A Learning Process

Today was the last day of my American Government and Society class. It was this class that made me start this blog. To conclude the assignment, we were asked to write a short essay critiquing the requirement to post on our blogs weekly. While writing this essay, I questioned the point of this assignment and even the point of this class. Why would BYU require us to take a class on American history? What could be gained by learning about our American heritage? The answer is simple, "We can learn tons!"
For example, our independence was won with the help of our Divine Creator. There is no way that our mediocre, unskilled army could have defeated the world power of the time without divine help. We should have lost the war, but we didn't. That's the key. Also, the men who wrote the beloved Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were God-fearing men. They used the ten commandments and a conviction of the difference between right and wrong as they set up our government. John Adams said, "Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” Because God had a hand in its founding, the success of our nation and our government is dependent upon the righteousness of the people. Once the nation forsakes God, he will forsake us.
Another thing we learn is that we must be united in all things. Abraham Lincoln wisely stated, "A house divided against itself cannot stand." We saw the affects of a divided government just prior to the Civil War, and we know of the blood that was spilt as a result of this division. In his second inaugural address, Lincoln mentions how both the north and the south prayed to the same God for victory and that both of them were not answered fully. Even after victory was imminent, Lincoln did not bash the south, he set them on a stage equal with the north. He did not let the differences continue to divide the country. We must follow Lincoln's example and have "malice toward none."
Basically, this class is required so that we can learn from the examples of the past. We see that we must remember God, for we owe him all our freedoms; we must remember that the government is contingent upon our righteousness; and we must remember that we must be united in all things. These are not the only lessons learned from the past, but we must study it again and again to learn new lessons and refresh our minds of the ones we already hold in our minds.

How Sweet the Sound

Amazing Grace (How sweet the sound)
That sav'd a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears reliev'd;
How precious did that grace appear,
The hour I first believ'd!

Thro' many dangers, toils and snare,
I have already come;
'Tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me.
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.

Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease;
I shall profess, within the vail,
A life of joy and peace.

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who call'd me here below,
Will be for ever mine.

I'm sure many of us have been greatly touched by the words to this spiritually uplifting song written by John Newton. Not much is known about Brother Newton besides what is made known in the famous movie Amazing Grace. John Newton was a slave trader as the movie points out. In the middle of one of his voyages, a massive storm hit, and John prayed that God would have mercy on him, and He did. From this experience John realized that even he, "a wretch," could be saved by the grace of God. We are all wretches in our own ways. We all have moments where we forget God and sin. Despite this, God still loves us, and we can be saved by His grace and mercy, but it is only after all we can do. Like John did, we must seek to rectify our wrongs and strive to do the will of God. And, Yes, even after the sun refuses to shine, that God who called us to this earth "will be forever [ours]."