A Memorial Day Reminder

As this past Monday was Memorial Day, we are reminded of the sacrifices of those who came before us. We are reminded of what our true liberties are and that we are free to take care of our families, live in our own home, work at a place of employment without harm and participate in leisure activities. Americans are resourceful and resilient.

Reading The Declaration of Independence reminds me of how the earlier delegates of our nation felt about true liberty.  One of the world’s best-known statements from this declaration stated that “all men are created equal… endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.” We need to remember the words of our forefathers and respect and revere those military people who fought to defend it.

Reports of our rights being stripped away a little at a time over the last few years is devastating because slowly but surely there will be little left of our great country.  When all is said and done, the privileges we have been enjoying in the past will be gone, true liberty will no longer exist and our Happiness will be gone forever.

From one of our ecclesiastical leaders in the past, David O. McKay said: “True liberty in individuals consist of the enjoying of every right that will contribute to one’s peace and happiness, so long as the exercise of such a privilege does not interfere with the same privilege in others.  It consists not in doing what one likes to do but in doing what one ought to do.  It is the right of each individual to be master of his own time and actions consistent with fairness and justice to his fellow men and with harmony with the laws of God.  It is freedom of choice, a divine gift, and an essential virtue in a peaceful society.”

The fight to keep our liberties is a strong one and those who gave their life so we can live ours should be remembered.  We have to be vigilant in watching what national leaders’ intend to do with our freedoms. We need to watch what bills are passed. We need to make our voice known to Congress that we will not accept any laws passed which are unconstitutional and take our liberties away. This is what we ought to do.

We have so much to fight for living in this free nation. We owe it to those who came before us.  Just as Thomas Jefferson wrote in his closing statement of our Declaration, I leave you these words: “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm Reliance on the Protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.” Remember these words and those who fought for them.