What We Have Forgotten

He therefore is the truest friend to the liberty of his country who tries most to promote 

its virtue, and who, so far as his power and influence extend, will not suffer a man to be chosen into any office of power and trust who is not a wise and virtuous man. We must not conclude merely upon a man's haranguing upon liberty, and using the charming sound, that he is fit to be trusted with the liberties of his country. It is not unfrequent to hear men declaim loudly upon liberty, who, if we may judge by the whole tenor of their actions, mean nothing else by it but their own liberty, — to oppress without control or the restraint of laws all who are poorer or weaker than themselves. ~ Samuel Adams (emphasis added)

I've been thinking about this quote a lot lately.  When people ask me - What has happened to our country? Why are we in such a mess? - I believe it boils down to just a few things our ancestors knew well, but we seem to have forgotten. 

After the Revolutionary War people were aware of the cost of freedom and diligently sought virtuous leaders to represent them in government.  They knew that a man's character mattered.  It mattered what he did in his home.  It mattered how he treated his wife and family.  It mattered that he was faithful and trustworthy. This is one area where we have gone astray.  Instead of virtue, we focus on how eloquently the person speaks, how good he looks on camera or how expensive her clothes are.  We say it doesn't matter what he does in private.  It doesn't matter that he cheats on his wife or lies, or gambles, or...  And that is why we are in the state we are.  If a person can't be trusted to do what is right in his own family, how can we trust him to do what is right on our behalf?  

Another reason we have such a mess in our country is that we have forgotten that "power corrupts."  Originally representatives in Washington (or any level) were to serve one or two terms only.  Then they were to return to their jobs and families and let other virtuous men take their place.  This allowed them to avoid the corruption of power (and lobbyists!).  Now we have "career politicians" (not representatives!).  The longer a person stays in Washington (or any office), the more likely he/she is to become corrupted and to lose their virtue.  

Finally, we are in this mess, because we have forgotten that it isn't the Federal Government's responsibility to fix our problems.  Their job is to provide an army and navy, ensure fair trade, coin money, make treaties, declare war and establish post offices - that's it!!!  (They do share a few things with the states - building roads, establishing courts, making and enforcing laws, borrowing money, chartering banks and unfortunately collecting taxes - thanks to the 16th amendment!)  Really that's ALL they are supposed to be doing.  We need to put our focus back on our local governments.  We need to give the power back to them.  After all, who in Washington really knows the needs of your community?  

If we want to "fix" the mess we have, then we must listen to Mr. Adams.  We must elect ONLY wise and virtuous men (and women) as our representatives and we must remind them that it is a TEMPORARY position.  I know it seems impossible, but we really can do this.  It starts in our local communities. If we put our focus back on our local governments we can do so much more to help individuals.  Start in your town/city.   Make sure that the people on your city council are wise and virtuous. Then make sure that your Mayor is wise and virtuous.   Then move to the county level, then move to the state level and finally to the federal level.  You can make a difference, but it all starts with your vote.  You can do this!

The Land of the Free

I am teaching a class this semester on the Constitution of the United States. Each week my students (12-15 year olds) are asked to write a paper on a given topic. This week they were to write on - What Makes America Different? To be an effective mentor, one must have traveled the road before. Therefore, if I ask my students to write, I must write too. So here is my paper...

America, the land of the free. Have you ever stopped to wonder why it is called this? Why is no other nation in the world referred to in this way? What makes America special?

The founding fathers studied all forms of government prior to the Revolutionary War. They noted that throughout history an alarming cycle had been established; a violent swing between tyranny and anarchy. Whenever a people revolted against a tyrant, the people would rejoice in their new freedom for only a brief time. Then anarchy would set in as the people rejected any form of government. Then another tyrant would rise to power as he promised to reestablish peace to the people. The people would live under tyranny for a time and then revolt again. This occurred over and over and was the greatest fear of the founding fathers as the Revolutionary War drew to a close. How could they keep their new found freedom and avoid repeating this awful cycle?

As the founding fathers studied the governments of the past, they came to realize that there were certain principles that if established would ensure the freedom and prosperity of the people. They knew that to stop this cycle of tyranny and anarchy they would need to write a constitution. This constitution would provide a system of checks and balances to ensure peace. The powers of the government would be well defined and limited. There would be a separation of these powers between different branches assuring that no one branch could gain complete control. They recognized that governments were established for the benefit of the people, not to control the people. Their new constitution would ensure the rights of the people and allow them to retain their sovereignty. The new government would encourage the free market system, allowing people to own property and establish businesses for themselves. The constitution outlined how officials were to be elected, when and by whom. This assured the peaceful transfer of power from one leader to the next. These were just a few of the principles the founding fathers included in the constitution.

The constitution of the United States is one of the greatest documents that has ever been written. It is based on sound principles that when followed ensures the freedom of the people. As a nation we have enjoyed these freedoms for over 200 years. However, in the last few decades, the constitution has slowly been eroded away. Government officials are usurping power from others, refusing to keep in check those who abuse their power and ignoring many of the principles outlined in the Constitution. This is leading to the erosion of our rights and freedoms. If our nation is to continue for another 200 years, those who say our constitution is outdated and “old-fashioned” need to be removed from office. We must elect only individuals of integrity that will honor and uphold the constitution. We must re-establish the principles that have been removed and begin again to educate the people. People need to understand their responsibility in maintaining a free nation. They need to understand that it is our Constitution that ensures these freedoms. It is the Constitution that makes America the land of the free.

A Return to Greatness

“America is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.”[1]

When the founding fathers wrote the Constitution, America was a society based on strong Christian customs, traditions and moral values. People exercised moral discipline; they chose the right because it was right. People served one another and took responsibility for their own actions. They followed God and obeyed the Ten Commandments in all that they did. With these strong customs and adherence to God’s laws, America grew and became the greatest nation on earth.

The founding fathers wrote the constitution to protect the inalienable rights of the people and to insure their freedom. God gave us the Ten Commandments for the same reason. These laws protect, promote and preserve our freedoms and rights. But the constitution and laws only protect our freedoms if we as individuals exercise self-discipline. If we adhere to God’s laws, God blesses us and we become prosperous as individuals and as a nation.

Over the last one hundred years or so, America has slowly pulled away from God. We as a society no longer adhere to the strong customs, traditions and values of early America. We no longer obey the Ten Commandments. We worship celebrities and athletes instead of God. We surround ourselves with the “idols” of our devotion – large homes, luxury cars, costly apparel, and accessorize it all with “bling.” We are no longer a people of our word. Contracts and oaths are just pieces of paper and empty promises. Sundays are just another day of the week for us to play and work. Children no longer honor their parents, but instead are encouraged to leave the family home as soon as possible, often moving far away. We kill unborn babies because it is convenient and remove the elderly from our society to “condemn” them to die lonely deaths in some institution. Marriage covenants are seldom honored if entered into at all. We “take” from the rich who have earned their wealth to “give” to the poor who have not. We surround our homes with tall “privacy” fences and then spread gossip about our neighbors behind them. We go into massive debt trying to “keep up with the Jones’s.” As you can see, not a single commandment is being followed.

“Policemen and laws can never replace customs, traditions, and moral values as a means for regulating human behavior.”[2] If we desire to return to a nation of greatness, we must, as a society, return to God. We must return to the customs, traditions and moral values that encourage self-discipline. This will insure our freedom.

I hope that as a nation, we will wake up to our awful situation. I hope that people will stand with me, to bring our nation back to its former greatness. I hope that we will learn from history. I hope that it will never be said of our society, “We would not accept the yoke of Christ so now we must tremble at the yoke of Caesar.”[3]


[1] Ezra Taft Benson as quoted in The 5000 Year Leap (Cleon Skousen), p 84.
[2] D. Todd Christofferson
[3] Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, as quoted by D. Todd Christofferson, October 4, 2009.

Confessions of an Extremist

In the last few years I have decided to pursue my education again. No, I am not going back to "school," but I am studying, writing and discussing great books and ideas with others. One of the areas that I am pursuing is the study of freedom and the founding of our great country. I am ashamed to admit that until recently I had never read the constitution (Oh, I probably did in 8th grade civics class - but it didn't leave much of an impression!).

I am truly amazed at what an inspired document our constitution is. As I have been studying the federalist papers, the writings of Thomas Paine, the lives of the signers of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, I am coming to appreciate the sacrifices that were made in my behalf. I am gaining a vision for the freedom they wanted me to have. And this saddens me greatly, because I am also realizing that most of these freedoms have slowly been stripped away from us. How could we, as Americans, have allowed this to happen? Why have we been sleeping?

I am also seeing that many of us who were asleep are now waking up, and this is scaring those who are in power. Those with "power" don't want us to wake anyone else up. They don't want us to realize what we have lost. They don't want us to bring the constitution back. They tell us that it is "outdated" and shouldn't be honored because it was written by "rich, white, slave owners." They label us as "extremists" and "anti-Americans" to try to discredit us. They try to frighten us into being quiet by telling us they are keeping "a list" of anyone who disagrees.

But anyone who has truly gained a vision of freedom will not give up without a fight. Those who fought the Revolutionary War were called rebels and ruffians. I know that I am willing to take a stand. I want MY children and grandchildren to be free, even if that means I have to suffer or even die. So I guess being an extremist just puts me in good company.