Congregations of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints across the United States held a special discussion on May 31 to celebrate the 250th anniversary of their country’s founding.
A video and accompanying guide, titled “Celebrating the Founding of the United States and the U.S. Constitution,” invited American Latter-day Saints to give thanks for the freedoms preserved by the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution. The video was shown to all adult members of the church at the beginning of Sunday school classes, after which members were invited to participate in a discussion.
“This is not a history lesson or a political discussion,” the guide states. “It’s an opportunity to rejoice in ‘the Lord our God, who has redeemed us and made us free.’”
‘Important fundamentals for all’
Sunday’s discussion began with a video featuring President D. Todd Christofferson of the First Presidency and Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Both men practiced law and studied the Constitution before their calling as apostles.
In the video, the leaders explained that the special discussion was being held in all U.S. congregations of the Church of Jesus Christ in honor of the nation’s semiquincentennial. They focused their message on the underlying principles of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.
“These underlying principles have relevance not only for the United States and its citizens but for the world,” President Christofferson said.
These principles include:
- Moral agency
- Popular sovereignty
- The division and separation of powers
- The rule of law
- Freedom of speech
- Freedom of religion
The two also addressed the Bill of Rights and other important amendments to the Constitution, including the ones that abolished slavery and codified women’s right to vote.
President Christofferson and Elder Cook encouraged viewers to study church President Dallin H. Oaks’ 2021 talk on the Constitution. They reiterated several of the points he made, including his call to seek to moderate and unify on contested issues.
“I think that’s key to upholding the rule of law and upholding the Constitution,” President Christofferson said. “Even if we don’t share every belief in common, we want good people to be in government, and we ought to support them and look for them and encourage them.”
While running for office isn’t an option for everyone, President Christofferson said, there are many ways people can get involved to defend the Constitution.
“We can be active in parties,” he said. “We can be active in causes. We can oppose or support different pieces of legislation.”
President Christofferson also said that simply being informed was a good way to be involved.
Elder Cook invited viewers to continue their discussion and asked that they focus on the fundamentals of the nation’s founding rather than modern politics.
“Please remember: The principles upon which this nation was founded transcend party politics,” he said. “We ask that your discussion today do that too. Rather than focusing on specific party platforms or leaders, discuss the important fundamentals for all, as articulated in the scripture and by modern prophets.”
Elder Cook closed by encouraging people to discuss the importance of freedom and how individuals can support it to fulfill God’s purposes.
“Rejoice together in God’s blessings of freedom,” he said.
Celebrating the founding of the United States
The discussion guide invites members to consider a few questions as they watch the video, including:
- How do the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution help accomplish God’s purposes for His children?
- What do you learn from President Christofferson and Elder Cook about why the Lord values religious freedom?
It includes several quotes on religious freedom from notable church figures, including Relief Society President Camille N. Johnson, who leads the adult women’s organization of the church. President Johnson is also a former lawyer.
“The work of defending the United States Constitution, religious freedom, and the family is not just for legal scholars and academics,” she said. “It is for … Relief Society presidents and nonlawyers and people of every religious persuasion.”
The guide also quoted the church’s first president, Joseph Smith, who regularly advocated for religious freedom for all faiths.
“I am bold to declare before Heaven that I am just as ready to die in defending the rights of a Presbyterian, a Baptist, or a good man of any other denomination; for the same principle which would trample upon the rights of the Latter-day Saints would trample upon the rights of the Roman Catholics, or of any other denomination who may be unpopular and too weak to defend themselves,” Smith said.
“It is a love of liberty which inspires my soul — civil and religious liberty to the whole of the human race.”
