Since this is the Fourth of July, I wanted to express my gratitude for this great nation in which we live. The Constitution is a wonderful document, which sets forth the workings of our government. In his talk “Our Divine Constitution,” President Ezra Taft Benson speaks about the Lord’s hand in bringing forth this marvelous work. He said:
“I reverence the Constitution of the United States as a sacred document. To me its words are akin to the revelations of God, for God has placed His stamp of approval upon it.
I testify that the God of heaven sent some of His choicest spirits to lay the foundation of this government, and He has now sent other choice spirits to help preserve it.
We, the blessed beneficiaries of the Constitution, face difficult days in America, ‘a land which is choice above all other lands; (Ether 2:10).
May God give us the faith and the courage exhibited by those patriots who pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.
May we be equally as valiant and as free . . .”
The Constitution set forth a government, which allowed freedom of religion. It is because of this freedom that the church could be restored. President Benson said:
“Only in this foreordained land, under its God-inspired Constitution and the resulting environment of freedom, was it possible to have established the restored church. It is our responsibility to see that this freedom is perpetuated so that the Church may more easily flourish in the future.”
President Benson speaks of the importance of continuing to live righteously. He urges us to study the words of The Constitution as well as the period of time which led up to the writing of this wonderful document. He tells us to teach our children of these things. Once we have this knowledge it is our responsibility to become involved in the political process, to vote and then to make our viewpoints known to our elected representatives.
The church rarely comes out with a specific viewpoint regarding political issues, but it does encourage involvement in your local government, no matter what country you live in. I am grateful that I live in this wonderful country and that freedom is available to us. It has also become more available to those throughout the world. What do you appreciate most about the freedoms, which we enjoy?