LDS Patriotism and the Constitution

mirkwood · Senior Bucketkeeper

LDS Patriotism and the Constitution

NRA · Veteran Member

Great post, Mirk.

lundbaek · Profuse Pontificator

Question: Latter-day Saints generally are well aware of the trials and sufferings of the Mormon pioneers. Are we as aware of the trials and sufferings of the men who signed the Declaration of Independence, the men who fought in the war for independence, and themen who struggled with the framing and ratification of the US Constitution ?

The following was given me by Sister Shirley Whitlock of Gilbert, Arizona, who over the years has given many seminars of the founding of America.

"Have you ever wondered what happened to the men who signed the Declaration of Independence?

"Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons in the Revolutionary Army, another had two sons captured.

"What kind of men were they? Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and plantation owners, men of means: well educated. But the signed the Declaration of Independence, pledging their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honour knowing that in so doing they might lose all because the penalty would be death if captured.

"Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw is ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts and died in poverty.

"Thomas McKean was so hounded by the British that he was forced to leave his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him and poverty was his reward.

"Vandals, soldiers or both looted the properties of Ellery, Clymer, Hall, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Rutledge, and Middleton.

"At the Battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson Jr. noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home as his headquarters. He then quietly urged General Geroge Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.

"Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, who died after months of terrible deprivation and suffering.

"John Hart was driven from his wifes bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and grist mill were laid waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home after the war to find his wife dead, his children vanished. A few weeks later he died of exhaustion and a broken heart. Norris and Livingston suffered similar fates.

"Such were the sacrifices of the patriots of the American Revolution. These were not wild-eyed, rabble-rousing ruffians. They were soft-spoken men of means and education. They had security, but they valued liberty more. Standing tall, straight, and unwavering, they pledged: For the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of the Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other, our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honour.

"They gave us an independent America. Can we keep it?"

This July 4. I will be displaying at a tri-ward activity photocopies made from microfilm of the baptismal records at the St George Temple of 54 of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, plus George Washington, Christopher Columbus, and about 50 others who were permitted to appear to Wilford Woodruff in the St. George Temple asking that their ordinance work be done for them.

NRA · Veteran Member

Great post. Things that you don't usually hear but probably should be reminded of more often. Thanks for the reminder.

arbilad · Head Chef

I think the same sort of thing applies for non-US saints; they should befriend the principles of the US Constitution, even if it's not the law of the land for where they live.

lundbaek · Profuse Pontificator

The U.S. Constitution as a Gospel Principle for Latter-day SaintsIn the April 1935 General Conference, President J. Reuben Clark said, "To me...that statement of the Lord, "I have established the Constitution of this land," puts the Constitution of the United States in the position in which it would be if it were written in this book of Doctrine and Covenants itself. This makes the Constitution the word of the Lord to us. That it was given, not by oral utterance, but by the operation of His mind and spirit upon the minds of men, inspiring them to the working out of this great document of human government, does not alter its authority."Two years earlier, according to research and a speech by Dr. W. Cleon Skousen, and with his reference to "This is J. Reuben Clark: The Public Years" by Frank Fox, and "This is J. Reuben Clark: The Church Years" by Michael Quinn, J. Reuben Clark had been called by President Heber J. Grant to serve in the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. According to Dr. Skousen, "... J. Reuben Clark was very disturbed that he would be called to the First Presidency of the Church. He found himself telling Bishops and Stake Presidents how to run their Stakes and their Wards.J. Reuben Clark said to President Grant, "Don't you make these choices by inspiration?" President Grant said, "Yes, we do." J. Reuben Clark said, "I can understand why a lawyer of international prominence and so forth, like myself, may add to the prestige of the Church. But I don't know what I am doing here. I am doing things that I never was trained to do. I'm instructing people. I feel very inadequate." Well, according to the story that I was told, President Grant said, "That's not why you were chosen as a counselor." "Well, why was I chosen?" "You were chosen because the Constitution of the United States is in jeopardy. The Church needs to be aroused, the country needs to be aroused, and we've got to start training our people to defend that Constitution before it's shredded and lost." "Oh, really?!" "You are the best Constitutionalist in the Church." All of the sudden you hear him quoting his 1923 speech in Conference. You see, we were a Democratic state, 62 percent Democrats. They began to call that {Clark¹s talks] Republican politics in Conference. Oh, he got the Dickens! By the time I got here to Utah, sometime later [1951], J. Reuben Clark was one of the most unpopular people in this state." But why should Latter-day Saints even concern themselves with the U.S. Constitution now [2008], in a time when the General Authorities of the Church hardly say anything more about it. Do Latter-day Saints no longer have any responsibility to "befriend" the constitutional law of the land? Are we free to promote and support government actions, programs and legislation that the Constitution does not authorize, and thus prohibits? (According to the 10th Amendment, "The powers not designated to the United States by the Constitution, not prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.")So just what is the responsibility of Latter-day Saints regarding the U.S. Constitution in these days? Since the U.S. Constitution was ratified and accepted as the cornerstone of the government of the United States, perhaps we need to ask if Latter-day Saints have any responsibility regarding government. Yes, there is such a responsibility, and it is stated in the Doctrine and Covenants. D&C 134: 1 tells us that God holds men accountable for their acts in relation to government, both in making laws and administering them. That verse alone should advise us that God definitely has an interest in our shaping of and administration of government. And therefore it would be wise for Latter-day Saints to determine as best we can just how we should shape and administer government. In fact, a few people have expressed their frustration at trying to decide whom to vote for in the November 2008 election as President and Vice-president of the United States. My reply has been, and continues to be, for openers, to read and ponder the words of three other scriptures in the Doctrine and Covenants.D&C 101: 77-80 informs us that the Lord established the Constitution of the United States by the hands of wise men whom He raised up for that very purpose. In fact, almost all of the latter-day prophets, as well as many latter-day apostles, have declared that the Constitution was created thru the inspiration of the Lord. They have stressed the vital importance of defending, upholding and adhering to the Constitution. There exist recordings of many prophetic testimonies bearing solemn witness of this truth. They testify that there is no way around this responsibility if Latter-day Saints wish to remain a free people.D&C 98: 4-10 (with emphasis on Verse 6) advises us that Latter-day Saints are to befriend the constitutional law of the United States. In trying to come up with a good explanation of what the Lord meant by befriending the Constitution, I found the following statement by President Ezra Taft Benson, spoken in the October 1987 General Conference."How then can we best befriend the Constitution in this critical hour and secure the blessings of liberty and ensure the protection and guidance of our Father in Heaven? First and foremost, we must be righteous... Two great American Christian civilizations - the Jaredites and the Nephites - were swept off this land because they did not "serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ. (Ether 2: 12) What will become of our civilization? "Second, we must learn the principles of the Constitution in the tradition of the Founding Fathers. Have we read the Federalist Papers? Are we reading the Constitution and pondering it? Are we aware of its principles? Are we abiding by these principles and teaching them to others? Could we defend the Constitution? Can we recognize when a law is constitutionally unsound? Do we know what the prophets have said about the Constitution and the threats to it? "Third, we must become involved in civic affairs to see that we are properly represented.... "Fourth, we must make our influence felt by our vote, our letters, our teaching, and our advice. We must become accurately informed and then let others know how we feel.... "We, the blessed beneficiaries of the Constitution, face difficult days in America, "a land which is choice above all other lands". (Ether 2: 10) May God give us the faith and the courage exhibited by those patriots who pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor..."D&C 109: 54, spoken in prayer by the Prophet Joseph Smith at the dedication of the temple at Kirtland, Ohio in 1836, state that "the Constitution of our land be established forever." We take liberties with that statement at our peril. There are many, even in the Church, who consider the Constitution out of date, meant for an earlier time when things were different, etc. They ignore the evidence that the Constitutions role goes beyond providing a free nation in which the Gospel of Jesus Christ and His Church could be restored, and that it will become the governing system for the entire world during the Millennium. That evidence includes the statement by Melvin J. Ballard in the October 1918 General Conference that "...Gods word shall not fail when He predicted that the instrument known as the Constitution of the United States, the Spirit of Liberty established here by a few weak colonists, was His order of things for the government of men, and it should roll forth to fill the whole earth."At this point it might be well to consider practical reasons why Latter-day Saints should awaken to their responsibility in "befriending that law which is the constitutional law of the land".One very good reason is obedience. A First Presidency Statement of 15 January 1987 advised the following: "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.... "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 partiotic and didicated 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. "This bicentennial year affords us renewed opportunities to learn more about this divinely inspired charter of our liberty, to speak in its defense, and to preserve and protect it againts evil or destruction."One of my favourite statements regarding obedience in befriending the U.S. Constitution was spoken by David O. McKay in the October 1939 General Conference. He said, "Next to being one in worshiping God, there is nothing in this world upon which this Church should be more united than in upholding and defending the Constitution of the United States."Another important reason for reading and studying the U.S. Constitution and preparing to defend it and the freedom it provides is that the Lord told the Prophet Joseph Smith that there would be an attempt to overthrow the country by destroying the Constitution. Joseph Smith predicted that the time would come when the Constitution would hang by a thread, and at that time "this people will step forth and save it from the threatened destruction"(Journal of Discourses 7:15). And the Lord has warned us thru the ancient Prophet Moroni that "Secret combinations are of the devil and result in the destruction of nations--Modern Gentiles are warned against the secret combination which shall seek to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries." (Ether 8: 18-25) President Benson reminded us of this threat in the October 1988 General Conference, when he testified that "Secret combinations lusting for power, gain, and glory are flourishing. A secret combination that seeks to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries is increasing its evil influence and control over America and the entire world." He further testified in that speech that "...as the forces of evil increase under Lucifers leadership and as the forces of good increase under the leadership of Jesus Christ, there will be growing battles between the two until the final confrontation. As the issues become clearer and more obvious, all mankind will eventually be required to align themselves either for the kingdom of God or for the kingdom of the devil."So we Latter-day Saints definitely have a job ahead of us. In that regard, Ezra Taft Benson said "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 it is being destroyed or what is destroying it?" (From "Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson", Pg. 619-620) President Hinkley on occasion expressed his optimism for the future. It is my opinion that we need to start preparing to make it happen.