“The Blessings of Living in a Promised Land.”
LAUS DEO! Do you know what it means? One detail that is never
mentioned is that in Washington, D.C. there can never be a building of greater height than the Washington Monument. On the aluminum cap atop the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., are displayed two words: Laus Deo.
No one can see these words [,which] have been there for many years:
they are: at 555 feet, 5.125 inches high, perched atop the monument, facing skyward to the Father of our nation overlooking the 69 square miles which comprise the District of Columbia, capital of the United States of America.
Laus Deo! Two seemingly insignificant words, [out] of sight, and one might
think, out of mind, but very meaningfully placed at the highest point over what is the most powerful city in the most successful nation in the world.
So, what do these two words, in Latin, composed of just four syllables and only seven letters possibly mean? Very simply, they say, “Praise be to God!” [and are a] tribute to the Father of our nation. LAUS DEO “Praise be to God!”
From atop this magnificent granite and marble structure, visitors may take in the beautiful panoramic view of the city with its divisions into four major segments. From that vantage point, one can also easily see the original plan of the designer, Pierre Charles 1'Enfant, a perfect cross imposed upon the landscape, with the White House to the north. The Jefferson Memorial is to the South, the Capitol to the east and the Lincoln Memorial to the west.
A cross you ask? Why a cross? What about separation of church and state?
Yes, a cross; separation of church and state was not, is not, in the Constitution. [The Wikipedia ,states that the separation of church and state is a legal and political principle derived from the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, which reads, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof...” The phrase “separation of church and state” is generally traced to an 1802 letter by Thomas Jefferson to the Danbury Baptists, where Jefferson spoke of the combined effect of the Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment. It has since been quoted in several opinions handed down by the United States Supreme Court.]
Praise be to God! Within the monument itself are 898 steps and 50 landings. As one climbs the steps and pauses at the landings the memorial stones share a message. On the 12th Landing is a prayer offered by the City of Baltimore; on the 20th is a memorial presented by some Chinese Christians; on the 24th a presentation made by Sunday School children from New York and Philadelphia quoting Proverbs 10:7, Luke 18:16 and Proverbs 22:6. Praise be to God!
When the cornerstone of the Washington Monument was laid on July 4th, 1848, deposited within it were many items including the Holy Bible presented by the Bible Society.
Praise be to God! Such was the discipline, the moral direction, and the spiritual mood given by the founder and first President of our unique democracy “One Nation, Under God.” I am awed by Washington's prayer for America. Have you ever read it? Well, now is your opportunity to hear it, so please, give heed!
“Almighty God; We make our earnest prayer that Thou wilt keep the
United States in Thy holy protection; that Thou wilt incline the hearts
of the citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to government; and entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another and for their fellow citizens of the United States at large. And finally that Thou wilt most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that charity, humility, and pacific temper of mind which were the characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed religion, and without a humble imitation of whose example in these things we can never hope to be a happy nation. Grant our supplication, we beseech Thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”
Laus Deo! When one stops to observe the inscriptions found in public places all over our nation's capitol, he or she will easily find the signature of God, as it is unmistakably inscribed everywhere you look. No one who hears, will be able to forget its meaning, or these words: “Unless the Lord builds the house its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.”
Laus Deo! Praise be to God! May we forever treasure in humility, the lives, the hopes and dreams of those who built this nation, to be great and to remain great through the charity, the humility, the sacrifice and the compassion found among its citizens. GOD BLESS AMERICA AND FOREVER KEEP HER STRONG, THROUGH FAITH AND OBEDIENCE TO GOD AND CHARITY, THE PURE LOVE OF CHRIST, TOWARDS ALL OF HIS CHILDREN!
My next selection is partly mine, but mainly a collection of thoughts brought together to remind each of us,
“What Makes America Great?”
I know that this question is nothing new, for many times over the course of American History, someone, somewhere, has asked this question.
But I think that this is an important question to ask frequently: to do a "Spot Check" on ourselves from time to time, and to remember who we are, and the promises we made, and upon WHOSE promises, in turn, we rely.
Recently, I wrote about the apparent lack of Patriotism in America, the guns in our schools and the absence of prayer. I recall that as a Sophomore at Thomas Jefferson High School, here in San Antonio, I was asked to give the "Lunch Prayer" over the public address system.
Only minutes before I was supposed to deliver the prayer, I was told that the United States Supreme Court had "struck down rules requiring the Recitation of 'The Lord's Prayer' or reading of biblical verses in Public Schools" on the grounds that it violated the Separation of Church and State, or something like that. It was 1963.
U.S. Supreme Court, Abington School District vs. Schempp, 17 June 1963
With all due respect for the Justices of the United States Supreme Court, they may not understand that this land, which we call America, is protected by God, as long as we worship Him and keep His commandments.
We read in D&C 82:10, “ I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise.”
I love the quote, which I found at the bottom of a recent article about Denzel Washington. It simply says, “When there is nothing left but God, that is when you find out that God is all you need.” Author Unknown.
Here is another quote, which is another one of my favorites: “Pride is concerned with 'Who is Right.' Humility is concerned with 'What is Right.'”
President Ezra Taft Benson, 13th President of the Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter-Day Saints.
The Signers of the “Declaration of Independence,” as well as the Signers of the “Constitution of the United States” were God fearing, or in other words, God respecting and God worshiping men. Turning again ,to the Doctrine and Covenants, we read in D&C 101:77-80, the following admonition:
“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;
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.
Therefore, it is not right that any man should be in bondage one to another.
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.”
I firmly believe that, before the "White Gods from upon the Many Waters" arrived on this continent, the Lord covenanted with the earliest inhabitants of this land. He promised Lehi and his family that if they were obedient to the laws and commandments of God, He would make this continent, "a land of liberty unto them; wherefore, they shall never be brought down into captivity...[and] unto the righteous, [America] shall be blessed forever." This promise is as true today as it was when it was given to the "ancestors" of those people whom we today call the American Indians! 2 Nephi 1:7 (Book of Mormon, Page 54.)
I believe that there should be a Separation of CHURCH and STATE, IN THE SENSE that NO Church should "dictate" policy or religious principles to the Leaders of our Country. But I also believe that we and they, our Nation's Leaders, SHOULD BE GUIDED by OUR COLLECTIVE CONSCIENCES to DO WHAT IS RIGHT, TO KEEP AMERICA STRONG. We should not read in the newspaper that The President of the United States is Engaged in the "Affairs" of State, as we read almost constantly in the closing years of the Clinton Administration.
Again, this is nothing new! We have read accounts like this before, as in the days of the Court of Wicked King Noah. We also know, from our reading of the 11th through 19th Chapters of “Mosiah” in the Book of Mormon, the demise of King Noah and the bondage and suffering of the Nephite people at the hands of the Lamanites for the Nephites' Sins of Pride, Whoredoms, Abominations and for their Forsaking the Lord.
The Nephites had been warned by the Prophet Abinadi, whom King Noah caused to suffer death by fire, for Abinadi's testifying against King Noah and his People. Before his death by fire, Abinadi had prophesied that King Noah would also suffer death by fire and that King Noah's people, the wicked Nephites, would come under bondage and become the slaves of the Lamanites. And so they were!
Mosiah 11;12:1-10;17:12-(15-18)-20; and 19:1-20 (Book of Mormon.)
THERE IS A TREMENDOUS DIFFERENCE BETWEEN “HAVING PRIDE IN AMERICA,” and “Just Being 'Proud' and 'Haughty,'” which is the TOTAL LACK OF HUMILITY and its underlying lack of faith in God. I believe that as long as there is faith in and obedience to God, and charity, the pure love of Christ, towards all of His children, there will be an America! It is this and our faith in America that has made us great and will continue to keep us great! It is for this reason that I am very distressed whenever I hear or read about the Devil's attempt to stop prayer in schools or in other public places, or a national leader's refusing to place his hand over his heart and refusing to say the "Pledge of Allegiance." I HAVE RECENTLY HEARD that the “Pledge of Allegiance” is being OUTLAWED in some Public Schools. WHAT A TRAVESTY and a SLUR to the Honored Memory of ALL of our Fighting Men and Women, Who Have DIED in the DEFENSE of OUR COUNTRY!
I am equally distressed when I hear or read about school children who have no respect for themselves, their fellow students, their school buildings or their teachers. There are Guns in schools, but NOT Prayer! I sometimes wonder where is America heading, but then I remember something else. There is an underlying principle, which is more than just faith in God or faith in America. It is called "Faith in Action!" You may know it as "Compassion and Sacrifice!"
As Americans, we do not boast of our accomplishments. We do not have to, for God knows what we do, what we have done, and what we will continue to do.
As Americans, we have given much: the lives of our fighting men and women overseas, to fight two World Wars, a Police Action in Korea, the War in Vietnam, the Gulf War, the recent action in Afghanistan and the current action in Iraq.
We have given billions of dollars to reconstruct war-ravaged countries, to feed the hungry and to build shelters for the homeless. We do not seek gratitude, for gratitude is not our aim. But neither do we welcome terrorists to smash airplanes into the Twin Towers and kill thousands of INNOCENT PEOPLE, or to fly into the Pentagon, or to make it necessary for the passengers aboard an airline to force their plane down into some land in Pennsylvania in order to spare the White House. WE SHOULD NOT BOW TO TYRANNY, and OUR NATIONAL LEADER SHOULD NOT APOLOGIZE TO THIRD WORLD NATIONS AND SAY THAT AMERICA IS NOT A CHRISTIAN NATION!
We should, however, place our faith and trust in God, and then sacrifice and share, because that is what we are asked to do.
It is the TRUCK DRIVER who has had the NAMES OF THE VICTIMS of 9/11 painted on his truck, at no small expense, I am sure, and NOT merely to provide a "SHOW" but a LASTING MEMORIAL! It is the COMPASSIONATE ACTOR, Denzel Washington, who wrote a check for the total amount needed to build a "Fisher House" at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio. WHAT WAS HIS REASON? He did it so that more families of burn victims, who were transported from Germany, could have a place to stay to be with their service man or woman while the burn victim was being treated. THIS IS “SACRIFICE and SHARING!”
IT IS THE RETORT TO THE ACCUSATION OF IMPERIALISM: the only land we ask for in return for the lives of our fighting men and women is the plot of ground to bury those who do not return. It is the calm, but unmistakable answer to the accusation of stupidity on the part of President George W. Bush who sent an Aircraft Carrier to Indonesia, and the retort to the arrogance to infer that we were there to bomb its people. The Boeing Engineer replied that the Aircraft Carrier had Hospitals, Emergency Power, Fresh Water, Cafeterias, and Helicopters to transport the victims to and from the flight deck. All of these facilities were available to those in need. IT IS THE REASON WHY THE PRESIDENT SENT THE CARRIER!
IT IS THE U.S. NAVY ADMIRAL WHO REMINDED HIS FRENCH COLLEAGUE THAT along with the British, the Canadians, and the Australians, we, as Americans, sacrificed the lives of our service men so that the Citizens of France would not be speaking German, but at what a tremendous price- far more than just money! So, what makes America great? All of these things and more, much, much, more!
In closing, I would like to share with you a song which Sid Larsen recently e-mailed me. I normally do not like Country-Western music, but the lyrics and the music to this song really impressed me. Any song, which brings tears to my eyes and a lump in my throat, usually does. I will not sing it, but the words are worth hearing. It was written and performed by James Rogers and is called:
“This is America”
This is America
the land I love so true
The people
We share our hopes and dreams
And a flag red, white and blue
This is where I can be
The best I can be
I'm proud to say
That I live in America
Long let her flag wave
America
My heart, my home
America
Together we are strong
From north and south
To east and west
With eyes to Him in thankfulness
For it's the land that God has blessed
America
We share a liberty
But freedom was not free
It was paid for dear
With lives, sweat and tears
That were spent on you and me
But as long as the dream survives
And the eagle flies proud and brave
This will be America
Long let her flag wave
America
Together we are strong
From north and south
To east and west
With eyes to Him in thankfulness
For it's the land that God has blessed
America
America
My heart, my home
America
Together we are strong
From north and south
To east and west
With eyes to Him in thankfulness
For it's the land that God has blessed
America
Yes, we are truly blessed to live in a promised land. We must always give thanks to our Heavenly Father for ordaining this land, which we call America.
There are two thoughts which I would like to leave with you:
Live a life, so that those who know you, but do not know HIM,
will want to know HIM, because they know you.
And, when, at last we stand before the Savior, He will most certainly ask each of us, how we treated our spouse, our family and our neighbors. He will not care how many hours we spent at the office. That is not why we were placed on earth. We were placed here to serve. We will be sorry one day, if we don't! I have written a poem to better express this admonition and which is the appeal behind a beautiful poem, "The Touch of The Master's Hand," writen by Myra Brooks Welch:
Whom do we know, who is battered and scarred,
And forgotten by all, but you?
We are placed here to serve; the Master requires
That serving is what we'll do!
But should we fall short, a Soul to save,
Then both of us will lose:
He, Life Eternal, and we, our Reward,
If we, not to serve, doth choose!
Randy Faulk, the Author.
It is truly the charity, the humility, the sacrifice and the compassion that makes America Great, and it makes America the Blessing of Living in a Promised Land. It has always been so. May it forever be so!
I say these things in the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
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