Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself. 2 Nephi 2:27

We are free to make our own choices and that freedom must be guarded at all costs. We must not give that freedom to others who would wield our emotions against us like a weapon. That trap called co-dependency which is its own form of imprisonment with bars made of guilt, fear, and helplessness. We must not give that freedom to the empty promises of lust, chemicals, pleasures and worldly addictions. We must not give that freedom to our pride, acting with the intention that we will be risen in someone else's mind or "accepted". We must not give that freedom to comfort which would ultimately corrode us. Freedom must be defended. We need to guard that freedom from the imprisonment of our own fear and emotions. We must defend that freedom from false conclusions about our identity that such and such is "just the way I am". Free will must be defended by personal righteousness.