God, Country and Freedom, by Don Zambrana
I would like to share a few thoughts about this great country on this 4th of July day.
This is a very special day. Today we celebrate the birthday of this great Nation we know as the United Stated of America. I will try to keep my remarks brief, although I would love to talk about this great nation for hours.
It didn’t all begin on July 4, 1776. This was ordained to be a Promised Land long before that, and was a fulfillment of ancient prophecy.
This Land has been inhabited by many ancient civilizations. We know of at least 4. The Jeradites, The Mulikites, The Nephites/ Lamanites, and of course the discovery by Columbus and the migration of many people from many lands around the world to form this current country.
Let me quote a few verses from the Book of Mormon that talk about this great nation and its destiny. (Read 1 Nephi 13: 12-19)
12 And I looked and beheld a man among the Gentiles (Columbus), who was separated from the seed of my brethren by the many waters; and I beheld the Spirit of God, that it came down and wrought upon the man; and he went forth upon the many waters, even unto the seed of my brethren, who were in the promised land.
13 And it came to pass that I beheld the Spirit of God, that it wrought upon other Gentiles; (Pilgrims) and they went forth out of captivity, upon the many waters.
14 And it came to pass that I beheld many multitudes of the Gentiles upon the land of promise; and I beheld the wrath of God, that it was upon the seed of my brethren; and they were scattered before the Gentiles and were smitten. (Nephites/Lamanites, American Indians)
15 And I beheld the Spirit of the Lord, that it was upon the Gentiles, and they did prosper and obtain the land for their inheritance; and I beheld that they were white, and exceedingly fair and beautiful, like unto my people before they were slain.
16 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld that the Gentiles who had gone forth out of captivity did humble themselves before the Lord; and the power of the Lord was with them.
17 And I beheld that their mother Gentiles (England) were gathered together upon the waters, and upon the land also, to battle against them.
18 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.
19 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.
Truly Columbus was inspired to rediscover this Land. (Columbus words page 26 The Great Prologue) “From my first youth onward, I was a seaman and have so continued until this day. The Lord was well disposed to my desire, and he bestowed upon me courage and understanding; knowledge of seafaring He gave me in abundance, of astrology as much as was needed, and of geometry and astronomy likewise. Further, He gave me joy and cunning in drawing maps and thereon cities, mountains, rivers, islands, and harbors, each one in its place. I have seen and truly I have studied all books, cosmographies, histories, chronicles, and philosophies, and other arts, for which our Lord unlocked my mind, sent me upon the sea, and gave me fire for the deed. Those who heard of my emprise called it foolish, mocked me, and laughed. But who can doubt but that the Holy Ghost inspired me?
And many seeking religious freedom follow after him, as was prophesized in the Book of Mormon. This is the land of promise. “A land choice above all other lands”. Given to God’s chosen people and protected from all other nations as long as we are humble before God.
Many righteous men were raised up to form this great nation. With the help of God, they wrote and signed the Declaration of Independence. Let me take a moment to read a portion of this great declaration. I believe it has probably been a long time since most of you have read it. Perhaps the last time was in high school. Perhaps some of our current high school students have never read it. So at the risk of loosing some of you I will read a portion of this great declaration. (Read first portion of Declaration)
“When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one People to dissolve the Political Bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the Powers of the Earth, the separate and equal Station to which the Laws of Nature and the Nature’s God entitle them, and decent Respect to the Opinions of Mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the Separation. We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness
Later many of these same great men worked long and hard to establish the constitution that governs this great country. Let me read the preamble to the constitution that explains why the constitution was established. (read preamble)
We the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessing of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
We know that this great constitution was inspired of God as was revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith in the Doctrine and Covenants section 101 vs. 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.”
And we know that these great men visited President Wilfred Woodruff in the Saint George Temple and asked that their temple work be completed. (pg77 Great Prologue)
In a General Conference meeting April 1898 he said, “I am going to bear my testimony to this assembly, if I never do it again in my life, that 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, not wicked men. General Washington and all the men that labored for the purpose were inspired of he Lord. Another thing I am going to say here, because I have the right to say it. Every one of those men that signed that Declaration of Independence, with General George Washington, called upon me, as an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, in the Temple at St. George, two consecutive nights, and demanded at my hands that I should go forth and attend to the ordinances of the House of God for them. Would those spirits have called upon me, as an Elder in Israel, to perform that work if they had not been noble spirits before God? They would not. I bear this testimony, because it is true. The Spirit of God bore record to myself and the brethren while we were laboring in that way.”
Many great men have sacrificed much (even their very lives) for the freedoms we enjoy and often times take for granted. It is my prayer that on this special day, as we enjoy our pancakes breakfast and fellowship, that we will take a few minutes to reflect on how blessed we are to live in this great land. And that we would also pay tribute to the many who have given so much, and also thank God for the privilege of being here and for his inspiration to the men who establish this great country.
I would like to conclude with the famous words of two American Presidents. One of long ago and one more recent. I love the great speech Abraham Lincoln gave at the battlefield of Gettysburg, which is now known as the Gettysburg Address. Listen carefully to these famous words of this speech.
“Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived, and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We come to dedicate a portion of it as a final resting-place for those who died here, that the nation might live. It is all to gather fitting that we should do this. But in a larger sense, we can not dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, no long remember what we say here, while it can never forget what they did here.
It is rather for us, the living, to be dedicated here to the great task remaining before us. That from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here gave the last full measure of devotion. That we here highly resolve, these dead shall not have died in vain. That the nation shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, and for the people shall not perish from the earth.”
And finally a few great quotes from a more current American President, Ronald Reagan.
(pg 126- 127 Pres R Quotations book) “Don’t let anyone tell you that American’s best days are behind her, that the American spirit has been vanquished. We’ve seen it triumph too often in our lives to stop believing in it now. (The State of the Union Jan 26, 1982)”
“We in America have been blessed with a sacred opportunity and a scared quest. At times it may only seem like the imperfect reflection of a perfect dream, but to all whose ancestors came here as immigrants—whether they were non-comformist Protestants fleeing persecution in the 17th century, Irish –Catholics fleeing famine and injustice in the 19th century, Jews fleeing pogroms at the turn of the century, or the Asian boat people and Soviet dissidents of today—all came to seek a higher goal than just mere physical survival. There was, and is, and element of moral principle in our national fiber that makes a difference. Americans are brothers not because we share the same past and the same ancestry, but because we share the same ideals and the same hopes for the future.” (National Conference of Christians and Jews March 23, 1982)
“We have problems in our country, and many people are praying and waiting for God to do something. I just wonder if maybe God isn’t waiting for us to do something. And while no one else is capable of doing everything, everyone is capable of doing something.” (White House Luncheon of National Religious Leaders April 13, 1982)
May we dedicate ourselves to maintain the freedoms God has granted us, and allow our fellow men around the world the same freedoms.
I would like to share a few thoughts about this great country on this 4th of July day.
This is a very special day. Today we celebrate the birthday of this great Nation we know as the United Stated of America. I will try to keep my remarks brief, although I would love to talk about this great nation for hours.
It didn’t all begin on July 4, 1776. This was ordained to be a Promised Land long before that, and was a fulfillment of ancient prophecy.
This Land has been inhabited by many ancient civilizations. We know of at least 4. The Jeradites, The Mulikites, The Nephites/ Lamanites, and of course the discovery by Columbus and the migration of many people from many lands around the world to form this current country.
Let me quote a few verses from the Book of Mormon that talk about this great nation and its destiny. (Read 1 Nephi 13: 12-19)
12 And I looked and beheld a man among the Gentiles (Columbus), who was separated from the seed of my brethren by the many waters; and I beheld the Spirit of God, that it came down and wrought upon the man; and he went forth upon the many waters, even unto the seed of my brethren, who were in the promised land.
13 And it came to pass that I beheld the Spirit of God, that it wrought upon other Gentiles; (Pilgrims) and they went forth out of captivity, upon the many waters.
14 And it came to pass that I beheld many multitudes of the Gentiles upon the land of promise; and I beheld the wrath of God, that it was upon the seed of my brethren; and they were scattered before the Gentiles and were smitten. (Nephites/Lamanites, American Indians)
15 And I beheld the Spirit of the Lord, that it was upon the Gentiles, and they did prosper and obtain the land for their inheritance; and I beheld that they were white, and exceedingly fair and beautiful, like unto my people before they were slain.
16 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld that the Gentiles who had gone forth out of captivity did humble themselves before the Lord; and the power of the Lord was with them.
17 And I beheld that their mother Gentiles (England) were gathered together upon the waters, and upon the land also, to battle against them.
18 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.
19 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.
Truly Columbus was inspired to rediscover this Land. (Columbus words page 26 The Great Prologue) “From my first youth onward, I was a seaman and have so continued until this day. The Lord was well disposed to my desire, and he bestowed upon me courage and understanding; knowledge of seafaring He gave me in abundance, of astrology as much as was needed, and of geometry and astronomy likewise. Further, He gave me joy and cunning in drawing maps and thereon cities, mountains, rivers, islands, and harbors, each one in its place. I have seen and truly I have studied all books, cosmographies, histories, chronicles, and philosophies, and other arts, for which our Lord unlocked my mind, sent me upon the sea, and gave me fire for the deed. Those who heard of my emprise called it foolish, mocked me, and laughed. But who can doubt but that the Holy Ghost inspired me?
And many seeking religious freedom follow after him, as was prophesized in the Book of Mormon. This is the land of promise. “A land choice above all other lands”. Given to God’s chosen people and protected from all other nations as long as we are humble before God.
Many righteous men were raised up to form this great nation. With the help of God, they wrote and signed the Declaration of Independence. Let me take a moment to read a portion of this great declaration. I believe it has probably been a long time since most of you have read it. Perhaps the last time was in high school. Perhaps some of our current high school students have never read it. So at the risk of loosing some of you I will read a portion of this great declaration. (Read first portion of Declaration)
“When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one People to dissolve the Political Bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the Powers of the Earth, the separate and equal Station to which the Laws of Nature and the Nature’s God entitle them, and decent Respect to the Opinions of Mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the Separation. We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness
Later many of these same great men worked long and hard to establish the constitution that governs this great country. Let me read the preamble to the constitution that explains why the constitution was established. (read preamble)
We the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessing of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
We know that this great constitution was inspired of God as was revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith in the Doctrine and Covenants section 101 vs. 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.”
And we know that these great men visited President Wilfred Woodruff in the Saint George Temple and asked that their temple work be completed. (pg77 Great Prologue)
In a General Conference meeting April 1898 he said, “I am going to bear my testimony to this assembly, if I never do it again in my life, that 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, not wicked men. General Washington and all the men that labored for the purpose were inspired of he Lord. Another thing I am going to say here, because I have the right to say it. Every one of those men that signed that Declaration of Independence, with General George Washington, called upon me, as an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, in the Temple at St. George, two consecutive nights, and demanded at my hands that I should go forth and attend to the ordinances of the House of God for them. Would those spirits have called upon me, as an Elder in Israel, to perform that work if they had not been noble spirits before God? They would not. I bear this testimony, because it is true. The Spirit of God bore record to myself and the brethren while we were laboring in that way.”
Many great men have sacrificed much (even their very lives) for the freedoms we enjoy and often times take for granted. It is my prayer that on this special day, as we enjoy our pancakes breakfast and fellowship, that we will take a few minutes to reflect on how blessed we are to live in this great land. And that we would also pay tribute to the many who have given so much, and also thank God for the privilege of being here and for his inspiration to the men who establish this great country.
I would like to conclude with the famous words of two American Presidents. One of long ago and one more recent. I love the great speech Abraham Lincoln gave at the battlefield of Gettysburg, which is now known as the Gettysburg Address. Listen carefully to these famous words of this speech.
“Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived, and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We come to dedicate a portion of it as a final resting-place for those who died here, that the nation might live. It is all to gather fitting that we should do this. But in a larger sense, we can not dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, no long remember what we say here, while it can never forget what they did here.
It is rather for us, the living, to be dedicated here to the great task remaining before us. That from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here gave the last full measure of devotion. That we here highly resolve, these dead shall not have died in vain. That the nation shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, and for the people shall not perish from the earth.”
And finally a few great quotes from a more current American President, Ronald Reagan.
(pg 126- 127 Pres R Quotations book) “Don’t let anyone tell you that American’s best days are behind her, that the American spirit has been vanquished. We’ve seen it triumph too often in our lives to stop believing in it now. (The State of the Union Jan 26, 1982)”
“We in America have been blessed with a sacred opportunity and a scared quest. At times it may only seem like the imperfect reflection of a perfect dream, but to all whose ancestors came here as immigrants—whether they were non-comformist Protestants fleeing persecution in the 17th century, Irish –Catholics fleeing famine and injustice in the 19th century, Jews fleeing pogroms at the turn of the century, or the Asian boat people and Soviet dissidents of today—all came to seek a higher goal than just mere physical survival. There was, and is, and element of moral principle in our national fiber that makes a difference. Americans are brothers not because we share the same past and the same ancestry, but because we share the same ideals and the same hopes for the future.” (National Conference of Christians and Jews March 23, 1982)
“We have problems in our country, and many people are praying and waiting for God to do something. I just wonder if maybe God isn’t waiting for us to do something. And while no one else is capable of doing everything, everyone is capable of doing something.” (White House Luncheon of National Religious Leaders April 13, 1982)
May we dedicate ourselves to maintain the freedoms God has granted us, and allow our fellow men around the world the same freedoms.
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