Current Lessons
Lesson No. Twenty-Nine
The Who, Where, What, and Why of the United States of America
Introduction – In 1976, as part of the national bicentennial celebration of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the Church produced seven illustrations shown in this Lesson. They present to the world our perspective concerning the founding of the United States of America.
Text on image reads: The Book of Mormon – This continent’s history from 600 B.C. to 400 A.D.
“I saw the heavens open, and the Lamb of God descending out of heaven; and he came down and showed himself unto them.” 1 Nephi 12:6
“…they have taken away from the gospel of the Lamb many parts which are plane and most precious…” 1 Nephi 13:26
“…These last records…shall make know the plain and precious things which have been taken away from them…” 1 Nephi 13:40
“And I looked and beheld a man…who was separated from the seed of my brethren by the many waters; and I beheld the Spirit of God, that it came down and wrought upon the man; and he went forth upon the many waters, even unto the seed of my brethren, who were in the promised land.” 1 Nephi 13:12
The founding of the United States, by the hand of God, established the freedom necessary for the gospel to be restored. The events, depicted in the illustrations attached and referred to in 1 Nephi 12-14, are the most important events, from God’s perspective, since the atonement and resurrection of Jesus two thousand years ago. The spiritual highlight of this celebration was the timeless sermon of President Spencer W. Kimball entitled “The False Gods We Worship” (June 1976 Ensign).
Text in Image reads: “Other sheep I have which are not of this fold.”
“Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world.
And behold, I am the light and the life of the world; and I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning.” 3 Nephi 11:10-11
“And when ye shall receive these thing, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.
And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.” Moroni 10:4-5
In three years we will celebrate the 250-year anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. This 4th of July 2023 is a good time to start to reemphasize and to remind ourselves and our families of the blessings the entire world enjoys because of the founding of the United States of America. This was an essential step in the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Text in Image reads: “Who can doubt that the Holy Ghost inspired me?” Christopher Columbus
During the voyage, after weeks of sailing with no sigh of land, mutiny raised its head. Finally, Columbus promised the captains of the Pinta and the Nina; both of whom wanted to turn back, that if no land was sighted in forty-eight hours, they would turn back. Then he went to his cabin and, in his words, “prayed mightily to the Lord.” On October 12, the very next day they sighted land.
“our Lord unlocked my mind, sent me upon the sea, and gave me fire for the deed. Those who heard of my enterprise called it foolish, mocked me, and laughed. But who can doubt but the Holy Ghost inspired me?”
Taken from a letter written by Columbus to the Spanish Hierarchy
“The Who” is “the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ” ( Ether 2:12) – “The who” also includes the instruments the Lord used to establish this land. The Lord said that the Founders of our nation were “wise men whom I raised up unto this very purpose…” (D&C 101:80).
Text in Image reads: “ I established this land by wise men whom I raised up unto this very purpose.”
“No people can be bound to acknowledge and adore the invisible hand, which conducts the affairs of men, more than the people of the United States. Every step, by which they have advanced to the character of an independent nation, seems to have been distinguished by some token of providential agency…” George Washington – First Inaugural Address
“If a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid? I believe without His concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better than the building of Babel.” Benjamin Franklin – Appeal for daily prayers at the Constitution Convention
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.” Thomas Jefferson – The Declaration of Independence
“The Where” is “a land which is choice above all the lands of the earth” (Ether 1:42) – President Harold B. Lee testified: “(The United States of America) is the cradle of humanity, where life on this earth began in the Garden of Eden. This is the place of her New Jerusalem. This is the place that the Lord said is favored above all other nations in all the world. This is the place where the Savior will come to His temple. (Ye Are the Light of the World, pp. 350-51).
Text in Image reads: Washington and Madison both called the Constitution “a Miracle”
Madison, commonly called the Father of the Constitution, gave credit to: “The guardianship and of the Almighty Being whose power regulated the destiny of nations…whose blessings have been so conspicuously displayed to this rising republic.” James Madison – Inauguration Address
Alexander Hamilton, caller of the Constitutional Convention and author of the Federalist Papers to ratify the Constitution, insisted that the convention was “in the hands of Providence.” The Words of Alexander Hamilton, Vol. VI
“The Constitution of the United States is a glorious standard – it is founded in the wisdom of God – it is a heavenly banner.” Joseph Smith
“The Constitution was dictated by the invisible operations of the Almighty.” Brigham Young
“One of the reasons America is great today is because these men who formulated the Constitution had vision. They looked ahead to this day and all of us here are recipients of their wisdom and foresight.” President Spencer W. Kimball
“The What” is the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and other historical documents that remind us of God’s hand in the founding of the United States, including The Book of Mormon – The other inspired historical documents that remind us of God’s hand in the founding of our country. These include: The Mayflower Compact; Washington’s First Inaugural and his Farewell Address; Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, his First and Second Inaugural Addresses and the Gettysburg Address. I include the Book of Mormon because it is the most important of all historical documents, and because it clearly and frequently testifies of God’s hand in the founding of the United States.
Text in Image reads: Christianity has ceased to exist among those who should have preserved it.” Martin Luther
He said there was a book deposited, written upon gold plates giving an account of the former inhabitants of this continent…he said that the fullness of the everlasting Gospel was contained in it, as delivered by the Saviour to the ancient inhabitants.” Joseph Smith
I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other – This is my Beloved Son. Hear Him!” Joseph Smith – 1820
“We consider that the men in the Revolution were inspired by the Almighty, to throw off the shackles of the mother government, with her established religion…thus established a new government upon a principle of greater freedom, a basis of self-government allowing the free exercise of religious worship.” Discourses of Brigham Young
“The Why” is the most important, and it is so that the Gospel of Jesus Christ could be restored – This Restoration began with the Prophet Joseph Smith and which will continue until the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. (See The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ – A Bicentennial Proclamation to the World) President Joseph F. Smith also testified: “This great American nation the Almighty raised up by the power of his omnipotent hand, that it might be possible in the latter days for the kingdom of God to be established in the earth” (Gospel Doctrine, p. 409).
Text in Image reads: “This is a choice land…free from bondage…if they will but serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ.”
I am the young patriot. No government compares to this nation established by God. A young man
I am a mother, a homemaker, a wife. Proudly I claim as my domain the home. A mother
I am the brave and noble son. America endures because of the blood I spilled. A soldier
I am a father, a husband, a builder. The backbone of America. A father
I am America’s conscience. Her goodness, her decency, her virtue. A young woman
I am America’s future – that hope of every new generation. A child
“No success can compensate for failure in the home.” David O. McKay, 9th President of the LDS Church
“We affirm that America will remain strong as long as its predominant citizenry recognize that our Heavenly Father governs in the affairs of men and that righteousness is our greatest defense.” President Spencer W. Kimball