Stabilizer bar connecting rods--one came off.

I just bought an '83 720 pickup. (For a few hundred dollars). It makes a small clanking sound whenever I go over bumps. Upon inspection, I realized that the driver-side stabilizer bar connecting rod is missing the bottom bushing and nut. It looks like I can just replace it. Will this affect my alignment? What does the stabilizer bar do, and can I still drive safely around our small, rural town until I fix it?