|
Angela's Lesson Helps
by
Angela Williams / ga09102007
I had the girls start out by receiving mock violation
tickets that had funny California laws printed on them. For instance, "It is
against the law to annoy a lizard in a park" or "it is against the law to shot
any animals from a moving car, unless the animal is a whale", etc.
Set law book and scripture on the table.
Q: What do these books have in common with a law book? (One contains religious
law, the other civil law.)
Explain that the Lord has counseled Church members concerning these two kinds of
laws. Have a young woman read Doctrine and Covenants D&C 58:21.
“Let no man break the laws of the land, for he that keepeth the laws of God hath
no need to break the laws of the land.”
Q: How will keeping the laws of God help us keep the laws of the land?
This country was founded by religious, righteous men that came to America and
founded this country because they wanted to religious freedom.
Read The Price They Paid by Ronald Regan
July Fourth is the birthday of our nation. I believed as a boy, and believe even
more today, that it is the birthday of the greatest nation on earth. There is a
legend about the day of our nation's birth in the little hall in Philadelphia, a
day on which debate had raged for hours. The men gathered there were honorable
men hard-pressed by a king who had flouted the very laws they were willing to
obey. Even so, to sign the Declaration of Independence was such an irretrievable
act that the walls resounded with the words "treason, the gallows, the
headsman's axe," and the issue remained in doubt. The legend says that at that
point a man rose and spoke. He is described as not a young man, but one who had
to summon all his energy for an impassioned plea. He cited the grievances that
had brought them to this moment and finally, his voice falling, he said, "They
may turn every tree into a gallows, every hole into a grave, and yet the words
of that parchment can never die. To the mechanic in the workshop, they will
speak hope; to the slave in the mines, freedom. Sign that parchment. Sign if the
next moment the noose is around your neck, for that parchment will be the
textbook of freedom, the Bible of the rights of man forever." He fell back
exhausted. The 56 delegates, swept up by his eloquence, rushed forward and
signed that document destined to be as immortal as a work of man can be. When
they turned to thank him for his timely oratory, he was not to be found, nor
could any be found who knew who he was or how he had come in or gone out through
the locked and guarded doors. Well, that is the legend. But we do know for
certain that 56 men, a little band so unique we have never seen their like
since, had pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor. Some gave
their lives in the war that followed, most gave their fortunes, and all
preserved their sacred honor. What manner of men were they? Twenty-four were
lawyers and jurists, 11 were merchants and tradesmen, and nine were farmers.
They were soft-spoken men of means and education; they were not an unwashed
rabble. They had achieved security but valued freedom more. Their stories have
not been told nearly enough. John Hart was driven from the side of his
desperately ill wife. For more than a year he lived in the forest and in caves
before he returned to find his wife dead, his children vanished, his property
destroyed. He died of exhaustion and a broken heart. Carter Braxton of Virginia
lost all his ships, sold his home to pay his debts, and died in rags. And so it
was with Ellery, Clymer, Hall, Walton, Gwinnett, Rutledge, Morris, Livingston
and Middleton. Nelson personally urged Washington to fire on his home and
destroy it when it became the headquarters for General Cornwallis. Nelson died
bankrupt.
But they sired a nation that grew from sea to shining sea. Five million farms,
quiet villages, cities that never sleep, 3 million square miles of forest,
field, mountain and desert, 227 million people with a pedigree that includes the
bloodlines of all the world. In recent years, however, I've come to think of
that day as more than just the birthday of a nation.
It also commemorates the only true philosophical revolution in all history. Oh,
there have been revolutions before and since ours. But those revolutions simply
exchanged one set of rules for another. Ours was a revolution that changed the
very concept of government. Let the Fourth of July always be a reminder that
here in this land, for the first time, it was decided that man is born with
certain God-given rights; that government is only a convenience created and
managed by the people, with no powers of its own except those voluntarily
granted to it by the people. We sometimes forget that great truth, and we never
should.
Happy Fourth of July. Ronald Reagan President of the United States
Read Wilford Woodruff, account about the signers of the Declaration of
Independence dated 6 September 1877.
Q: Why do we need organized government? Why can’t we get along individually?
President N. Eldon Tanner emphasized this idea in the following quotation:
“All the laws of God and the laws of nature and the laws of the land are made
for the benefit of man, for his comfort, enjoyment, safety, and well-being; and
it is up to the individual to learn these laws and to determine whether or not
he will enjoy these benefits by obeying the law and by keeping the commandments.
My whole purpose … is to show that laws exist for our benefit and that to be
happy and successful we must obey the laws and regulations pertaining to our
activities; and these laws will function either to our joy and well-being or to
our detriment and sorrow, according to our actions” (in Conference Report, Apr.
1970, p. 62; or Improvement Era, June 1970, p. 31).
Q: What are some specific laws that are made for our benefit, comfort, and
safety?
Have the young women read Doctrine and Covenants D&C 134:1.
WE believe that governments were instituted of God for the benefit of man; and
that he holds men accountable for their acts in relation to them, both in making
laws and administering them, for the good and safety of society.
Q: What does it mean to be accountable?
Q: In your daily life, are you an example of one who obeys, honors, and sustains
the laws of the land?
Q: What does it mean to be patriotic?
“Patriotism is more than flag-waving and fireworks. It is how we respond to
public issues. If we ask only, ‘What’s in this proposal for me?—What do I get
out of it?’—we are not patriotic and we are not good citizens. But if we ask,
‘Is this right?—is it good for the … people?—would it preserve and strengthen
our freedom?’—then we deserve to stand in the company of [great patriots].
Patriotism is trying always to give more to the Nation than we receive. It is
selfless service” (Ezra Taft Benson, The Red Carpet [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft,
1962], p. 96).
Q: What are some acts of patriotism that demonstrate that you love your country?
Record the responses on the chalkboard. Responses might include the following:
1. Singing your national anthem respectfully.
2. Showing reverence for the flag of your country.
3. Learning more of the heritage and history of your country.
4. Campaigning for political candidates whose views you support.
5. Participating in community service projects and other civic activities.
6. Obeying the laws of the land.
7. Respecting public officials and public property.
8. Respecting political opinions that differ from your own.
Flag discussion
Refer to the flag you have displayed.
The flag represents a living country and is itself considered a living thing.
For these reasons we must give it our full respect.
Q: What do the various colors represent?
Red stands for valor (boldness or determination in facing great danger, esp. in
battle; heroic courage; bravery: a medal for valor) , white stands for purity
and blue stands for justice (the quality of being just; righteousness,
equitableness, or moral rightness: to uphold the justice of a cause.)
Q: What do the symbols represent?
Flag stands for the men and women who built this country
13 stripes signify 13 original states (colonies) that gained our liberty
Stars tell of more than 200 million people of 50 states working and fighting
together to keep that liberty for themselves and generations to come.
Q: Why are these things important to your country?
Q: What can you do to promote the righteous values symbolized by the flag?
If your country has a pledge of allegiance, you may want to discuss its meaning
with the young women.
Last Sunday, the President of the United States, Eisenhower and his family
occupied the pew where Abraham Lincoln worshipped. The pastor, the Reverend
George M. Docherty, suggested the change in our Pledge of Allegiance (adding
"under God"). Dr. Docherty delivered a wise sermon. He said, 'there was
something missing in the pledge, and that which was missing was the
characteristic and definitive factor in the American way of life.'
Eisenhower opted to sign the bill to add "under God" into law on Flag Day (June
14, 1954). Eisenhower wrote a letter in August, 1954. Paraphrasing Docherty’s
sermon, Eisenhower said "These words [“under God”] will remind Americans that
despite our great physical strength we must remain humble. They will help us to
keep constantly in our minds and hearts the spiritual and moral principles which
alone give dignity to man, and upon which our way of life is founded."
According to current U.S. custom, as codified by the United States Congress,
persons are expected (but not legally required) to recite the Pledge as follows:
By standing at attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart.
When not in uniform men should remove their headdress with their right hand and
hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart. Persons in uniform
should remain silent, face the flag, and render the military salute.
Everything about this country, the flag, the founding fathers, the pledge of
allegiance, the laws all come back to our Father in heaven and his hand in this
great country of ours. All that we have, our freedoms, luxuries, conveniences
and securities exist because of HIM and our Savior…. Let us not forget this ever
and show our patriotism and gratitude for living in such a great place, but
keeping the laws of the land and show respect to all the things the symbolize
America.
Take Home was D&C 134:1 attached to a little flag.
|