"I Have Faith in America"

I'm currently in the middle of reading The 5,000 Year Leap (a MUST-READ if I've read one!), and today's lunch break was spent reading about the Founding ideas behind abolishing an abusive government. Oh, that John Locke was a smart man.

Well, I got back to my cubicle feeling all feisty and wondering how to save our system - after all, I don't think it's the form of government that's our problem. It's the people in it.

"How do you know a politician's lying?"

"If his lips are moving."

Anyways, a dear friend must have been inspired to send this my way, because it was sitting in my inbox:

"Men may fail in this country, earthquakes may come, seas may heave beyond their bounds, there may be great drought, disaster, and hardship, but this nation, founded on principles laid down by men whom God raised up, will never fail. This is the cradle of humanity, where life on this earth began in the Garden of Eden. This is the place of the 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. This is the favored land in all the world.

"Yes, I repeat, men may fail, but this nation won't fail. I have faith in America; you and I must have faith in America, if we understand the teachings of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are living in a day when we must pay heed to these challenges. I plead with you not to preach pessimism. Preach that this is the greatest country in all the world. This is the favored land. This is the land of our forefathers. It is the nation that will stand despite whatever trials or crises it may yet have to pass through." -- Spencer W. Kimball, 12th president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Ye Are the Light of the World, 350-51)

Well, I don't know about you, but this was a great reminder to me. This country was founded on correct principles by wise men raised up to the task. The more we study those ideas and ideals, and the more we discuss them and return to our ideological roots as a people, the better off we will be. We're off track, yes, but I don't think we're beyond hope, my friends.