Patriotism

“Wherefore, be subject to the powers that be, until he reigns whose right it is to reign, and subdues all enemies under his feet.”

(Doctrine and Covenants Section 58, Verse 22) 

There is no doubt in my mind who I learned the love of country from: my Dad.  My Dad was not only someone who loved to study the gospel, but had a very deep love for the United States of America. He had served in the Vietnam War, and was very concerned at what he saw as the slow destruction of liberty. He believed, as the scriptures teach, that there were wicked elements that were attempting to subvert the freedom of not only Americans, but the freedom of all mankind; and the only thing that would halt this march was for good men to stand up and make their voices heard.

He taught me much about the founding of our nation, the founding fathers themselves, and about the history of governments.  I learned that though many governments had succeeded and flourished for a time, they eventually fell to ruin when the people became dependent on government to do everything for them. They became slothful, proud, and wicked, and because of this eventually secured the downfall of their great nation or empire.

Our nation, the United States of America, was different, though.  It had begun by men who were raised up for the purpose of creating a government that would be by the people, of the people, and for the people; and it was based on a document that was proclaimed by God himself to be of divine origin: the Constitution of the United States. Our country was a light and a beacon to the world of liberty, hope, and the promise of opportunity for all.  It didn't matter where you came from, or where you started out; the genius of the United States was that everyone had a chance to lift themselves up and to succeed if they were willing to work hard and pay the price.  I grew up believing in the absolutely divine nature of these principles.

I remember distinctly being told by my father when I was about 8 years old that the President of the United States was going to be giving a speech on TV, and that he wanted me to watch it.  I remember being a little annoyed at having to sit and listen to lots of words and concepts that I didn't understand, but I will never forget the feeling I had as I listened to President Ronald Reagan speak of our great nation, and the potential we had for lifting and influencing the world.  I felt that he was a great and inspired man.

My Dad had joined the Air Force Reserves after his service in the Army, and I grew up having my Dad give one weekend a month of his time to serving our country.  I didn't know all the details of exactly what he did, but I knew he was doing something wonderful, and I loved going to the Air Force base and seeing all the people in uniform, and the planes flying overhead.  The absolute highlight of every year for me was going to the Air Show at Norton Air Force Base, and seeing the fighter jets and other military planes and equipment up close.  I loved watching the aerial stunts of the Blue Angels, and felt like our country was the greatest and strongest in the world.

One experience in particular helped me to understand clearly what it was my Dad did for the Air Force.  During one Air Show, my brother and I were sitting on the bleachers waiting for a demonstration to begin. My father had told us to make sure that we watched at this particular time because there was something he wanted us to see.  Suddenly, in the air up to our left, we saw and heard a helicopter; and attached by a long cable to the bottom of the helicopter was our grandmother's old orange Volkswagen!  We gasped in shock as we saw the car being airlifted to the middle of the runway, and then while the helicopter hovered in place, the cable was disconnected and our grandmother's car went plunging toward the ground.  It exploded as it hit the cement, and suddenly Air Force fire trucks were rushing to the scene, while the firemen got out their hoses, and put the flames out quickly. I remember saying to the people that surrounded me, “That was my Grandma's car!”  I felt like my jaw had hit the floor and wouldn't go back into place.

It wasn't long before we saw our Dad come rushing up to the bleachers toward us, and he said, “Were you surprised?” Well, duh...yes, we were surprised! What the heck had he done?  “We were doing a demonstration of Air Force fire protection, and wanted to show how quickly our guys can put out a fire!”  Well, it worked; we were pretty impressed at what we had just witnessed, and loved telling our friends about watching our Grandma's car being dropped from a helicopter and exploding!

When I was 13 years old, my Dad insisted that I go to a summer camp for “young patriots”.  I was not too thrilled at the idea of going up all by myself into the woods with people I didn't even know, but he was adamant that it would be a great experience, so I went.  It didn't take long before I realized that there was a clique of girls that were the popular ones, and I was obviously not a part of their group.  I didn't have long blond hair, a waifish body, and perfect skin—so I did not fit in to their standard of perfection. But although the social aspect of this camp was torturous, I did love the classes that were taught at the camp each day, and learned things that I didn't know before.  I was taught about different types of government and what their characteristics were.  I quickly learned the difference between an oligarchy and a democracy, a republic and a dictatorship.  I also was taught about the moral underpinnings of our nation, and how the founders believed that a nation that was founded on any other principles beside those of God would eventually fall.  From reading their words, I quickly saw that they were men of faith and had indeed been guided by the Lord to establish this nation.

Unfortunately, because the bullying by the popular group had become unbearable, I called my Dad and said I wanted to go home.  He came and drove all the way the up to get me, though I could tell he was disappointed that I didn't get the “full” experience. I didn't tell him about the bullying girls, just that I “didn't feel well”, and he was good to drive up early all the way to the mountains of California to get me.  I had learned enough, however, to help me in my understandings of freedom and liberty and the Constitutional Republic in which we lived, and I grew to love and appreciate my country even more.

When I got to High School I remember one particular day in my AP American History class when my teacher was telling the class about how great the 60's were, and how the country was being run into the ground by “right-wing” crazy people.  I couldn't take it anymore, and I finally raised my hand and told her that I was apparently one of those right-wing crazies she was referring to, because I believed that government was not the answer to every person's problems, and that the Constitution was really an inspired document and not just an old piece of paper that was outdated and racist.  She said “I know it's not your fault that you believe the way you do; you were raised to believe this nonsense, so it's your parents fault.” I once more said that what I believed was my own prerogative, and that I had studied enough to know that Socialist governments don't last.  She rolled her eyes, and then continued on with the lesson.

When I became an adult, and started to understand more about the grassroots involvement that people can have on local government, I was excited.  I went to my local caucuses and even went to a City Council meeting to protest a local strip bar that was opening around the corner from our house.  I remember being interviewed by the newspaper afterward, and being asked why I was so concerned about this issue.  I told them that I had little children that I wanted to grow up in a moral, safe environment, and the types of people that would be hanging out at a strip joint night after night were not the kind of people I wanted to frequent my neighborhood.  The city council told me they didn't really have the power to stop a business from doing what it wanted, but the local feeling against it eventually became strong enough that it closed down.  I felt like David had won a victory against the Goliath of moral degradation, and it felt good to be a part of it.

As I have continued to study and try to involve myself in my local, state, and national issues, I have come to appreciate the greatness of this land in which I live.  Although we are watching the rapid deterioration of freedom and liberty in our country and others around the world, I am so grateful to live in a land that was chosen by God to be the place where the gospel would be restored, and where freedom is still available to all.  I believe that if we continue to stand for truth and righteousness, that eventually we will live to see the day when the Author of Liberty, our Lord Jesus Christ, will return again to the earth and reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  True liberty, justice, and freedom will be proclaimed from the mountaintops, and all people will know that the laws of God are those that will stand through all time.         

              

How have you developed a love for your nation? What has life taught you about the importance of freedom and liberty and a government that protects these things?