God Bless America

As we move into this holiday weekend my thoughts have been patriotic in nature. It is an interesting time in our country's history. I have often wondered if in every generation that the people of that time feel like their time was more wicked than the one before because it actually was or because it is different or changing. I am proud to be American. I am proud of our country. I feel that the United States is one of the greatest forces for good in the world.

In a talk given in the April 1976 conference President Ezra Taft Benson said the following “The framers of the Constitution were men raised up by God to establish this foundation of our government, for so the Lord has declared by revelation in these words: “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.” (D&C 101:80)”. This country and the document at its foundation were established by God for a righteous purpose. It opened a fertile place for the foundation of Christ’s church to be established again on Earth. And with that establishment came some promised blessings, that “…this is a choice land, and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall be free from bondage, and from captivity, and from all other nations under heaven, if they will but serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ. …” (Ether 2:12) 

In those same verses in Ether is also a profound warning. “And now, we can behold the decrees of God concerning this land, that it 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. And the fullness of his wrath cometh upon them when they are ripened in iniquity. …wherefore he that doth possess it shall serve God or shall be swept off; for it is the everlasting decree of God. And it is not until the fullness of iniquity among the children of the land, that they are swept off. And this cometh unto you, O ye Gentiles, that ye may know the decrees of God – that ye may repent, and not continue in your iniquities until the fullness come, that ye may not bring down the fullness of the wrath of God upon you as the inhabitants of the land have hitherto done.” (Ether 2:9,10,11)

John Adam’s second president of the United States said “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” President Benson in the same talk went on to say “Unless we as citizens of this nation forsake our sins, political and otherwise, and return to the fundamental principles of Christianity and of constitutional government, we will lose our political liberties, our free institutions, and will stand in jeopardy before God of losing our exaltation.” “Yes, I repeat, righteousness is an indispensable ingredient to liberty. Virtuous people elect wise and good representatives. Good representatives make good laws and then wisely administer them. This tends to preserve righteousness. An unvirtuous citizenry tend to elect representatives who will pander to their covetous lustings. The burden of self-government is a great responsibility. It calls for restraint, righteousness, responsibility, and reliance upon God. It is a truism from the Lord that “when the wicked rule the people mourn.”(D&C 98:9)”

With this holiday weekend coming I am excited to celebrate what I feel are the core values of the America I am proud of. Family, liberty, generosity and personal accountability. It is my hope that we can all recognize our role in keeping this Republic strong by getting involved, by electing righteous officials and helping to uphold laws that will promote righteousness. It is my testimony that the great United States of America are a choice land and that if we as its citizens will but follow the king of this land who is Jesus Christ we will live in happiness and prosperity.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Nate Wayman