This month we celebrated the anniversary of the United States of America. This country was set up to be ruled by laws instead of kings in order to give all its people rights and responsibilities. The beginning of the Constitution says, in part, “We the people of the United States, in order to… secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this constitution for the United States of America.” (See the National Archives) By setting up the nation this way they were hoping to keep it free for the people who would come after them. But we have to keep up our responsibilities in order to protect our freedom and our children.
A Story of Preserving Freedom
What are the responsibilites that go along with our freedom? Well, we can learn a lot from history. I’m going to tell you a story that comes from The Book of Mormon, which is a book of history and scripture loved by the members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It tells about the ancestors of the Native Americans and testifies that Jesus is the Christ.
The date was about 70 BC, and the place was in Central or South America. The government had changed so that instead of being ruled by a king, the people were ruled by laws and judges. There was much peace and success in the land. There were many who belonged to the church of God and were faithful to what they believed. But there were also those who wanted power.
Amalickiah was a “large and strong man” who was determined to become king of his people, the Nephites, and take away their freedom. (See Alma 46:3 in The Book of Mormon) He gathered those who would follow him and promised them power if they would help him become king.
Moroni was a “strong and mighty man… of a perfect understanding” and the captain of the Nephite armies. (Alma 48:11) Knowing what Amalickiah was doing made him upset, and he got to work. He ripped his coat and wrote on it, “In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children.” (See Alma 46:12) He put his coat on a pole like a flag. Then he gathered all who would fight for their freedom and went after Amalickiah.
Protect Our Freedom
I believe that those things Moroni wrote on his flag need to be first in our lives in order to protect our freedom and our children.
Remembering our God and Religion
One of the reasons this country was created was to let people have religious freedom. I believe we should exercise that privilege to worship God the way we feel is best. Whatever your beliefs, living them and sharing them with your children gives you and your family a higher reason to be good citizens. Religion gives more meaning for life and more hope through trials. It motivates people to do what’s best for all even when it’s not what’s easy or fun. Because of that, it does help us protect our children and our freedom.
Remembering our Freedom
If we want to keep our freedom, we have to make it a priority. Most of us parents aren’t in a position to do anything big like Captain Moroni did. But there are things we can do. Learn about political topics and support the ones you believe in. Voting to make good laws and put good people into government are important. Use your right to vote! Teach your children that it’s important to do their part. Talk to them about what and who you’re voting for and why.
Remembering our Peace
Sometimes it seems impossible to have peace with all the trouble in the world. But we can make home a place of peace for our children. We help them have peace as we are respectful to them and teach them to be respectful. When we work to solve conflicts without fighting we make peace. When we help them correct their mistakes and apologize for our own mistakes we make peace. When we teach them to be true to their feelings no matter what the crowd does, we help them find peace. Make your home a place of peace for your children.
Remembering our Families
Healthy families make healthy nations, and protects our children and our freedom.
Families come in all shapes and sizes. What’s important is that our children know they have a constant set of people who loves and supports them. We make our families feel loved when we make time for them on a regular basis, like for family meals or family nights. We make our families feel like a team when we work together, like with the chores or special family projects. When we make time to play together our families feel like our friends. Make time for your family!
Protect Our Children
Back to the story of Amalickiah and Moroni: When Moroni’s army marched against Amalickiah’s, they won that battle and took many men back to be tried for their crimes. But Amalickiah and a few others ran away to the land of their enemies, the Lamanites. While there, Amalickiah and his men used lying and murder to make him king of the Lamanites. The plan from there was to use the Lamanite armies to gain control of the Nephites.
And what was Moroni doing? He wasn’t waiting around for something to happen. He was strengthening his armies, building forts and watchtowers, and strengthening cities. He was constantly preparing his people for the attack that he couldn’t prevent. (Alma 48,50) (You can read the whole story in Alma 46-62.)
Similar to this story, there are attacks on our children and in our world that we can’t prevent, but preparing for them will help protect our children and our freedom.
Arm Children with Wisdom
We need to teach our children to be aware of the dangers around us so that they can be smart and help protect themselves.
Here are some safety topics to talk to your kids about:
- Not opening the door for strangers
- Never going with people they don’t know
- Natural disasters safety plan
- Who to talk to for help at school
- Saving money for a time it will be needed
- Keeping personal information safe online
- Saying no to drugs
- Keeping their private parts private
- Staying away from pornography
There is a lot more that could be added to this list. Maybe something came to mind while you read my list that your family needs. I’m a strong believer in parents’ intuition, and I encourage you to listen to any thoughts or feelings you have about keeping your family safe. See Keeping Littles Safe at Home for more on children’s safety.
Be On the Watch Tower
Years ago my hubby and I got to travel to an ancient city of Tulum, near Cancun, Mexico. The walls were very thick and had a watchtower at least on every corner. Some parts of the walls and watchtowers of the small city were crumbled, much of it was still firmly in place. The people who lived there were aware of dangers from the outside and were watching so they’d be ready.
As parents we can be on the watchtower by staying involved in our children’s lives. We should be checking in with our kids often so we know what’s going on with them. This gets harder and more important when they’re teenagers.
We should meet our kids’ friends, know where they’re going, and what they’ll be doing when they go out. We should check their phones and tablets and backpacks to see what they’re reading, watching, and listening to. We should be open with them about these things, not sneaking behind their backs. If something is off, ask them straight out about your suspicions. This is our responsibility as their parents.
Protecting our children and our freedom is an ongoing process. May the Lord bless your efforts and help you enjoy your adventure.
Thanks for reading my post.
