A Cloak of Maliciousness

“As free, and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.” (1 Peter 2:16). We are often tempted to pretend that we are being honest when really we only intend to be rude. We wield “freedom of expression” as a weapon of cruelty and malice. We use our liberty for a cloak of maliciousness. The world would teach us that liberty is the freedom to do whatever we want, whenever we want, and damn the consequences for ourselves or especially for others. This is an incomplete and immature understanding of liberty. This kind of freedom sacrifices future progress for short term and shortsighted gains. By using liberty as a cloak for maliciousness, we blind ourselves even as we attempt to cover up our mistakes. “But when we undertake to cover our sins, or to gratify our pride, our vain ambition, or to exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood or the authority of that man.Behold, ere he is aware, he is left unto himself, to kick against the pricks, to persecute the saints, and to fight against God. We have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion. Hence many are called, but few are chosen.” (D&C 121: 37-40). It doesn’t have to be this way. The Lord teaches that liberty is the freedom and more importantly the responsibility to work out our salvation by loving the Lord and loving our neighbors as we love ourselves. “No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned; By kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile— Reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy;That he may know that thy faithfulness is stronger than the cords of death. Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distill upon thy soul as the dews from heaven. The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and thy scepter an unchanging scepter of righteousness and truth; and thy dominion shall be an everlasting dominion, and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee forever and ever.” (D&C 121: 41-46). “Liberty”, when used to carry out cruel and malicious purposes, is not liberty. Using our liberty as Servants of God does not conceal our maliciousness and evil intentions but rather reveals our kindness and goodness.