Alma 46

Liberty is a blessing from God. Mormon wrote of Captain Moroni, the great Nephite military leader and man of God. Mormon often inserts conclusions drawn from the records he abbreviated. In Alma 46, he says of Moroni, "he prayed mightily unto his God for the blessings of liberty to rest upon his brethren." (v. 13) This made me think of one of my favorite paintings of George Washington kneeling in the snow at Valley Forge petitioning God for help in the cause of liberty. Mormon also comments that liberty is a "blessing God had sent upon the face of the land for the righteous' sake." (v. 10) Thomas Jefferson wrote in July, 1774,

"The God who gave us life, gave us liberty at the same time."

The United States of America is a nation based on the premise that the blessings of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are gifts from the Creator and the government derives its powers from the consent of the governed. I love this country. I was just in Argentina, and I recognized once again how blessed we are as a nation. Most Americans don't appreciate the great gifts they have. I pray we remember.

When Moroni declared liberty to the people, they "came running together with their armor girded about their loins, rending their garments in token, or as a covenant, that they would not forsake the Lord their God." (v. 21) I pray there are still those who will rally to the cause of liberty as elements in our society chip away at it.