Get Off the Deck Chairs! The Ship Is Sinking!

When the federal judge ruled that Utah’s marriage amendment was unconstitutional, I was left, for a short time, feeling quite discouraged and nearly despondent. Thankfully, at the last minute, I found out about some meetings that were held over the weekend in which this issue was being discussed, so I attended and hope returned. I came away realizing that it isn’t over ‘til it’s over and knowing that there are some things I can do to protect the values I hold dear. I want to talk about involvement for a few minutes here, and help us understand what our responsibilities are in this realm.

President Benson probably had more to say on the subjects of freedom and liberty than any other prophet, so I’m going to use some one of his quotes:

“We encourage Latter-day Saints throughout the nation to familiarize themselves with the Constitution. They should focus attention on it by reading and studying it. They should ponder the blessings that come through it. They should recommit themselves to its principles and be prepared to defend it and the freedom it provides. (D&C 109:54.) . . .
Because some Americans have not kept faith with our Founding Fathers, the Constitution faces severe challenges. Those who do not prize individual freedom are trying to erode its great principles. We believe the Constitution will stand, but it will take the efforts of patriotic and dedicated Americans to uphold it. . . . We, as Latter-day Saints, must be vigilant in doing our part to preserve the Constitution and safeguard the way of life it makes possible.”

1.      He says we are encouraged to familiarize ourselves with the Constitution, and focus attention on it by reading and studying it.

2.      We should ponder the blessings that come through it.

3.      We should recommit ourselves to its principles and be prepared to defend it and the freedom it provides.

Then he says that because some Americans have not kept the faith with our Founding Fathers, the Constitution now faces severe challenges. Well, if it was challenged back then, it’s all but completely crippled now.

4.      It will take the efforts of patriotic and dedicated Americans to uphold it, and we, as Latter-day Saints, must be vigilant in doing our part to preserve the Constitution and safeguard the way of life it makes possible.

So I am asking the question of anyone who is reading this: What have you done in your life, or what are you doing now to uphold and defend the principles of the Constitution? If you haven’t done or aren’t currently doing anything, why not? I’ll tell you what keeps me from getting involved: I’m busy with things I want to do. Politics is messy business. It takes time to study these things out. The Constitution uses hard language and it doesn’t read like the stuff we read today, and etc. I wonder which of those excuses will be enough to convince the Lord that I was doing my part to protect the freedoms He gave me through the shedding of much blood by those who were willing to put their necks on the line for these principles. I can’t speak for God, but when I make the comparison, those reasons and any others I might come up with seem very lame indeed.
So I’ve decided that it’s time for me to get back into the fray. I don’t want to; I loathe and detest politics, but I do want to do what’s right. I know that when I put forth my efforts to do the things that the Lord expects of me, He multiplies my efforts so that it doesn’t feel like it’s just me doing it, and He sends blessings over and above what my meager efforts deserve.
I invite any of you who care about this country and the freedoms that God gave us to decide right now that you are going to get involved in this cause in whatever way you feel moved to do so. At the close of one of the meetings I attended the other night, I heard the most beautiful, heartfelt prayer I’ve ever heard. The gentleman praying asked that we be forgiven of our idleness for having allowed ourselves to arrive at the state we’re in with our freedoms being taken away from us. When I heard that, I realized that we do need to ask forgiveness for the sin of allowing the wicked combinations to get above us and rule over us and take over our government. We’ve had the power in us all this time to elect good people to these offices, but because we have not spent the time studying what good government looks like, and don’t know what the issues are, we tend to elect people because they are from our party, or because they are more polished in public than someone else, or whatever reason it is that we continue to vote for people who flush our freedoms down the toilet. I also realized that when we sincerely ask for forgiveness, the Lord always grants it, but it is expected that we will go forward and sin no more. The time to stop being idle is NOW. We are on a sinking ship and if we don’t all get off our deck chairs and start bailing, we’re going to go down with it. And even if it does go down, I want the Lord to know that I didn’t stop bailing until the water was completely over my head, and that I did everything I could to keep it afloat.

I am resurrecting this blog and dedicating it to this cause. I will use it to share the things I am learning and to pass along information about meetings and rallies where the groups I affiliate with are meeting to help bring about the changes that are needed. You are welcome to subscribe so you can be part of it. I welcome any and all respectful comments. This blog is moderated, and I won’t allow unkind things to be posted here. Disagreement is fine if it is civil and contributes to the discussion, but I am going to do my best to keep this positive. Mother Teresa has been quoted as saying that she would never attend an anti-war demonstration, but that if invited to a pro-peace rally she would be there. I, too, believe that our efforts need to be positive. I am not against anyone. I am for preservation of the family and of the Constitutional principles upon which this great country was founded. I pledge myself to work to uphold and restore those prinicples. Won’t you join me?