The Constitution of the United States of America

How I love America! I do, even as a young boy I remember having tender feelings about this country. I remember my mother teaching me how to pray and letting me know one of the things I needed to thank my Heavenly Father for was the blessing of being born in this great free country. How many of God's children throughout time have never had the blessing of Freedom and Liberty. What a supernal gift, that all to often, we take for granted.

Many of the people I meet seem to think that America and her form of government can not be damaged. It has been around their entire life and so it must always be around. That change is a good thing. We can go about our lives without a thought as to our duty as citizens, secure in the knowledge that America will always be free.

A large contributing factor of this logic is the fact that the Constitution is a living document. It was always meant to be able to be changed and not static in time. But we must be careful, God himself sanctioned the original version. (D&C 98:4-10; 101:77)

I am "Standing Up" today to warn this is not the case. The Constitution is a set of ideals that can be destroyed. We need to be aware of that at this particular time. For those of you who will read this, who are of my own faith, I quote.

"The time will come when the destiny of this nation will hang upon a single thread". (Brigham Young quoting Joseph Smith in his Journal of Discourses, 7:15)

"When the people shall have torn to shreds the Constitution of the United States" (John Taylor, The Gospel Kingdom, p. 219)

I believe these men to be Prophets. As such they have the mantle upon them to prophesy concerning future events. Here they are warning us, that it is possible to destroy the liberties enjoyed by this country. Evil men can plot and devise and scheme to take away God given Freedoms. History has shown this to be true.

Fortunately for us, these men have also said the following.

"At that critical juncture, this people will step forth and save it from the threatened destruction. It will be so" (The above Brigham Young reference)

"The elders of Israel will be found holding it up to the nations of the earth, and proclaiming liberty and equal rights to all men, and extending the hand of fellowship to the oppressed of all nations" (The above John Taylor reference)

"The day will come when the Constitution and free government under it will be sustained and preserved by this people" (George Q. Cannon, Journal of Discourses, 23:104)

What does this mean to us. Well I believe we won't be acting alone. It will be all good people of this country that will come to its aid. It will be the standards of the gospel of Jesus Christ that will save it.

What do we have to do. I quote again.

"Citizens should also be practitioners of civic virtue in their conduct toward government. They should be ever willing to fulfill the duties of citizenship. This includes compulsory duties like military service and the numerous voluntary actions they must take if they are to preserve the principle of limited government through citizen self-reliance. For example, since U.S. citizens value the right of trial by jury, they must be willing to serve on juries, even those involving unsavory subject matter. Citizens who favor morality cannot leave the enforcement of moral laws to jurors who oppose them". (Dallin H. Oakes, Ensign, February 1992)

A Democrat of the 1950's said: "What do we mean by patriotism in the context of our times? … A patriotism that puts country ahead of self; a patriotism which is not short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime". (Adlai Stevenson, speech given in New York City, 27 August 1952, quoted in John Bartlett, Familiar Quotations, Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 1955, p. 986. Italics added)

Hmmm....Sound Familiar. Stand Up!