has no responsibility toward those who genuinely need assistance. Rather, the danger comes when assistance becomes permanent dependence, when people surrender their initiative and responsibility in exchange for security. The Founders understood a similar principle when they emphasized that a free republic depends upon a virtuous and responsible citizenry. Benjamin Franklin famously warned, “Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.” Freedom requires people who are willing to govern themselves rather than continually requiring someone else to govern them.

This principle also has a powerful spiritual dimension. The gospel of Jesus Christ teaches agency, not helplessness. The Lord declared, “Men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will” (Doctrine and Covenants 58:27). He does not desire passive followers who merely wait to be commanded in every circumstance. He teaches us to develop faith, judgment, courage, industry, and spiritual self-reliance. At the same time, Christian self-reliance is not independence from God. It is the development of our capacity through God. Nephi expressed this balance beautifully: “I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them” (1 Nephi 3:7). We are expected to act, but we are never expected to act alone. The Savior strengthens us while requiring us to exercise our agency.

There is therefore an important distinction between dependence upon God and dependence upon earthly masters. Dependence upon God produces freedom because God teaches us truth and enables us to become capable, responsible, and spiritually mature. Christ said, “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). Conversely, dependence upon another human being, an institution, or a government for every need can gradually diminish initiative and personal responsibility. King Benjamin taught his people to care for the poor, but he simultaneously emphasized personal responsibility: “Ye yourselves will succor those that stand in need of your succor” (Mosiah 4:16). Genuine charity seeks not merely to maintain people in dependency but to help them regain strength, dignity, capability, and hope.

The picture’s path from darkness toward light is particularly meaningful. The person walking toward the sunrise can symbolize the journey from dependency to responsibility, from ignorance to knowledge, from fear to courage, and ultimately from bondage to liberty. Freedom is not simply the absence of restraints; it is the capacity to choose righteousness and accept the consequences of those choices. In that sense, self-reliance is not merely an economic principle—it is a moral principle. A person who can think critically, work diligently, control his appetites, keep commitments, solve problems, and accept responsibility for his choices is much harder to manipulate or enslave. As Proverbs teaches, “The prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself” (Proverbs 22:3).

Ultimately, the deepest lesson is that liberty must be cultivated within the individual before it can be preserved in society. A government can protect freedom externally, but it cannot manufacture the character necessary to sustain it. If citizens surrender responsibility for their families, morality, education, finances, judgment, and conscience, they may gradually exchange the difficult responsibilities of liberty for the apparent security of dependence. The gospel offers a higher alternative: “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free” (Galatians 5:1). Christ does not free us so that we can become dependent upon men; He frees us so that we can become capable, responsible, covenant-keeping sons and daughters of God. True freedom is therefore not simply being free from something—it is becoming strong enough, wise enough, and righteous enough to be free for something: to choose, to serve, to create, to love, and ultimately to become more like Jesus Christ.