This post is really long, but it is something that I am very
passionate about. I was recently asked
to give a lesson in my church and this is the lesson that I shared that
day. I know that some of my readers are
not from America,
but I hope that you can take this post and apply it to your feelings about what
makes your country great. I know without
a shadow of a doubt that all people are great in their own way. I also feel that no matter where you reside,
you have the same challenges of standing up for what is right and good at all
times. I also feel that we all need a
reminder of who gave us the freedom to make those choices. With that in mind, I hope you enjoy this
post and the video that I have included at the end of this post.
When we were in Heaven, we were given a choice. A choice to follow our Heavenly Father's plan
to come to earth and gain knowledge and experience or the choice to follow
Satan and be guaranteed a return trip to heaven but where we would forfeit our
freedom of choice. Since we are here
today, you can guess what choice we made.
We all made the choice to come here to earth and have an earthly
experience. I for one am extremely
grateful for the chance to make my own choices, weather they be good or
bad. That is the only way that we can
truly learn. One of the best gifts that
Heavenly Father gave us was the gift of agency.
President David O. McKay stated: "Next to life, we express gratitude for
the gift of free agency. When thou didst create man, thou placed within him
part of thine Omnipotence and bade him choose for himself. Liberty and conscience thus became a sacred
part of human nature. Freedom not only to think, but to speak and act, is a
God-given privilege. "
When America was in its infancy, they faced many trials. The people who fled to America were seeking freedom to choose. In this case it was the freedom to have their own religion. In their homeland, England, the king didn't want to let go of the people and he most definitely didn't want them to have their own religion. (This sounds very reminiscent of what Satan wanted - control over others).
As the Colonists grew they were determined to keep this
newfound freedom that they had worked so hard to find. They were inspired by Heavenly Father to
write a Declaration of Independence and the Constitution that shaped this
wonderful land that we call home.
President J. Reuben Clark said: "the Constitution is an inspired
document drawn by the hands of men whom God raised up for that very purpose;
that God has given His approval of the Government set up under the Constitution
“for the rights and protection of all flesh, according to just and holy
principles”: that the constitutional “principle of freedom in maintaining
rights and privileges, belongs to all mankind, and is justifiable before” the
Lord. (D&C 101:77, 98:5.) . . .
President Wilford Woodruff stated: "Those men who laid the foundation of
this American government and signed the Declaration of Independence were the
best spirits the God of Heaven could find on the face of the earth. They were
choice spirits . . . inspired of the Lord."
As with anything, with great privilege comes great responsibility. We live in a time when we, as a people, are
more concerned over how many "likes" we get on Facebook, how many
texts we can send or receive in a minute, or who is winning the battle on the
online game we are involved in. We are
also absorbed in the latest trend on Pintrest, Twitter, or Snapchat. We become devastated if someone doesn't
"like" us or text us back in a timely fashion. We tend to think that because we exist we
"deserve" the things that we have.
In this way of thinking, WE ARE WRONG! We need to remember those who toiled to grant
us what we have today. We need to ask
ourselves if we are truly worthy to have these freedoms if we ourselves are not
willing to pay the price.
James Russell Lowell stated: "Our American republic
will endure only as long as the ideas of the men who founded it continue
dominant”.
I am not saying that we need to go into battle on the
battlefield, but we do need to be willing to enter the battlefield we call
daily life. We need to teach our
children and grandchildren what it means to fight for our freedom and to stand
for what is right at all times. We don't
have to go looking for a fight, but we need to be ready to face the fight when
it comes to us. In the words which Captain Parker gave to his minutemen on
April 19, 1775,
"Stand your ground, don’t fire unless fired upon,
But if they mean to have a war
Let it begin here."
People, the battle is here, now. What are you doing to protect your family and
prepare your children?
May we too feel so determined to make our future better than
it is now. We have forgotten that those
who fought so hard for our freedom had a grim determination, they opposed every
attempt to rob them of any liberty they had gained. We too need to be this determined to keep our
freedoms and to teach our offspring the importance of protecting these
freedoms.
Nephi too recognized the importance of teaching these principles to his people. He understood that if we turn to God seeking help we will be strengthened so we can win the battles that come to us day after day.
“And I beheld, that the power of God was with them, and also
that the wrath of God was upon all those that were gathered together against
them to battle. And I, Nephi, beheld that the Gentiles that had gone out of
captivity were delivered by the power of God out of the hands of all other
nations” (1 Nephi 13:18–19).
We are bombarded every day with choices. Some are good and others not so good. One thing that I have noticed is the lack of
respect for ones-self. Another thing
that I have noticed is the lack of courage to stand up for what is right at all
times.
This is especially difficult when dealing with
children. Most parents are not willing
to stand up to their children when faced with a serious situation. The parent is more concerned if their child
will like them over if the choice that child is making is a good one or not.
Let me remind you parents, and grandparents - you are not
here to gain popularity points with your children. You are not here to be their best friend,
they have enough friends their own age.
You are here to lead them to greatness.
"NO" is a very difficult word to master, but as a guardian of
the future you must learn to use it well.
We cannot overindulge our children into thinking that they are entitled
to anything. We must teach them the hard
lessons that greatness comes to those who work for it. We must teach them to have self-government
and self-control.
Elder Albert E. Bowen put it: “Self-government involves
self-control, self-discipline, an acceptance of and the most unremitting
obedience to correct principles. . . . No other form of government requires so
high a degree of individual morality”.
The task we have been given as guardians is difficult at
best, but with the help of Heavenly Father we will make it through.
I come from a very strong patriotic background. My father served over 20 years in the Air
Force. He had the distinct opportunity
to repatriate to POWs of the Vietnam War.
He saw the difficult situations the military faced on a daily basis in
order to protect our freedoms. He taught
his family how to love both God and country.
He taught us to stand for what is right at all times no matter the cost.
I am so grateful to a father who gave me his example. I know that I have truly been blessed to live
in this beautiful free land we call America. I also realize that that freedom did not come
by accident. God is an amazing being and
can do miracles to achieve his purposes.
Pres. Benson stated
"it is not just another nation, not just a member of the family of
nations. It is a great and glorious nation with a divine mission, brought into
being under the inspiration of heaven. It is truly a land choice above all
others...my heart fills with gratitude that I am privileged to live here, and
that I have the honor and pleasure not only of serving in the Church but also
of serving in the government of this great land. I consider it an honor and a
privilege.
"the Founding Fathers…recognized…our freedom is
God-given…that this glorious principle, this great boon of freedom and respect
for the dignity of man, came as a gift from the Creator. That the freedom which we enjoy did not
originate with the Founding Fathers."
D&C 101:80: “And
for this purpose have I established the Constitution of this land, by the hands
of wise men whom I raised up unto this very purpose, and redeemed the land by
the shedding of blood”
Pres Benson continues by reminding us that "we have a
rich heritage,"…and warns us "that nations ofttimes sow the seeds of
their own destruction even while enjoying unprecedented prosperity, even before
reaching the zenith or the peak of their power. I think history clearly
indicates that this is often the case. When it appears that all is well,
ofttimes the very seeds of destruction are sown, sometimes unwittingly. Most of
the great civilizations of the world have not been conquered from without until
they have destroyed themselves from within by sowing these seeds of
destruction.
If we will keep the commandments of God—live as he has
directed, and does now direct, through his prophets—we will continue to have
his protecting hand over us.
In these challenging days, when there are so many influences
which would divert us, there is a need to rededicate ourselves to the lofty
principles and practices of our Founding Fathers."
I too add my testimony to Pres. Benson. I know that we need to teach the rising
generation to remember who gave them their freedom. We need to teach them to stand for truth at
all times, no matter what. Standing up
for what is true is lonely at times, but it will make you strong and you will
never stand alone as long as you stand with God.
It is my hope and prayer that we may remember that our
freedoms aren't free. They came at an
incredible price. Let us not forget that
price that has been paid. Let us
remember who is the founder of the freedoms we enjoy and thank Him each and every
day. It is my plead to you as guardians
to teach your young charges about these principles that they may too gain a
strong testimony for these things.
I love my country and the freedoms that I enjoy on a daily
basis. I love my family and the joy they
bring to my heart each day. Most of all
I love my God who has given me all.
I pray that as you watch the following video that you will
reflect on the price that was paid for our freedom and how we can instill
respect in our children for these freedoms and those who won them for us. But most of all I hope that you too will
thank God each day for the freedom that you too enjoy.
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| Click here to view video |
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