—U.S. Flag—
The other day as I was dropping off my kids for school, I heard some things that really grated against what I believe and hold true. Let me set the stage. We arrived later than usual at the school where my younger children attend. My youngest children were getting out just as the late signal rang and the U.S. national anthem started blaring across loudspeakers outside. Two of my boys started chuckling at the cheesy sound of the anthem as it came out all muffled and weird sounding. I have to admit it did sound a bit strange – I didn’t even recognize it at first.
As we then drove off to the other school the conversation turned to parents my boys had seen in the past that, as soon as the national anthem came over the loudspeakers, would stop and put their hand over their heart. They started laughing at this, mocking them for doing something so ridiculous. I was rather shocked. Jill and I have always done similarly in such situations, making a show of our patriotism for our country. We’ve taught our children principles of patriotism and gratitude for our freedoms. We’ve always expected them to do the same – show reverence and respect for our flag, patriotism and thankfulness for our country. Yet here were my own children laughing to scorn those that demonstrated such patriotism. I felt hurt. I felt disappointed. I felt ashamed.
I only had a few seconds to respond before my boys got out of the van and left for their classes. So, I simply asked, “Don’t you have any sense of patriotism for your country?” One of them responded as he left, “Not the way things are going right now.” And then he was gone. I felt hurt, but also saddened because I could see why my son would feel the way he does. It is hard to feel patriotic in an environment where heads of government and judicial review completely disregard the principles espoused in our constitution and the standards revered by our founding fathers, blatantly supporting things like abortion, the murder of innocent children. Thus, I really didn’t have a response for my son, even were he still around to hear it, but I was left to ponder on these things.
Then, this morning, while walking to the bus stop in the rain, some things came to me that I now want to share with my boys and with the world. I walked past a house that was flying the U.S. flag, but as it was still dark, it had not light to illuminate it. This is wrong, I thought. The flag is supposed to have a light shining on it if flown during times of darkness. I wondered how they could disregard flag protocol. My thoughts returned to the actions of my boys, and their words. I wondered if patriotism as I knew it in my days as a youth was disappearing in the generation of my children.
As I wondered this I recalled the experience of my youth that for me opened my heart to patriotism and love and respect for our country, our flag, and the freedoms they stand for. I had been listening to a recording of my mothers on July fourth – Independence Day. It was a recording of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir’s Music and the Spoken Word doing the story of the Battle Hymn of the Republic. There was a narration of the history of the song up through to the era of the civil war. Julia Ward Howe had heard soldiers heading off to war singing the old John Brown’s Body lyrics to the tune and heard soldiers with obscenities on their lips. After asking the person she was standing with why soldiers would go off to war like this, the individual responded, “Why don’t you do something about it?”
This spurred her on and she stated, “I went to bed that night as usual, and slept, according to my wont, quite soundly. I awoke in the gray of the morning twilight; and as I lay waiting for the dawn, the long lines of the desired poem began to twine themselves in my mind. Having thought out all the stanzas, I said to myself, ‘I must get up and write these verses down, lest I fall asleep again and forget them.’ So, with a sudden effort, I sprang out of bed, and found in the dimness an old stump of a pen which I remembered to have used the day before. I scrawled the verses almost without looking at the paper.” (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Battle_Hymn_of_the_Republic).
Thus came about the lyrics to The Battle Hymn of the Republic:
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword:
His truth is marching on.
(Chorus)
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
His truth is marching on.
I have seen Him in the watch-fires of a hundred circling camps,
They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps;
I can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps:
His day is marching on.
(Chorus)
I have read a fiery gospel writ in burnished rows of steel:
“As ye deal with my contemners, so with you my grace shall deal”;
Let the Hero, born of woman, crush the serpent with his heel,
Since God is marching on.
(Chorus)
He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat;
He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment-seat;
Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him! Be jubilant, my feet!
Our God is marching on.
(Chorus)
In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me.
As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free,
While God is marching on.
(Chorus)
He is coming like the glory of the morning on the wave,
He is Wisdom to the mighty, He is Succour to the brave,
So the world shall be His footstool, and the soul of Time His slave,
Our God is marching on.
(Chorus)
This story and rendition of this hymn made me weep with thanksgiving to our God for his mercy in providing us the freedoms we enjoy today. I was a youth transformed. From that time forth I swell with patriotism whenever I see our flag, whenever I see our soldiers, whenever I see symbols of our country, and whenever I hear this song.
Here is a newer version of the rendition of this hymn, which technically only includes verses one, four, and five from the original poem:
I also found this story behind the hymn:
So then I wondered that if my own children do not feel or have not felt what I have felt, what can I do about it. Julia Ward Howe did something about it. What can I do? What can we ALL do to help those around us feel of the gratitude for our country, and feel the reverence and respect for our country, our troops, and our flag even while the situation of our country seems to be in a downward spiral?
The first thing to remember is what God has said about this country and its founding. The Book of Mormon prophet, Nephi, was shown a vision close to 600 B.C. in which he saw the beginnings of the United States of America after its Revolutionary War with Great Britain (1 Nephi 13:17-19):
17 And I beheld that their mother Gentiles 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.
Then, in the Doctrine and Covenants a revelation was received by the Prophet Joseph after the early Saints in Missouri had suffered persecutions and many had been driven from their homes by angry mobs (D&C 101:76-80):
76 And again I say unto you, those who have been scattered by their enemies, it is my will that they should continue to importune for redress, and redemption, by the hands of those who are placed as rulers and are in authority over you—
77 According to the laws and constitution of the people, which I have suffered to be established, and should be maintained for the rights and protection of all flesh, according to just and holy principles;
78 That every man may act in doctrine and principle pertaining to futurity, according to the moral agency which I have given unto him, that every man may be accountable for his own sins in the day of judgment.
79 Therefore, it is not right that any man should be in bondage one to another.
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.
Tal It is clear from these scriptures that God established the Constitution of the United States of America. Though God brought this about through imperfect men, there was guidance received by them to make it happen. If one accepts the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants as the word of God to his prophets in addition to the Holy Bible, and if one also accepts Joseph Smith the prophet who restored the full gospel of Jesus Christ to the earth, then one must also accept that God inspired the founders of the United States of America in the establishment of a new government, and that this document was truly from God Himself.
Every president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints after Joseph Smith has also reaffirmed the divinity of the Constitution of the United States of America (see http://eom.byu.edu/index.php/Constitution_of_the_United_States_of_America). Then they have each reiterated prophecies of Joseph Smith that, “Even this nation will be on the verge of crumbling to pieces and tumbling to the ground and when the Constitution is on the brink of ruin this people will be the staff upon which the nation shall lean and they shall bear the Constitution away from the very verge of destruction.” (Joseph Smith Papers, LDS Church Historical Archives, Box 1, March 10, 1844.) Regarding this statement and others like it that were quoted by others, Ezra Taft Benson stated, “For years we have heard of the role the elders could play in saving the Constitution from total destruction. But how can the elders be expected to save it if they have not studied it and are not sure if is being destroyed or what is destroying it?” (Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, 619-620).
From this statement I propose that there are five ways for us to renew feelings of patriotism, feelings of love, honor, reverence, and respect for our nation, our government, our freedoms, our troops, and our flag. First, we must individually study the Constitution of the United States of America. Second, we need to pray for guidance from our Father in Heaven to recognize when we see forces trying to change it. Third, we need to ponder and pray about what we can individually do to help in preserving constitutional principles. Fourth, we need to share our love and positive feelings for the great things God has given us in the United States of America with those we love. Fifth, we should start to visibly demonstrate (if we haven’t already) signs of our patriotism for the ideal of our country for which we should continue to strive no matter what is happening around us.
So, to help you and me alike to get to work studying the Constitution, here is a link to the full text of the Constitution itself, including the amendments: http://constitutionus.com. Then, here are some other great things I plan on reading:
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