“Most of us will not be called to help nations organize newly found freedoms, but all of us can be involved by making certain the light of freedom burns brightly within our own souls. We can be certain that, by our actions, we are examples of how freedom should be enjoyed.”
–L. Tom Perry from his April 1990 Conference Address
"We dare not forget that we are heirs of that first revolution."
-John F. Kennedy
I feel the light of freedom in my own soul burn so brightly and I cannot adequately express my gratitude for those who sacrificed so much to create and protect this great country where we live. The brave men and women who stood up with their words and actions and founded the United States of America, as a land of freedom and bravery. The many, many, men and women who have continued to stand time and time again to protect this country and to continue to build a nation of patriots.
We celebrated our nation's birthday with good food and family, and late that night as I sat with Lydia tucked on my lap watching fireworks - I whispered to her about how the fireworks celebrate America and remind us of all the brave men and women who fought to give us so much.
{We put Lydia down to bed fairly early and then woke her up to let her come watch fireworks with us. I wrapped her up in a blanket and walked with her down the street toward the Thanksgiving Point fireworks, only to realize that the sweet girl was so terrified of all the fireworks going off around us that she was shaking. We came home and watched from inside our house for a while before we convinced her to come outside and just sit on our front lawn to watch fireworks. I'm pretty sure we could see three different big shows from our front lawn and about 6 more smaller arial firework shows going on in our neighborhood. It was incredibly loud and beautiful and scary all at the same time.}
When I went to put Lydia down for the night, I laid with her and I sang "The Star Spangled Banner" until she fell asleep because the fireworks were still going off outside her window. I hope to teach Lydia (and Austin) to love and appreciate and fight to protect this country that we love.
Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same."
-Ronald Reagan
"Our whole social order could self-destruct over its obsession with freedom disconnected from responsibility, where choice is imagined to be somehow independent of consequences"
- Boyd K. Packer
