7.20.2008

America The Beautiful

O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

O beautiful for pilgrim feet
Whose stern impassioned stress
A thoroughfare of freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America! God mend thine every flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law!

O beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife.
Who more than self their country loved
And mercy more than life!
America! America!
May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness
And every gain divine!

O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

O beautiful for halcyon skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the enameled plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
Till souls wax fair as earth and air
And music-hearted sea!

O beautiful for pilgrims feet,
Whose stem impassioned stress
A thoroughfare for freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
Till paths be wrought through wilds of thought
By pilgrim foot and knee!

O beautiful for glory-tale
Of liberating strife
When once and twice, for man's avail
Men lavished precious life!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
Till selfish gain no longer stain
The banner of the free!

O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
Till nobler men keep once again
Thy whiter jubilee!

I sung this song with my children last week, The words that I have put in italics really stood out to me. I wonder how far we are as a country from this vision. I wonder if the founding fathers are looking down on us with their heads shaking. Our union will fall apart if the majority of the people do not live godly morals and worship the one true God.

I am LDS, I profess the truth of my faith, but I will state that I believe that conversion to one faith is not needed for our country to stand, what I believe is that we must all hold to our mosaic of Judeo Christian beliefs, love our neighbors and serve our God. He will protect us if we do just that.

1 comment:

  1. I think one of the fundamental principles of any democracy is the ability of its citizens to govern themselves. The only reason I know of to even have federal laws is to have a agreed method of dealing with individuals who do not or can not express moral self control and govern themselves.

    ‘S Rioghal Mo Dhream
    William E Herrington

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