America Is A Choice Land

                The liberty principle for this Freedom Friday is the simple fact that America is located on land that is choice above all other lands.  It is land that was preserved and protected by God through thousands of years and will continue to be blessed and protected as long as the people worship Jesus Christ.  America is a unique and beautiful nation.  

                 The Book of Mormon – Another Testament of Jesus Christ contains the histories of several groups of people who were brought to the American continents by God.  They were blessed and prospered as long as they worshipped the God of the Land, even Jesus Christ, and were swept off the land when they ripened in iniquity and sin.

                An ancient American prophet by the name of Ether wrote about one of the groups.  “And the Lord would not suffer that they should stop beyond the sea in the wilderness, but he would that they should come forth even unto the land of promise, which was choice above all other lands, which the Lord God had preserved for a righteous people.

                “And he had sworn in his wrath unto the brother of Jared, that whoso should possess this land of promise, from that time henceforth and forever, should serve him, the true and only God, or they should be swept off when the fulness of his wrath should come upon them.

                “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 fulness of his wrath shall come upon them.  And the fulness of his wrath cometh upon them when they are ripened in iniquity.

                “For behold, this is a land which is choice above all other lands; 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 fulness of iniquity among the children of the land, that they are swept off.

                “And this cometh unto you, O ye Gentiles [He was writing to us!], that ye may know the decrees of God – that ye may repent, and not continue in your iniquities until the fulness come, that ye may not bring down the fulness of the wrath of God upon you as the inhabitants of the land have hitherto done.

                “Behold, 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, who hath been manifested by the things which we have written” (Ether 2:7-12; emphasis added).

                A prophet of God, even President Joseph Fielding Smith, proclaimed that the above quoted “scriptures from the Book of Mormon are true; this nation is not exempt, and the people, if they continue to pursue the course of evil and ungodliness that they are now treading shall eventually be punished.  If they continue to disregard the warning voice of the Lord, deny their Redeemer, turn from his gospel unto fables and false theories, and rebel against all that he has through his servants in this day declared for the salvation of man; and if they increase in the practice of iniquity, I want to say to you, that if they do these things, the judgments of the Lord will come upon this land, and this nation will not be saved; we will not be spared from war, from famine, from pestilence and finally from destruction, as a nation.

                “Therefore, I call upon the people … throughout the whole land to repent of their sins and to accept the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our Redeemer and the God of this land.  Turn from your evil ways, repent of your sins and receive the fulness of the gospel through the waters of baptism and obedience, that the judgments which shall be poured out upon the ungodly may pass you by” (Doctrines of Salvation, Vol. III, pp. 321-322).

                President Smith made this statement in October 1916, nearly one hundred years ago.  Our nation has changed mightily in that time and is currently undergoing a “fundamental change” under the direction of Barack Obama and his minions.  President Thomas S. Monson, the current prophet of God on earth and President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and the Apostles who serve with him, have recently lowered the age for missionary service for both young men and young women.  The Prophets and Apostles are in fact sending a “surge” of missionaries into the world to assist the Lord in gathering all the righteous people out of the world.  The Lord is hastening His work and making preparations for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. 

Will Americans heed the voice of President Smith and repent or will we continue down the road we are taking until our government is destroyed?  I suppose that only time will tell the choice of the majority of Americans, “but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15)

Independence Day

Happy Birthday, America! Happy Independence Day to all Americans! The Fourth of July is called Independence Day because our Declaration of Independence was adopted that day 235 years ago. It was signed by fifty-six brave men who signed it knowing that their signatures would place their very lives in danger as well as their families, fortunes, and honor.

The document written by Thomas Jefferson is one of the greatest statements of freedom, liberty and independence ever written. It started with, "When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another…." It continued: "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. - That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…." It ended with the men agreeing to "… mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor."

Benjamin Franklin commented at the signing, "We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately."

On Independence Day 2011 we still hold these truths to be self-evident. Independence Day is not just another holiday because independence and freedom are not free. Our liberties and freedoms are very expensive in terms of life, health, and family life, as well as money and time. I hope that as you celebrate Independence Day you spend some time thinking about all those men and women who have sacrificed so much in order that you and I can enjoy liberty and independence.

Independence Day commemorates the birthday of the United States of America. It is celebrated on July 4 each year in every state and possession of the United States. The Continental Congress declared the American Colonies to be free and independent states on July 2, 1776. Two days later the delegates finally came to an agreement for a formal document to announce their action. Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, which has been celebrated as the nation's birthday since that day.

The founders of this new nation believed that Independence Day was an important occasion for celebrating. John Adams said, "I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward for evermore."

The first observance of Independence Day was held in Philadelphia on July 8, 1776. The Declaration of Independence was read, bells were rung, bands played, and the people rejoiced. Independence Day has been observed throughout the country since then even though Congress took until 1941 to declare July 4 as a federal legal holiday.

The early celebrations of Independence Day consisted of shows, games, sports, military music, and fireworks. Hundreds of deaths were caused each year by fireworks and the firing of guns and cannons. Since the early 1900's the sale and use of fireworks has been forbidden by law in many cities and states. Some communities hire professionals to do fireworks for their celebration. This year many cities and towns are considering canceling their fireworks display for economic reasons and/or fire hazards. Independence Day is a major holiday in the United States, and it is celebrated with programs, pageants, games, plays, athletic contests, camping, picnics, etc. It is a day for families to celebrate and be together.

I hope that all Americans choose to spend some time today in gratitude for the blessings of living in this free nation and for those who established and those who continue to maintain freedom, independence, and liberty. I ask that you also spend time in prayer for our nation, Israel, and the world because there is serious trouble worldwide at this time - economic, political, and spiritual. We are citizens of the greatest nation on earth. If freedom fails here, there is no place else to go. We live in a choice land and have the responsibility to keep the freedoms and opportunities that are ours.

A prophet in ancient days on this continent wrote, "Behold, 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).

President Gordon B. Hinckley, a latter-day prophet, declared, "I marvel at the miracle of America, the land which the God of Heaven long ago declared to be a land choice above all other lands.
"I love America for her great and brawny strength . I love her for her generous heart. I love her for her tremendous spiritual strengths. She is unique among the nations of the earth - in her discovery, in her birth as a nation, in the amalgamation of the races that have come to her shores, in the strength of her government, in the goodness of her people.
"God bless America, for she is His creation."

I join with President Hinckley in asking God to bless America . I hope that all of you will spend some time today expressing gratitude for the freedoms that God has given to you in this land which is still choice above all other lands.

Facts for this post came from an article by Jack Santino in World Book Encyclopedia, Vol 10, pp 106-107.