"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" (James E. Faust, "The Responsibility for Welfare Rests with Me and My Family," Ensign, May 1986, 21).

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