Dean of Students Lane Fischer spoke about liberty and how it is always attained by sacrifice in the Devotional July 2.
Fischer, BYU dean of Student Life, based the title of his talk on D&C 88:86, which reads, “Abide ye in the liberty wherewith ye are made free.”
He began by addressing the critical nature of liberty in God’s plan.
“Liberty is essential to the Lord’s plan of happiness,” he said.
Fischer gave the example of King Mosiah in the Book of Mormon as someone dedicated to the liberty of his people.
Mosiah strove for economic liberty, political freedom and spiritual independence for the people over whom he ruled because he understood why it was so important, Fischer said.
“He wanted his people to be free,” he said.
He discussed the ways that liberty is obtained, saying that sacrifice is necessary.
“Liberty is always attained by sacrifice,” he said. “Sometimes the sacrifices are palpable and sometimes the sacrifices are more subtle.”
The sacrifices of Fischer’s immigrant ancestors earned liberty for them and have helped him enjoy his own liberty.
Fischer said that his great-grandmother sacrificed to help bring other members of her family to America.
“I inherited this liberty from them, and I am grateful,” he said.
The greatest sacrifice that was ever made, the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, resulted in the most important liberty that we can attain, Fischer said.
Liberty from death is attained through the resurrection of Christ, he said.
Fischer illustrated his point by talking about the disembodied spirits seen by President Joseph F. Smith.
“While this vast multitude waited and conversed, rejoicing in the hour of their deliverance from the chains of death, the Son of God appeared, declaring liberty to the captives who had been faithful,” Fischer said, citing D&C 138:18.
He said liberty from sin is also attained through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and through repentance.
He also quoted 2 Nephi 9:12, which reads, “And this death of which I have spoken, which is the spiritual death, shall deliver up its dead; which spiritual death is hell.”
There is no greater liberation than from sin, Fischer said.
He said that to abide in liberty, we must make and keep covenants.
“We choose to obey, and in doing so we are made free,” Fischer said.
