Happy Independence Day, everyone. Those of you not in this country can just celebrate the fact that it is July 4th, cause, hey: it only comes once a year.
For today's post, I thought I would put in a piece Husband wrote for the neighborhood newsletter. Being British still, Husband sometimes feels a little awkward when he's asked to do such things as flag-raising ceremonies or talking about whose ancestors fought the Brits. He still loves and champions freedom, however. And he's getting his citizenship soon.
Without further ado, here is Husband:
July Bishopric Message
As a continuing element to the Neighborhood News the Bishopric of the 8th Ward will be providing a message each month. This month of July falls to me.
July has always been a period for celebrating freedom here in Utah: Freedom from the English domination of kings, freedom from the oppression of Eastern mobs, freedom to live and worship how we please without fear of subjugation and tyranny. How blessed we are to live in such a state. These victories belong to the past. The despot monarchs are long since dead; the ferocious mobs have disbanded decades ago and left us to ourselves. What have we done with our freedom?
I have no ancestors that crossed the plains; none that fought to gain the liberty of this nation. Indeed, coming from England as I do, my ancestors likely fought to keep liberty from this nation. Yet here I am, living in Utah and enjoying the fruits of freedom that were purchased at so bloody a price. I have been accepted here, my family welcomed as one of your own, my children play in your homes. Many of you are my close friends.
Yet there are others who have come from neighborhoods not so far distant as England, whose ancestors fought alongside yours to bleed this nation free to pursue life, liberty and religious autonomy, who do not feel at home here. We refer to these neighbors in terms such as: non-member, less-active, non-Mormon, as if we could define them by what they are not. The use of these terms distances us from potential friends and sets up imagined barriers which bear the fruit of a physical distancing from those who have different spiritual beliefs than we have as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I have been guilty of this myself, when caught up in a world that has a sphere of influence that seldom extends beyond the church portion of the neighborhood. I hope to change this by looking beyond the labels which we give each other and finding that friendship can be based on more than a desire to share the gospel, or a feeling of duty to do so.
Please do not misunderstand me. Our baptismal covenant contains a sacred responsibility to share that which we have, but if we base all of our friendships contingent upon acceptance of the message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, we will be missing many a dear friendship which would have resulted if we had been genuinely interested in another individual for who they are, rather than for who we think they should be. Let us uphold freedom by recognizing the good in each other. This victory can, and should, belong to today.
Thanks, Husband. Good words. Thank goodness we have the freedom to worship as we please, to befriend whom we please, and say what we please. Those freedoms seem to get narrower and narrower as the government takes more upon itself in an effort to keep us "safe." I think of the Chinese, who do have many more freedoms than they used to, but still live under the constant heavy hand of a jealous government. Hopefully, someday, they will be free. Hopefully people all over the world will be truly free, ourselves included. LONG LIVE LIBERTY AND LONG LIVE THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!!!
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