Harold B. Lee on having faith in America and not pessimism

President Harold B. Lee (1899-1973) was called to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in 1941. He served as a counselor in the First Presidency from 1970-1972, then as Church president from July 1972 until his passing less than 18 months later in December 1973.

"Men may fail in this country, earthquakes may come, seas may heave beyond their bounds, there may be great drought, disaster, and hardship, but this nation, founded on principles laid down by men whom God raised up, will never fail.

"This is the cradle of humanity, where life on this earth began in the Garden of Eden. This is the place of the new Jerusalem. This is the place that the Lord said is favored above all other nations in all the world. This is the place where the Savior will come to His temple. This is the favored land in all the world. Yes, I repeat, men may fail, but this nation won't fail.

"I have faith in America; you and I must have faith in America, if we understand the teachings of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are living in a day when we must pay heed to these challenges.

"I plead with you not to preach pessimism. Preach that this is the greatest country in all the world. This is the favored land. This is the land of our forefathers. It is the nation that will stand despite whatever trials or crises it may yet have to pass through."

- Harold B. Lee, Ricks College Devotional, “Have Faith in America,” October 26, 1973; see also Ye Are the Light of the World [Deseret 1974], pp. 350-351

In recent times, there have been plenty of natural disasters in America, including hurricanes, earthquakes, droughts, flooding, temperature extremes, fires, etc. And "men may fail" reflects concerns that many share in areas of crime, politics, leadership, and social issues. But President Lee declares his conviction that in spite of any of those challenges, "this nation, founded on principles laid down by men whom God raised up, will never fail." And so he encourages hope and optimism, to have faith in our country and its divinely-appointed role, and not to be caught up in discouragement or pessimism about the future:

It's surprising how many in our day "preach pessimism" about the country's future due to concerns over leadership, upcoming elections, and political disagreements. As President Lee teaches, we need to remember that our nation "will stand despite whatever trials or crises it may yet have to pass through."

Gordon B. Hinckley on the importance of patriotism

President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910-2008) was called to the Quorum of Twelve in 1961. He served as a counselor in the First Presidency from 1981-1995, then as Church President until his death in 2008.

"Patriotism evidently is gone from the hearts of many of our youth.

"Perhaps this condition comes of lack of knowledge, a provincialism that knows nothing else and scoffs at what little it knows. Perhaps it comes of ingratitude. This attitude is not new. Joshua, speaking for the Lord, doubtless had in mind this same indifference when he said to a new generation that had not known the trials of the old: '...I have given you a land for which ye did not labour, and cities which ye built not, and ye dwell in them; of the vineyards and oliveyards which ye planted not do ye eat' (Josh. 24:13).

"Those who have paid in toil and tears for their inheritance have loved the land on which they lived....

"We shall not build love of country by taking away from our youth the principles which made us strong—thrift, initiative, self-reliance, and an overriding sense of duty to God and to man.

"A terrible price has been paid by those who have gone before us, this that we might have the blessings of liberty and peace. I stood not long ago at Valley Forge, where George Washington and his ragged army spent the winter of 1776. As I did so, I thought of a scene from Maxwell Anderson's play in which Washington looks on a little group of his soldiers, shoveling the cold earth over a dead comrade, and says grimly, 'This liberty will look easy by and by when nobody dies to get it.'

"How we need to kindle in the hearts of youth an old-fashioned love of country and a reverence for the land of their birth. But we shall not do it with tawdry political maneuvering and enormous handouts for which nothing is given in return.

"Love of country is born of nobler stuff—of the challenge of struggle that makes precious the prize that's earned."

- Gordon B. Hinckley, "A Charter for Youth," Conference Report, October 1965, pp. 50-54
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What a sad commentary: "Patriotism evidently is gone from the hearts of many of our youth." Is it a lack of knowledge, or a lack of appreciation? Is it because life and liberty have become too easy for us, and we have not had to pay in "toil and tears for [our] inheritance"?

It is helpful to remember the "terrible price" paid by so many who went before, to secure for us "the blessings of liberty and peace." That will help to rekindle patriotism in our hearts and lives.

And in a time when many forces, internal and external, are threatening the security of our peaceful land, true patriotism is needed more than ever before.