In honor of
Memorial Day tomorrow, Brother Hallock asked me a few weeks ago to speak today
on patriotism. I’ve spent the past month
pondering this topic and asking my family what being patriotic means to
them. Some of the words and phrases I’ve
gotten are: pride, respect and honor, love, loyalty, sacrifice, remembering,
freedom, voting, setting a good example, being unselfish, red, white and blue,
flying the flag, the national anthem, BBQ’s and fireworks, George Washington,
and putting country before self.
That’s kind
of a daunting list of topics and very broad!
So, after gathering that list, my next
task was to narrow it down to what it was I specifically wanted to talk about
and focus on today which was surprisingly difficult to do! But hopefully what I’ve put together will
come together cohesively and make sense.
When I spoke last summer, I told a story about a mesquite tree that was
in my parents’ front yard. Hopefully
those of you who were here will remember that tree and the parallel I drew
between it and the importance of having a strong testimony. Today I want to follow a similar vein and
talk about seeds.
Now, what do seeds and being
patriotic have in common?
Throughout history God has planted
seeds. Seeds that led Christopher
Columbus, and other explorers like him, to set out on an adventures that led to
the official discovery of this continent and brought knowledge of its existence
to the rest of the world. Seeds that led
hundreds to leave their homelands in the mid-17th century to travel
to this country in search of religious freedom.
Seeds that led a fledgling group of colonists to rebel against a
monarchy in order to fight for what they believed in. Seeds that led John Adams, Benjamin Franklin,
Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, George Washington, and
others, to create the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution: the
foundations of this country and the basis of everything we have spent the last
236 years defending.
In Sheri Dew’s book, No One Can Take Your Place, she has an
entire chapter that focuses on the seeds that were planted by these Founding
Fathers of our country. She says, “Our
Founding Fathers planted seeds of liberty and freedom that have produced
centuries of harvest to be reaped by those of us fortunate enough to inherit
the privileges and protections guaranteed by the Constitution. The wealth of the United States does not lie
in its stock market or entrepreneurial reservoir. America’s wealth lies in its
people—in us, and in the seeds we are sowing.”
What seeds
are we sowing?
As I was
preparing this talk, the 12th Article of Faith came repeatedly to
mind. “We believe in being subject to
kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and
sustaining the law.” I wanted to delve a
little further into this statement of belief that we have and figure out why it
was so important that it be listed as one of the key principles of the gospel. So I pulled out my copy of James E Talmadge’s
“Articles of Faith,” In it, he said,
“Governments are essential to human existence; they are recognized, given
indeed, of the Lord; and His people are in duty bound to sustain them.”
In Doctrine and Covenants 98: 4-6
the Lord says, “And now, verily I say unto you concerning the laws of the land,
it is my will that my people should observe to do all things whatsoever I
command them. And that law of the land
which is constitutional, supporting that principle of freedom in maintaining
rights and privileges, belongs to all mankind, and is justifiable before
me. Therefore, I, the Lord, justify you,
and your brethren of my church, in befriending that law which is the
constitutional law of the land.”
Doctrine and Covenants 134:1 also states,
“We believe that governments were instituted of God for the benefit of man; and
that he holds men accountable for their acts in relation to them, both in
making the laws and administering them, for the good and safety of society.”
In short, governments are set up
for our benefit and it is our duty, as a disciple and follower of Christ, to
support whatever government we find ourselves under. But what happens if we find we don’t agree
with how things are being handled? Elder
Talmadge continues, “Our Savior’s work on earth was marked throughout by His
acknowledgement of the existing powers of the land.” I’m sure we are all familiar with the
oft-quoted verse in Matthew, “Render therefore unto Caesar he things which are
Caesars; and unto God the things that are God’s” (22:21). “Throughout the tragic circumstances of His
trial and condemnation, Christ maintained a submissive demeanor even toward the
chief priests and council who were plotting His death. These officers, however unworthy of their
priestly power, were nevertheless in authority.”
Since we are
to always look to the Savior as our example in everything we do in life, I can
think of no better illustration of what the 12th Article of Faith
means and how we should apply it in our own lives than that. There may be those who are in power who may prove
to be unworthy of their status, but they are, as Talmadge said, “nevertheless
in authority” and are due the respect that comes with the offices they hold and
we are subject to them and commanded to sustain the laws of the land. However, it is also up to us to make sure we
are planting seeds of personal righteousness in order to further reap the
harvest that was planted by our Founding Fathers. “James Madison, who is regarded as the father
of the Constitution, put it this way: ‘We have staked the whole future of
American civilization not upon the power of government—far from it. We have staked the future…upon the capacity
of each…of us to govern ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of
God.”
Elder Oakes gave an address
entitled “The Divinely Inspired Constitution” in February 1992. In it he said, “It is part of our civic duty
to be moral in our conduct toward all people.
There is no place in responsible citizenship for dishonesty or deceit or
for willful law breaking of any kind. We
believe with the author of Proverbs that ‘righteousness exalteth a nation: but
sin is a reproach of any people’ (Proverbs 14:34). The personal righteousness of citizens will
strengthen a nation more than the force of its arms.” Elder Oakes continues, “The single word that
best describes a fulfillment of the duties of civic virtue is patriotism. Citizens should be patriotic. My favorite prescription for patriotism is
that of Adlai Stevenson: ‘What do we mean by patriotism in the context of our
times?...A patriotism that puts country ahead of self; a patriotism which is
not short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady
dedication of a lifetime.”
I really
like that phrase “tranquil and steady dedication.” How do we achieve this? Elder Oakes said, “this steady, tranquil
dedication…means living the gospel by becoming a 100% Latter-day Saint 100% of
the time.” Sheri Dew said, “Each of us
has a role to play in preserving this nation.
The place to reform our country is not Washington, D.C…the place to
begin is with ourselves. If we want to
preserve freedom as we know it, we
must live righteously.” She continues on
with three seeds that we should focus on, in our individual lives, that will
help us, as she says, “reap a bountiful national harvest.” These seeds are: integrity, selflessness, and
devotion to God.
Seed #1:
Integrity. What is integrity? My sister, Faith, asked me a couple weeks ago
what integrity meant to me as a part of a personal progress experience she was
working on for Young Women’s. My
response was: integrity is more than just honesty. It’s being true to your morals and
convictions, no matter the circumstances, consequences, and no matter who is (or
isn’t watching). It’s being someone
others can depend on and trust to always do the right thing. The Savior is the
perfect example of integrity; He did everything He promised the Father He would
do. The scriptures, and history, are
full of numerous examples of integrity: Joseph in Egypt, Esther, Job, Daniel,
Paul, Joseph Smith, George Washington, John Adams, and Abraham Lincoln to name
a few. In the Doctrine and Covenants the
Lord gives the best compliment I can think of to Hyrum Smith when He said,
“Verily I say unto you, blessed is my servant Hyrum Smith for I, the Lord, love
him because of the integrity of his heart, and because he loveth that which is
right before me.” (124:15).
President James E. Faust, in 1982
said, “Integrity is the value we set on ourselves. It is a fulfillment of the duty we owe
ourselves. An honorable man or woman
will personally commit to live up to certain self-imposed expectations. They need no outside check or control. They are honorable in their inner
core…Integrity is the light that shines from a disciplined conscience. It is the strength of duty within us.” In her book, Sheri Dew writes, “Our Founding
Fathers clearly understood the crucial importance of integrity. When they signed the Declaration of
Independence, they pledged not only their lives and fortunes but their sacred
honor. They didn’t just moralize about
integrity. They modeled it.” Are we planting this seed of integrity in
our lives? Are we following the examples
set by those who came before us and leaving an example for those who come after
us to follow? Just remember: “If you
tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything.”
Seed #2:
Selflessness. “Selfless service has been
core to our nation from the beginning” and it is an important aspect to the
gospel as well, as we all know. Sheri
Dew continues, “Our history is filled with sterling examples of selfless
service. John Adams hinted at the
sacrifice he and other Founding Fathers made in a letter to his posterity: ‘You
will never know how much it cost [our] generation to preserve your
freedom. I hope you will make good use
it! If you do not, I shall repent in
Heaven that I ever took half the pains to preserve it!’” This quote made me think of the third verse
of “America the Beautiful” that says, “Oh beautiful for heroes proved in
liberating strife, who more than self their country loved, and mercy more than
life.” Do we think about, and put the
welfare of others before our own?
Opportunities
for service to our country and in our communities are countless and varied.
“President Bush said in his 2003 State of the Union address, ‘Sometimes it
takes just one person in someone’s life.
I urge you to be that
person.’ His words mirror Albert
Schweitzer’s declaration: ‘One thing I know: the only ones among you who will
be really happy are those who will have sought and found how to serve.” Sounds familiar doesn’t it? Makes me think of Matthew 10:39, “He that
findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall
find it.” It is through service to
others that we find happiness.
There is a poem that I found
several years ago, and which I love, about service. It’s called, “It’s Up To You!”
One song can
spark a moment,
One flower can
wake the dream.
One tree can
start a forest,
One bird can
herald spring.
One smile begins
a friendships,
One handclasp
lifts a soul.
One star can
guide a ship at sea,
One word can
frame the goal.
One vote can
change a nation,
One sunbeam
lights a room.
One candle wipes
out darkness,
One laugh will
conquer gloom.
One step must
start each journey,
One word must start
each prayer.
One hope will
raise our spirits,
One touch can
show you care.
One voice can
speak with wisdom,
One heart can
know what’s true.
One life can
make the difference,
You see, ITI’S UP TO YOU!
Seed #3:
Devotion to God. Quoting Sheri Dew again
she says, “The Constitution—which is the most significant legislative document
ever adopted by a people—exceeded the genius of the delegates. Surely it was the work of principled men
inspired by God—men who not only believed in God but believed that God was
guiding them…Those of us who know we are living in a land created by God for
the benefit of a moral people cannot afford to be inactive spectators if we
wish to preserve the destiny of this nation.
We repay the goodness in our own lives by investing in the lives of
others. Every man and woman, boy and
girl, can make a difference. Every young
adult, every family, every homemaker and CEO and professor, those who are
wealthy and those who are not, black and white and brown, old and young and in
between those who were born here and those who have been adopted into the
American family—every one of us can
make a difference by the seeds we sow and the trail we leave behind us. Those who live with integrity, who give of
themselves, and who never forget that God is the Presiding Authority in the
universe are destined to do good and be good.
And that is what will continue
to make America great.”
Again it
comes back to that phrase that I love: “steady, tranquil dedication.” Ether chapter two gives us a very straightforward
promise from the Lord regarding this land.
In verses 8-10 the Lord tells the brother of Jared three times that
“this land is a land of promise; and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall
serve God, or they shall be swept off when the fullness of his wrath shall come
upon them.” I don’t know about you, but
I don’t really like the thought of being “swept off” by the Lord’s wrath. Seems
pretty cut and dry to me. We’ve been
given a land that has been blessed by the hand of the Lord, and a government
that was set up by divine inspiration, but we need to ensure we are serving the
Lord by following all of his commandments with our whole hearts, in order to
avoid the blessings being taken away.
At the end
of her chapter, Sheri Dew says, “We are reaping benefits of the seeds of peace
and freedom sown by our Founding Fathers and others who forged a stunning trail
of integrity, selflessness, and devotion to God. What trail are we leaving behind us?...America
is a land of promise, a land choice above all others, founded by noble men
inspired of God. Further, America was
not only founded by God but has been preserved by Him. Thus, we owe our privileges and prosperity, unequaled
anywhere in the world, to Him. But with
those privileges come great responsibilities—especially our responsibility to
serve God and to live as He would have us live.
In short, this land’s future is dependent upon the righteousness of its
people. That means that we very
literally hold the destiny of the United States of America in our hands.”
After
preparing this talk I realized there is so much more to being patriotic than
flying the flag, watching fireworks, and BBQing with friends and family. It is living a life that exemplifies
everything the Savior taught and being “a 100% Latter-day Saint 100% of the
time.” As James Bryce said, “Patriotism
consists not in waving the flag, but in striving that our country shall be
righteous as well as strong.” Patriotism
is making sure we are planting seeds of integrity, selfless service, and
devotion to God that will ensure that this country will continue to be the land
of promise that it has always been. It
is up to us to make sure those who come after us are able to enjoy the same
privileges and freedoms that we do. I am
so grateful for all the men and women throughout history who have sacrificed,
defied the odds, fought for, challenged tradition, remained true to their
morals and convictions, and made this country what it is today. “Of him unto whom much is given, much is required”
(D&C 82:3).
What seeds are we sowing?
