Sacrifice. Service. Perseverance. Loyalty. Courage. Those words could easily be used to describe both our Founding Fathers and our forefathers. The month of July is always packed full of fun and festivities, but it should also be a time when we reflect on what we have because of the sacrifices of those who have gone before us. Those who founded this country have left a legacy that has shaped the world. And so did our early pioneers! For me, and perhaps for you, some of those pioneers were my family. Their legacy has had a profound impact on me. Now it is up to each of us to preserve those legacies.
D. Todd Christofferson once said, “Let us not be content with where we are, but neither let us be discouraged.”1 That seems to perfectly describe those who fought so long ago for our freedom and for our faith. The desire for a better life guided those who came before us. Their efforts and actions not only affected them but forever blessed the generations to follow. I absolutely believe they knew and understood that and that is what gave them a determined strength to keep going, especially when it was the most difficult. We are the beneficiaries of their sacrifice, service, perseverance, loyalty, and courage.
Whether patriots or pioneers, they certainly wanted things to be better. And thankfully they were wise enough not to let discouragement halt their progress or their dreams. May we, like them, not be content with where we are. May we, like them, keep the faith and not get discouraged when the going gets tough. May we, like them, give our all for our freedom and our faith.
Reference:
1. The Living Bread Which Came Down From Heaven – D. Todd Christofferson