When in the Course of Human Events

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights…” These words, brought forth by inspired men, call out to us from some other-wordly place, touching our very souls with a universal truth and a yearning to “stand fast in that liberty wherewith God hath made them free.” (Alma 61:21) Our rights are not given to us by men; they are given to us by God! What an incredible and unique political ideology!

The Declaration of Independence stands as a model for those who have suffered patiently the indignities and injustice heaped upon them by tyranny; who, with the desired assistance of that Creator, determined a unified course of action to protect and defend “...our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children” (Alma 46:12).

Important quotes from the Declaration of Independence:

• “The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America” begins this inspired document. “Unanimous”, this document was signed in unity...each of the representatives of the several colonies agreed to this Declaration and supported a free United States. I wonder what it took to get 56 people in agreement to risk everything and separate themselves from a government which they knew had the means to wage war against them and destroy their homes, families, and lives. They must have been men of great character and faith, believing very deeply in what they were about to do. 
• “We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” The definition of “unalienable” is something often confused and abused in its meaning. “Unalienable” literally means: “not able to belong to another”. In other words, unalienable rights are those rights that cannot be given up to others. For example...thoughts. We have an unalienable right to our thoughts. Our thoughts cannot be transferred to others nor taken from us. They simply are ours alone, to do with as we will. Our labors...another unalienable right as denoted by the term “Liberty”. We can give of our labors to others by our own free will but our labors cannot “belong” to another. The idea of our labors belonging to others is “slavery” and is in direct contradiction to the term “liberty”.
• “Prudence...will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes.” To relate this to our day: The Constitution, which our Founders created for us, should not be altered or done away for minor or temporary reasons. Such should only occur when “a long train of abuses and usurpations...evinces a design to reduce (us) under absolute Despotism.” 
• “To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world:” The signers then provide a list of 27 grievances proving the despotism of King and Country including the following: 
• “He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation…” 
• He has left governments offices vacant thereby “expos(ing) to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions from within.” 
• “He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.” 
• “He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance.” 
• “He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation.” 
• “For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments…” 
• “For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.” 
• “He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.”
  

• “In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.” This decision, to divide the United states from Great Britain was not done lightly. It was a careful, frustrating, and heartbreaking process. 
• “We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by the Authority of the good People of these colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent state may of right do.” Here the founders again acknowledge the Creator, appealing to Him as a witness of their moral and just intentions.  
• “...And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.” How soon afterwards, this pledge was put to the test. Some of those who signed the Declaration lost family members. Many had their homes and farms burned and all material wealth destroyed. Some were incarcerated; some tortured. Some paid the ultimate price.
  

It is of great importance, I feel, that our children learn about and honor those men and women who put Our Future Liberty above their present comforts; who determined that this nation should be a nation of Freedom and Self-Determination for ALL; and who were willing to lay down their Lives and their Fortunes that we might have the opportunities to believe, to speak, and to peaceably assemble without fear of persecution or government retaliation. I would hope that we would have the same yearnings, the same fortitude, the same courage to bless Future Generations with that same liberty “wherewith God hath made them free.” 

To read The Declaration of Independence, click HERE