Sunday, September 11, 2011

A day of remembering

Like everyone else, I'm reminded of the terrible events that changed our great nation. I loved the Music and Spoken Word put on by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Tom Brokaw this morning. The music, the images and the words brought so many emotions to the surface. While I didn't have any sort of connection with the attacks or have any family in the military, I was still touched.

Today Jed and I spoke in church about Patriots' Day. I focused my message on freedom. We have many freedoms: freedom from oppression, from tyranny, from hate. But the Lord's idea of freedom goes beyond that. He means "freedom to" – the freedom to act in the dignity of our own choice. Elder F. Enzio Busche spoke on that here. 

Another quote that I found that really impacted me is by an unknown author. It's "freedom is not the right to do as you please, but the liberty to do as you ought." I love that. We are free to choose what we should, bringing us more liberty. I am so grateful for my freedoms - especially my freedoms to do what I should. Recently I came to an understanding regarding our service men and women. I am so grateful to them – and for their families – who sacrifice for my behalf and others'.

I follow the blog of a friend of a friend. Her husband has been deployed to Iraq for 13 months (I believe). I've followed it throughout the whole deployment and I can't comprehend how difficult that would be. She writes how her two sons miss and need their dad. One son sleeps with a cardboard cutout of his dad. It breaks my heart to read about their struggles.

So here's to the men and women who serve our country, to those who were killed, but also to those who live and continue on making this country great. Thank you.

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