Harold
B. Lee
11th President
1972–1973
The
United States
Constitution
The
Bill of Rights
Declaration
of
Independence
Born:
28
March 1899
Ordained
an Apostle: 10 April 1941
President of the Twelve: 23 January 1970
First Counselor to Joseph Fielding Smith: 23 January 1970
President of the Church: 7 July 1972-26 December 1973
Died: 26 December 1973
As
an Apostle
1. In a world where radical and seditious voices have proposed schemes and panaceas...which, in many instances, contradict the fundamentals upon which the American Nation has been founded, his (Pres. Benson) has been an honest, forthright, and statesmanlike declaration of policies, although not always politically popular...His voice in public service and in his Church calling is as the voice of the Trumpet giving always “the certain sound” to prepare all who would listen for “the battle” of life. (Pres. Harold B.)
2. There are some things of which I am sure, and that is, that contrary to the belief and mistaken ideas of some people, the United Order will not be a socialistic or Communistic setup. (Pres. Harold B. Lee - Stand Ye p. 28 )
3.
Brethren of the priesthood, if we will be united and let our light shine,
and not hide our light under a bushel, and let our priesthood callings be
an eternal revolution against the norms of society or against any
proposals that fall below the standards as set forth in the gospel or as
laid down by the Constitution of the United States written by inspired
men, then we will be a force in the world that will be “The Marvelous
Work and Wonder” which the Lord said the kingdom of God was to be.
(Pres. Harold B. Lee - Oct 1970)
4. Our anxiety has been increased
when we have listened to the attempts of men in high stations to stir up
class hatreds that contradict the age-old constitutional guarantee of free
enterprise. (True Patriotism 1; revised in Ye Are the Light of
the World 174)
5.
Indeed, it has been said by a prophet in our generation that the time
would come when the destiny of this nation would hang as by a single
thread, but that it would be saved by the people who possessed faith in
America and in her destiny. (True Patriotism 1-2; revised in Ye
Are the Light of the World 174)
6.
To the membership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the
Constitution of the United States is as a tree of liberty under whose
cooling branches one might find a haven from the scorching sun of turmoil
and oppression and have his rights protected according to just and holy
principles. To them, the Constitution was established by the hands of wise
men whom God raised up for this very purpose, and they devoutly believe
that if it should be in danger of being overthrown, their lives, if need
be, are to be offered in defense of its principles. (See D&C
101:77-80.) (True Patriotism 2; revised in Ye Are the Light of
the World 176)
7.
May I voice a plea for all Americans to love this country with a fervor
that will inspire each to so live as to merit the favor of the Almighty
during this time of grave uncertainties, as well as in times to come. I
would that all men could believe in the destiny of America as did the
early pioneers: that it is the land of Zion; that the founders of this
nation were men of inspired vision; that the Constitution as written by
the inspiration of heaven must be preserved at all costs. (True
Patriotism 5; revised in Ye are the Light of the World 181-82)
8.
Some time ago there appeared in a local newspaper an account of an
interview with an elderly statesman who wielded great influence in
American politics. This elderly statesman, in explaining the reason for
his determination and zeal, told of a statement his own father—now long
since dead—had made to his four sons just before he died. This is what
the father said: "America, with its government and constitution, is
the greatest institution invented by the mind of man. If you let them
touch a stick or stone of it, I will come back and haunt you."
As
I thought of that statement, my mind went back to our ancestors who
pioneered in this dispensation an even greater constitution than that of
the American nation, even the constitution of the kingdom of God, which
might be said to be another definition of the gospel of Jesus Christ. As I
thought of our pioneers, I was reminded of their virtues and their
accomplishments and of the underlying principles that made them willing to
leave all that they possessed and even willing to sacrifice their lives,
if need be, to uphold and to maintain their beliefs. As I remembered that
and thought of the statement of this aged American patriot, I wondered if
we might not say: "The Lord help us to keep in memory our ancestors
that we might be willing to uphold and sustain, by our lives and all that
we possess, that for which they gave so much." ("The Spirit of
Gathering" 281; also in Ye Are the Light of the World 163-64)
9.
In such a system, the individual is told in effect, "You are free to
make your life what you will, and we will try to see that you are rewarded
for worthwhile service." These lofty concepts did not spring from
governments, but from the Creator Himself, penned into tenets for a
stabilized government by men whom God raised up for this very purpose. The
basic principles underlying these concepts of human government are
contained in that great state paper, the Constitution of the United States
of America. Written into the Constitution as we have it today are three
prime safeguards:
1.
There are unique restraints on power that governmental authority may
exercise upon citizens, embodied in what is known as the Bill of Rights.
2.
There is outlined a division of power between the federal and state
governments.
3.
There is defined a distinct separation of power among three branches of
government—the executive, the legislative, and the judicial—in such a
way as to provide checks and balances to control the exercise of
governmental power.
In
the wisdom of the Almighty, this ensign of liberty was raised to the
nations to fulfill an ancient prophecy that "out of Zion [should] go
forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem" (Isa 2:3).
How could this be? The answer is clear: through the Constitution, kings
and rulers and the peoples of all nations under heaven may be informed of
the blessings enjoyed by the people of this land of Zion by reason of
their freedom under Divine guidance, and be constrained to adopt similar
governmental systems and thus fulfill the ancient law to which I have
already referred.
My
visits to underprivileged countries and among subjugated peoples who have
placed their trust in governments of dominating men, rather than in
governments of constitutional law, have shown me the importance and the
great blessed privilege that is ours to live in this country where the
basic law of the Constitution safeguards us in our God-given rights. (Ye
Are the Light of the World 232-33; from a memorial service for
President John F. Kennedy, Salt Lake City, UT, 25 Nov 1963)
10.
Patriotism and loyalty in defense of the Constitution of the United States
is constantly enjoined upon us. President McKay again this morning has
made reference to the cause of liberty in his remarks. To be effective in
such teaching, we must begin by inspiring in each heart the faith that the
Constitution of the United States was written by inspired men whom God
raised up for that very purpose.
It
was Joseph Smith who has been quoted as having said that the time would
come when then Constitution would hang as by a thread, and at that time
when it was thus in jeopardy, the elders of this Church would step forth
and save it from destruction.
Why
the elders of this Church? Would it be sacrilegious to paraphrase the
words of the Apostle Peter, and say that the Constitution of the United
States could be saved by the elders of this Church because this Church and
this Church alone has the words of eternal life? We alone know by
revelation as to how the Constitution came into being, and we, alone, know
by revelation the destiny of this nation. The preservation of "life,
liberty and the pursuit of happiness" can be guaranteed upon no other
basis than upon a sincere faith and testimony of the divinity of these
teachings. ("Faith—An Effective Weapon Against Wickedness in Men
and Nations" 912-13)
11.
The question is now whether or not we can make a Republican form of
government work, not merely for America but for the world, as all other
nations under Heaven may be persuaded of the blessings of freedom enjoyed
by the people of this land and to adopt similar governmental systems, thus
fulfilling the ancient prophecy of Isaiah "that out of Zion might go
forth the law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem" [Isa 2:3].
("'I Dare You to Believe'" 4)
12.
We would hope that we might be instrumental in developing statesmen—men
not only with unsurpassed excellence of training in the law, but also with
an unwavering faith that the Constitution of the United States was
divinely inspired and written by men whom God raised up for this very
purpose [D&C 101:80].
Teachers,
hold up before your students the prophetic statement of the Prophet Joseph
Smith—that if and when our inspired Constitution should hang as by a
thread, there would be prepared, well-qualified defenders of the faith of
our fathers, the elders of this church, who would step forth and save the
Constitution from destruction. (Ye Are the Light of the World 118;
from the inauguration of President Dallin H. Oaks, Brigham Young
University, Provo, UT, 12 Nov 1971)
13.
The kingdom of God must be a continuing revolution against the norms of
the society that fall below the standards that are set for us in the
gospel of Jesus Christ. In the field of public life, it must be a
continuing revolution against proposals that contradict the fundamental
principles as laid down in the Constitution of the United States, which
was written by men whom God raised up for this very purpose. If we
remember that, we will be in the forefront of every battle against the
things that are tearing down our society. ("Keep Your Lamp
Lighted" 104)
14.
Brethren of the priesthood, if we will be united and let our light shine,
and not hide our light under a bushel but exercise it righteously, and let
our priesthood callings be an eternal revolution against the norms of
society or against any proposals that fall below the standards as set
forth in the gospel of Jesus Christ or as laid down by the Constitution of
the United States written by inspired men, then we will be a force in the
world that will be "the marvelous work and wonder" which the
Lord said the kingdom of God was to be. ("Keep Your Lamp
Lighted" 105)
15.
May we keep always a deep sense of gratitude for our pioneer heritage, a
love for this country, and a deep-seated reverence for the Constitution of
the United States, to the end that we will never forget our civic and
political obligations. (Ye Are the Light of the World 120; from the
inauguration of President Dallin H. Oaks, Brigham Young University, Provo,
UT, 12 Nov 1971)
16.
The Constitution of the United States has been mentioned several times by
speakers in this conference as the basis of wise decisions in fundamental
principles as applied to all matters pertaining to law and order, because
it was framed by men whom God raised up for this very purpose. But in
addition to that inspired document, we must always keep in mind that the
greatest weapons that can be forged against any false philosophy are the
positive teachings of the gospel of Jesus Christ. ("A Time of
Decision" 32)
As
the President of the Church
17. We
urge members of the church and all Americans to begin now to reflect more
intently on the meaning and importance of the Constitution and of
adherence to it’s principles.
)( Pres Harold B. Lee / The First Presidency -Nov 1973 Ensign)
18.
I concluded by calling attention to the prophecy of Joseph Smith that
"the constitution would hang as by a thread." I then pointed out
that the basic principles of the three separate and independent branches
of government were being threatened in the demands of the present Senate
investigation. I then read a statement of President J. Reuben Clark, Jr.,
pointing this out that if either the executive, the legislative, or the
judicial were to presume to make the law, enforce it, and then pass
judgement, we would approach tyranny. At least the audience heard and
listened to this last statement. I finally said that if the basic
principles laid down in the Constitution were to be threatened, as is now
a possibility, that we might come to [such] a time as when Abraham
bargained with the Lord to save Sodom and Gomorrah from destruction, if he
could find some righteous souls. Similarly, if such a downfall of the
Constitution were imminent, the righteousness of this people might again
importune the Almighty to save it because of their pleadings. (Goates
531-32)
19.
We are living in a time of great crisis. The country is torn with scandal
and with criticism, with faultfinding and condemnation. There are those
who have downgraded the image of this nation as probably never before in
the history of the country. It is so easy to clamber onto the bandwagon
and to join the extremists in condemnation, little realizing that when
they commit their actions, they are not just tearing down a man; they are
tearing down a nation, and they are striking at the underpinnings of one
of the greatest of all the nations of all the world—a nation that was
founded upon an inspired declaration we call the Constitution of the
United States. The Lord said it was written by men whom He raised up for
that very purpose, and that Constitution stands today as a model to all
nations to pattern their lives [D&C 101:77, . (Ye Are the Light of
the World 340)
20.
Some time ago the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve were
engaged in a meeting of serious import, and I said something at that time
unpremeditated, but I couldn't have said it better had I taken a month to
prepare it. I said: . . .
.
. . We should not be concerned about finding out what is wrong with
America, but we should be finding what is right about America and should
be speaking optimistically and enthusiastically about America. (Ye Are
the Light of the World 341-42)
21.
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. (Ye Are the Light of the
World 350-51)
22.
Youth must never forget that this the government of the United States was
established "According to the laws and constitution of the people,
which (God) has suffered to be established. . . . That every man may act
in doctrine and principle . . . according to the moral agency which (God)
has given unto him, that every man may be accountable for his own sins in
the day of judgment. Therefore, it is not right that any man should be in
bondage one to another." It was to accomplish this lofty purpose
basic to all liberty that God "established the Constitution of this
land by the hands of wise men whom (he) raised up unto this very
purpose." (D&C 101:77-80.) Contained within the principles of
that great heaven-inspired document is the message of this Church to the
world in this fateful hour. Except the spirit of the Gospel of Jesus
Christ and principles contained within the Constitution of the United
States are inherent in world plans now being formulated, they are but
building on sand and the Lord is not in that building. (Decisions for
Successful Living 217)
23.
I have faith in the future of this promised land of America and in its
institutions of representative government, but more than that, I have
faith in you, the youth of America, to build even more securely on the
foundations laid by the faith and devotion of your pioneer fathers. That
you as the youth of the Church would have an important part to play in
preserving the ideals of this great country as quoted by one who was very
close to him. I quote the words of Eliza R. Snow: "I heard the
Prophet Joseph Smith say 'that the time would come when this nation would
so far depart from its original purity, its glory, and its love of freedom
and the protection of civil and religious rights, that the Constitution of
our country would hang, as it were, by a thread.' He also said that this
people, the sons of Zion, would rise up and save the Constitution and bear
it off triumphantly." (Eliza R. Snow, 1870, Women of Mormondom
by Tullidge.)
So
today is no time for youth to whimper the refrain of the defeated and
retire to the fancied security of the regimented state. Today is the day
for youth to gird themselves with the armor of peace, having as their
weapons "the shield of faith . . . and the sword of the Spirit, which
is the word of God." (Eph 6:16-17.) (Decisions for Successful
Living 209)
24.
We urge members of the Church and all Americans to begin now to reflect
more intently on the meaning and importance of the Constitution, and of
adherence to its principles. ("News of the Church" 90)
Jesus
Christ Joseph Smith
Jr.
Brigham Young
John Taylor
Wilford Woodruff
Lorenzo Snow
Joseph F. Smith
Heber J. Grant
George A. Smith
Founding
Fathers David O. McKay
Joseph F. Smith
Spencer Kimball Ezra T. Benson Howard Hunter
Gordon Hinckley First Presidency Elders
Citizens
Rule Book
