Shakespeare once described the period of adolescence as “my salad days, when I was green with judgment, cold in blood....” And unquestionably, does their exist a very large portion of today’s youth who invariably appear to be as 'green' and 'cold' in their manner of living as the great poet and playwright so fittingly described.
As I’ve observed the youth of today, both personally and professionally, I cannot help but think of the failure of so many sideline parents who have elected to play the passive spectator role in full view of a self-destructing child, beholding their fate as if they were an observer during an event in the ancient Coliseum. Such gross judgment deserves no respect and offers no reward. For in life's trials, without a grounding force to keep one stable, a child soon becomes prey to the wind, like a feather blown in any direction until it is too far removed from its original source.
As parents, hard times direct us to act with dignity and bravery upon the scaffolds of life so that when our own proving time comes we may stand fast, clear in our minds and pure in our hearts as certified children of Christ. But does it stop with us? No. We must show our children whose name we bear in the very words we use and actions we take. Certainly, the Christ-centered life is sufficient and gives both balance and security to the faithful heart - as Peter first learned when he began to walk upon the water.
Perhaps there are times when we ourselves need to leave the proverbial 'boat' in view of a signaling Savior to show our own suspecting crew [or family] that a proper faith in God, when duly acted upon, is to wield true power. And even though Peter himself began to sink after several steps, as the record follows, the Savior "reached forth his hand and caught him...and when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased." (Matthew 14:32) In other words, after a moment of doubt, Peter regained his composure, and could then, with greater balance, walk back with Jesus into the boat. Without such faith, or may we say positive 'weight,' he would have surely sunk again.
As I’ve observed the youth of today, both personally and professionally, I cannot help but think of the failure of so many sideline parents who have elected to play the passive spectator role in full view of a self-destructing child, beholding their fate as if they were an observer during an event in the ancient Coliseum. Such gross judgment deserves no respect and offers no reward. For in life's trials, without a grounding force to keep one stable, a child soon becomes prey to the wind, like a feather blown in any direction until it is too far removed from its original source.
As parents, hard times direct us to act with dignity and bravery upon the scaffolds of life so that when our own proving time comes we may stand fast, clear in our minds and pure in our hearts as certified children of Christ. But does it stop with us? No. We must show our children whose name we bear in the very words we use and actions we take. Certainly, the Christ-centered life is sufficient and gives both balance and security to the faithful heart - as Peter first learned when he began to walk upon the water.
Perhaps there are times when we ourselves need to leave the proverbial 'boat' in view of a signaling Savior to show our own suspecting crew [or family] that a proper faith in God, when duly acted upon, is to wield true power. And even though Peter himself began to sink after several steps, as the record follows, the Savior "reached forth his hand and caught him...and when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased." (Matthew 14:32) In other words, after a moment of doubt, Peter regained his composure, and could then, with greater balance, walk back with Jesus into the boat. Without such faith, or may we say positive 'weight,' he would have surely sunk again.
Similarly, in 1628, the Swedish battleship, Vasa, foundered almost immediately after leaving the Stockholm harbor as it encountered “a wind stronger than a breeze.” Because of its insufficient ballast, it could not withstand the wind and waves. Yet, notwithstanding its glorified greatness, it went down without any resistance. Such a gross error in judgment by king [or parent] will invariably lead to disaster whether in the national or family arena.
So, as caregivers, we must ask ourselves - what really matters most? Character or reputation? We would do well to build up the former as the latter is but a plastic bag, impossible to stand on its own and subject to even the lightest wind or temptation. Or, are we as foolish as the Swedish king who lacked the courage to remedy the problem of weight with the Vasa in the same way many parents forego courageous instruction out of fear of reprisal? It is therefore absolutely critical that we instruct tomorrow’s leaders to cherish their very lives and freedoms so much so that a call to compromise them is as commandingly dismissed.
So, as caregivers, we must ask ourselves - what really matters most? Character or reputation? We would do well to build up the former as the latter is but a plastic bag, impossible to stand on its own and subject to even the lightest wind or temptation. Or, are we as foolish as the Swedish king who lacked the courage to remedy the problem of weight with the Vasa in the same way many parents forego courageous instruction out of fear of reprisal? It is therefore absolutely critical that we instruct tomorrow’s leaders to cherish their very lives and freedoms so much so that a call to compromise them is as commandingly dismissed.
The prophet Harold B. Lee has said:
The famed science-fiction author, Frank Herbert, aware of the dangers of advanced technology once coined the term: "techno-peasantry" or as I like to call it, "techno-servitude." Such a descriptor needs no further explanation as it is a well known fact that the youth of today are slavishly committed to their mobile devices, forsaking all social graces and skill in favor of hand-held idols.
Similarly, the undifferentiated ego mass known as Occupy Wall Street, or the progressive left, are anything but 'weighty' as they outrightly refuse to fulfill and self-actualize - finding meaning through consensus rather than their own individual accord. Such ilk lounge as lizards, heartless fanatics who care more for the benefits of life than the burdens needed to qualify for them. Subjects such as these are as useless as they are untaught and signify once again the consequence of irresponsible parenting.
James Truslow Adams, the American historian, spoke truth to this same point when he said:
"Perhaps it would be a good idea, fantastic as it sounds, to muffle every telephone [iPhone, iPad, iPod, etc.], halt every motor and stop all activity some day to give people a chance to ponder for a few minutes on what it [life] is all about, why they are living and what they really want."
We need to continually examine ourselves - cleansing our inward vessels first with fuller’s soap in an effort to look more refined and polished as men and women of virtue, courage, and honor - righteous examples to the young. For what a youth is today depends largely upon what he learned and saw as a child, and those same observed lessons, if not rightly and consistently demonstrated, become the deeds of tomorrow.
To illustrate this concept further, permit me to highlight the lives of a few ‘mighty [young] metals’ who, at various points in history, chose to stand and die for the truth rather than live to the side of it.
"Beautiful, luscious fruit [children] does not grow unless the roots of the parent tree have been planted in rich, fertile soil and except where due care is given to proper pruning, cultivation, and irrigation. So likewise the luscious fruits of virtue and chastity, honesty, temperance, integrity and fidelity are not to be found growing in that individual whose life is not founded on a firm testimony of the truths of the gospel and of the life and mission of the Lord Jesus Christ."
It is rather difficult for a gloomy parent to raise a child of light - especially when their own denial of the truth has left them separate and cold in a dungeon of darkness and despair. And like a scabbard devoid of its sword, so is the rising generation seemingly more hollowed out and empty, steady only in their descent toward tomorrow's ruin. Regrettably have many of today's youth refused their forefathers' blade(s) of "virtue and chastity, honesty, temperance, integrity and fidelity" - deeming it [them] as dross, to rust and canker on the wayside.
It is rather difficult for a gloomy parent to raise a child of light - especially when their own denial of the truth has left them separate and cold in a dungeon of darkness and despair. And like a scabbard devoid of its sword, so is the rising generation seemingly more hollowed out and empty, steady only in their descent toward tomorrow's ruin. Regrettably have many of today's youth refused their forefathers' blade(s) of "virtue and chastity, honesty, temperance, integrity and fidelity" - deeming it [them] as dross, to rust and canker on the wayside.
The famed science-fiction author, Frank Herbert, aware of the dangers of advanced technology once coined the term: "techno-peasantry" or as I like to call it, "techno-servitude." Such a descriptor needs no further explanation as it is a well known fact that the youth of today are slavishly committed to their mobile devices, forsaking all social graces and skill in favor of hand-held idols.
Similarly, the undifferentiated ego mass known as Occupy Wall Street, or the progressive left, are anything but 'weighty' as they outrightly refuse to fulfill and self-actualize - finding meaning through consensus rather than their own individual accord. Such ilk lounge as lizards, heartless fanatics who care more for the benefits of life than the burdens needed to qualify for them. Subjects such as these are as useless as they are untaught and signify once again the consequence of irresponsible parenting.
James Truslow Adams, the American historian, spoke truth to this same point when he said:
"Perhaps it would be a good idea, fantastic as it sounds, to muffle every telephone [iPhone, iPad, iPod, etc.], halt every motor and stop all activity some day to give people a chance to ponder for a few minutes on what it [life] is all about, why they are living and what they really want."
We need to continually examine ourselves - cleansing our inward vessels first with fuller’s soap in an effort to look more refined and polished as men and women of virtue, courage, and honor - righteous examples to the young. For what a youth is today depends largely upon what he learned and saw as a child, and those same observed lessons, if not rightly and consistently demonstrated, become the deeds of tomorrow.
To illustrate this concept further, permit me to highlight the lives of a few ‘mighty [young] metals’ who, at various points in history, chose to stand and die for the truth rather than live to the side of it.
First, consider the stripling David, who, when “but a youth…and ruddy, and of a fair countenance,” stood secure in his convictions before the mighty Goliath then took his head. Reflect upon Captain Moroni, "a man of a perfect understanding," who was appointed chief captain over the armies of the Nephites at just twenty five years of age to preserve and finally secure his people's freedom in the same way Joseph of Egypt was appointed second-in-command to Pharaoh at the age of 30 for his integrity and sound knowledge.
Similarly, and contemporaneous with the same Captain Moroni, were 2,000 stripling warriors who "did not doubt", knowing with a perfect faith that "God would deliver them" insofar as they heeded His counsel and that of their mothers. As well was there the warrior-prophet Mormon, who, at just barely fifteen years of age was in his day appointed leader and general of an entire army because of his sober and observant mind.
It should be noted that many of these men rose to their respective positions not during peacetime, but in war, amidst chaos and ruin. And even then, their high regard and esteem came more by virtue of who they were than for what they did.
The poet has said:
Similarly, and contemporaneous with the same Captain Moroni, were 2,000 stripling warriors who "did not doubt", knowing with a perfect faith that "God would deliver them" insofar as they heeded His counsel and that of their mothers. As well was there the warrior-prophet Mormon, who, at just barely fifteen years of age was in his day appointed leader and general of an entire army because of his sober and observant mind.
It should be noted that many of these men rose to their respective positions not during peacetime, but in war, amidst chaos and ruin. And even then, their high regard and esteem came more by virtue of who they were than for what they did.
The poet has said:
“Good timber does not grow in ease,
The stronger the wind, the tougher the trees;
The farther the sky, the greater the length;
The more the storm, the more the strength
By sun and cold, by rains and snows,
In tree or man good timber grows.”
But the Savior Himself gave wise caution to those desiring to advance a cause:
“For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?
“For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?
Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,
Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.” (Luke 14:28-30)
Thomas Paine also once said, "These are the times that try men's souls; the summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph." (The American Crisis)
I shudder to think of the fate of General Washington and his expiring band of Continental soldiers [not to mention our nation as a whole] if he had chosen to stand back and not cross the Delaware River on that severe Christmas day of 1776 where, according to one report on the inclement weather, "it blew like a hurricane." Though, it should come as no surprise that Washington himself was one of the first to cross as befits a man of sound faith and principle in the face of great odds. Remember that it is the pursuit of easy things that makes men weak. A smooth sea can never make a skillful mariner in the same way the Savior could not have become our great Intercessor without Golgotha.
I shudder to think of the fate of General Washington and his expiring band of Continental soldiers [not to mention our nation as a whole] if he had chosen to stand back and not cross the Delaware River on that severe Christmas day of 1776 where, according to one report on the inclement weather, "it blew like a hurricane." Though, it should come as no surprise that Washington himself was one of the first to cross as befits a man of sound faith and principle in the face of great odds. Remember that it is the pursuit of easy things that makes men weak. A smooth sea can never make a skillful mariner in the same way the Savior could not have become our great Intercessor without Golgotha.
Well could it be said of the valiant that they, as Dr. Wayne Dyer once commented in his classic work, Your Erroneus Zones, lived in such a way as to "make a decision to live five minutes at a time." In other words, to not waste the days of our probation on things that matter not or carry no weight. He also highly recommended putting to thought the question, "how long are you going to be dead?" emphasizing once more that every second counts in this life since we only have one.
To be sure, this life is our only chance to prove ourselves and ought to be, as the ancient Samurai described, "as toilsome as possible." It is one of our foremost duties then to ensure that the "toil" we choose to do is good so that we, with our principles, will wear out rather than rust out.
Those who can outlast the pressures and mockeries of the world are like, "men who can stand a siege, who can take long forced marches without a murmur, who set their teeth and bow their heads as they fight their way through the smoke, who smile at the trials and privations that dare daunt them. They care naught for the hardships and perils of the fight, for they are ever inspired by the flag of triumph that seems already waving on the citadel of their hopes.” (William George Jordan)
He then continues speaking about the path of the honest crusader:
“When Nature decides on any man as a reformer she whispers to him his great message, she places in his hand the staff of courage, she wraps around him the robes of patience and self-reliance and starts him on his way. Then, in order that he may have strength to live through it all, she mercifully calls him back for a moment and makes him – an optimist.”
Truly, the way of the reformer is a lonely one. They must live from within - feeding their ideals and principles rather than doubts. Should a soldier leading the forlorn hope complain that the army is not abreast of him? The “busy world cares little for his struggles, it cares only to joy in his final triumph; it will shares his feasts but not his fasts. Christ was alone in Gethsemane, but – at the sermon in the wilderness, where food was provided, the attendance was four thousand.”
But numbers do not count for the true crusader as he cares more about doing what is right than on the ranks that may, or may not be, behind him. On one occasion, the "Maid" of France, Joan of Arc, told one of her generals, “I will lead the men over the wall.” The general replied, “Not a man will follow you.” Joan then said, “I will not look back to see whether anyone is following or not.” Imagine if more people possessed this same forward determination to succeed without looking back to see who is watching.
“When Nature decides on any man as a reformer she whispers to him his great message, she places in his hand the staff of courage, she wraps around him the robes of patience and self-reliance and starts him on his way. Then, in order that he may have strength to live through it all, she mercifully calls him back for a moment and makes him – an optimist.”
Truly, the way of the reformer is a lonely one. They must live from within - feeding their ideals and principles rather than doubts. Should a soldier leading the forlorn hope complain that the army is not abreast of him? The “busy world cares little for his struggles, it cares only to joy in his final triumph; it will shares his feasts but not his fasts. Christ was alone in Gethsemane, but – at the sermon in the wilderness, where food was provided, the attendance was four thousand.”
But numbers do not count for the true crusader as he cares more about doing what is right than on the ranks that may, or may not be, behind him. On one occasion, the "Maid" of France, Joan of Arc, told one of her generals, “I will lead the men over the wall.” The general replied, “Not a man will follow you.” Joan then said, “I will not look back to see whether anyone is following or not.” Imagine if more people possessed this same forward determination to succeed without looking back to see who is watching.
“If you are seeking to accomplish any great serious purpose that your mind and your heart tell you is right, you must have the spirit of the reformer. You must have the courage to face trial, sorrow and disappointment, to meet them squarely and to move forward unscathed and undaunted. In the sublimity of your perfect faith in the outcome, you can make them as powerless to harm you, as a dewdrop falling on the Pyramids. When things look darkest, grasp your weapon firmer and fight harder. And when it is all over and victory is yours, and the smoke clears away and the smell of the powder is dissipated, and you bury the friendships that died because they could not stand the strain, and you nurse back the wounded and faint-hearted who loyally stood by you, even when doubting, then the hard years of fighting will seem but a dream. You will stand brave, heartened, strengthened by the struggle, re-created to a new, better and stronger life by a noble battle, nobly waged, in a noble cause. And the price will then seem to you – nothing.” (William George Jordan)
Vessels such as these keep the world in poise and give it, unlike the insufficient Vasa, sufficient weight.
Vessels such as these keep the world in poise and give it, unlike the insufficient Vasa, sufficient weight.
The patriot and founding father, John Dickinson, reported in his famous 'Letter from a Farmer' that, “The cause of liberty is a cause of too much dignity to be sullied by turbulence and tumult. It ought to be maintained in a manner suitable to her nature. Those who engage in it, should breathe a sedate, yet fervent spirit, animating them to actions of prudence, justice, modesty, bravery, humanity and magnanimity. To such a wonderful degree were the ancient Spartans, as brave and free a people as ever existed, inspired by the happy temperature of soul, that rejecting even in their battles the use of trumpets, and other instruments for exciting heat and rage, they marched up to scenes of havoc, and horror, with the sound of flutes, to the tunes of which their steps kept pace – “exhibiting,” as Plutarch says, “at once a terrible and delightful sight, and proceeding with a deliberate valor, full of hope and good assurance, as if some divinity had sensibly assisted them.”
It was once said of the freedom fighter Joan of Arc: "Never have been seen such things as you have been seen to do; in no book are to be read of deeds like them.” She was then asked if she was in a state of grace. She answered: “If I am, may God keep me in it; if I am not, may God bring me to it, for I would rather die than not be in the love of God.” “This Maid,” he continues, “has a certain elegance. She has a virile bearing, speaks little, shows an admirable prudence in all her words. She has a pretty, woman’s voice, eats little, drinks very little wine; she enjoys riding a horse and takes pleasure in fine arms, greatly likes the company of noble fighting men, detests numerous assemblies and meetings, readily sheds copious tears, has a cheerful face; she bears the weight and burden of armour incredibly well, to such a point that she has remained fully armed during six days and nights.”
On another occasion, she was asked to renounce her errors and scandals at which time she solemnly declared: “The way that I have always spoken and held to in this trial, that will I still maintain. And if I was brought to judgment and saw the fire lit and faggots ready, and the executioner ready to stoke the fire and that I be within the fire, yet should I not say otherwise and should maintain what I have said in the trial even unto death. I would rather die than remain in irons.” And so was she taken and bound, still continuing praises and lamentations to God and the saints, and whose last word, in departing this life, cried in a loud voice: ‘Jesus’. (Jean Massieu, witness to her execution)
Like the prophet-missionary Abinadi of old, Joan of Arc would not compromise her beliefs even under the threat of death.
“Now Abinadi said unto him: I say unto you, I will not recall the words which I have spoken unto you concerning this people, for they are true; and that ye may know of their surety I have suffered myself that I have fallen into your hands. Yea, and I will suffer even until death, and I will not recall my words, and they shall stand as a testimony against you. And if ye slay me ye will shed innocent blood, and this shall stand as a testimony against you at the last day.” (Mosiah 17:9-10)
Like the prophet-missionary Abinadi of old, Joan of Arc would not compromise her beliefs even under the threat of death.
“Now Abinadi said unto him: I say unto you, I will not recall the words which I have spoken unto you concerning this people, for they are true; and that ye may know of their surety I have suffered myself that I have fallen into your hands. Yea, and I will suffer even until death, and I will not recall my words, and they shall stand as a testimony against you. And if ye slay me ye will shed innocent blood, and this shall stand as a testimony against you at the last day.” (Mosiah 17:9-10)
Conviction like this knows no weakness. Such truthbearers cannot be broken. They cannot be shaken because of the faith they possess to do the will of God. Someone has said, "He who carries the lamp will not despair no matter how dark the night. That lamp I call faith." Or, as William Jennings Bryan declared of the early Christians, “They were greater conquerors in their death than they could have been had they purchased life by a surrender of their faith.” Joan's testimony was ironclad in the same way a young German boy, by the name of Helmuth Hubener, sealed his own convictions with his blood.
Helmuth was a Mormon teenager who daringly and bravely took on the Third Reich in the midst of World War II. Think on that for a moment. A teen taking on the Third Reich! He published many leaflets that ran contrary to Nazi propaganda. In his writings he recorded: “Hitler and his accomplices know they must deprive you of your free will at the beginning in order to make submissive, spineless creatures of you. Therefore we are calling out to you: Do not let your free will, the most valuable thing you possess, to be taken away. Do not let yourselves be suppressed and tyrannized by your leaders – highhanded kings in miniature….”
He went on to describe the brotherhood he felt with his closest compatriots, friends he took an oath with taken from the play William Tell: “We want to be a brotherhood united, to never part, despite danger or want. We want to be free, as our fathers were – and rather have death than to live in slavery. We put our test in the Almighty God and are not afraid of the tyranny of man.”
Later, after his capture, when he stood shackled in Nazi Germany's infamous court, the Volksgerichtshof or 'People's Court,' a collective entity swooned easily by the prosecution, Helmuth was asked why he did what he did. His reply was simple but of greater force than is expected for a youth. He replied very simply, “I wanted others to know the truth.”
The record then follows:
He went on to describe the brotherhood he felt with his closest compatriots, friends he took an oath with taken from the play William Tell: “We want to be a brotherhood united, to never part, despite danger or want. We want to be free, as our fathers were – and rather have death than to live in slavery. We put our test in the Almighty God and are not afraid of the tyranny of man.”
Later, after his capture, when he stood shackled in Nazi Germany's infamous court, the Volksgerichtshof or 'People's Court,' a collective entity swooned easily by the prosecution, Helmuth was asked why he did what he did. His reply was simple but of greater force than is expected for a youth. He replied very simply, “I wanted others to know the truth.”
The record then follows:
The prosecution then glared at him. “Are you suggesting we are lying?”
Helmuth ripped back with contempt by using the familiar form of 'you,' “Jawohl, Ihr lugt,” or, "Yes, YOU!"
As described by one of his friends, he had: “...a lot of courage. He stood there like a man ten feet tall, steady. He was not intimidated whatsoever, and he stood his ground. And always he tried to focus the attention on himself, …trying to take away the limelight from us, not to be important, but to shield us, to protect us.”
His suffering only confirmed his beliefs and strengthened his resolve to oppose the Nazi system to the very end. He stood before the judges, who sat on their high bench in their famous blood-red robes and told them, “Wait. Your turn will come.”
The judges even considered him advanced for his years. “Ironically, so anxious were the Nazis to indict him, that they established his credibility, his intelligence, maturity, political savvy, writing acumen, persuasive personality, his “ability to make judgments,” and even his brilliance. He was the very type of creature they were most afraid of – and they had to build him up in order to destroy him, which is one of the greatest of all ironies in his story.” Helmuth possessed such a steely resolve that the threat of his own demise never once wavered his high faith in God and in the scripture: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28)
In a letter to his family while in prison he wrote:
“I am very thankful to my Heavenly Father that this agonizing life is coming to an end this evening. I could not stand it any longer anyway! My Father in Heaven knows that I have done nothing wrong. I know that God lives and He will be the proper judge of this matter. Until our happy reunion in that better world, I remain your friend and brother in the Gospel, Helmuth.
He was beheaded at 8:15pm that evening. He was seventeen years old. Fast forward to today and I cannot imagine any seventeen year olds gladly risking their lives for a cause so noble as to stand before a body of men and recuse themselves of wicked practice. Pathetically, one may invoke a more impassioned reaction in today's youth when taking away their phone than in defense of a principle or belief.
So how can we assure that today's youth will be ready for tomorrow's trials? The formula is clear: Rely on the Lord, be courageous, loyal, and unshakeable in the defense of what is right and true. We must be structurally sound and balanced as the once esteemed ship, the Vasa, should have been – strengthened at its base by the influence of goodness and moral excellence.
In truth, we become what we do and likewise ought to die as we have lived as it is an honor to live for a noble cause, firm in the belief that our life was not spent in squalor but with character, stirred by the spirit of valor in defiance of everything that is base and wrong. However, if we choose to do nothing and remain frozen with doubt and fear, then by default we are “as dross, which the refiners do cast out, (it being of no worth) and is trodden under foot of men.” (Alma 34:29) Or, to put it more simply, if we know the truth and do not act valiantly in its defense, our life then becomes nothing more than a cautionary tale, a tragedy – a lie.
In truth, we become what we do and likewise ought to die as we have lived as it is an honor to live for a noble cause, firm in the belief that our life was not spent in squalor but with character, stirred by the spirit of valor in defiance of everything that is base and wrong. However, if we choose to do nothing and remain frozen with doubt and fear, then by default we are “as dross, which the refiners do cast out, (it being of no worth) and is trodden under foot of men.” (Alma 34:29) Or, to put it more simply, if we know the truth and do not act valiantly in its defense, our life then becomes nothing more than a cautionary tale, a tragedy – a lie.
“Only the man of faith can be courageous. Confident that he fights on the side of Jehovah, he doubts not the success of his cause. What matters it whether he shares in the shouts of triumph? If every word spoken in behalf of truth has its influence and every deed done for the right weighs in the final account, it is immaterial to the Christian whether his eyes behold victory or whether he dies in the midst of the conflict. Only those who believe attempt the seemingly impossible, and, by attempting, prove that one, with God, can chase a thousand and that two can put ten thousand to flight.” (William Jennings Bryan)
Sterling W. Sill added:
“We need a little more of this heaven-sent iron running up and down our backbones, and we also need a little strength in our wills and in our muscles.” He then continues, “A great admiral once said that he would rather have iron men in wooden boats than wooden men in iron boats.” Surely, a body of freedom fighters covered in iron is more formidable than a body of men protected by linen.
And in today’s world, it is hard to find such "mighty metals” among us though they do exist - perhaps even within the walls of our own home and quite possibly in our own forgotten images. Thus, it would behoove us as parents, friends, neighbors, and citizens to help those around us, particularly our spouses and children, to see the shine in their own reflection and then to act [with them] by "going forth among the people," like the great Captain Moroni, waving the standard of liberty until all are come "running together and with their armor girded about their loins." (Alma 46:21)
So, we must ever ask ourselves: Are we worthy of the same merited respect as those who have gone before us? Or more pointedly, are we living honorably for those who will go on after us? If not, may we then proudly “put on,” as my own fourth great grandfather, Charlie Seaman did, “Christ by profession,” and then stand - boldly and nobly, secure and stable in our principles.
But even then, despite our best efforts, there will yet remain, as Emerson once described, "parlor soldiers," who "shun the rugged battle of fate, where strength is born." Such persons deserve our pity more than ire as they have forsaken their honor for ease, morals for pleasure, reputation over character.
And in today’s world, it is hard to find such "mighty metals” among us though they do exist - perhaps even within the walls of our own home and quite possibly in our own forgotten images. Thus, it would behoove us as parents, friends, neighbors, and citizens to help those around us, particularly our spouses and children, to see the shine in their own reflection and then to act [with them] by "going forth among the people," like the great Captain Moroni, waving the standard of liberty until all are come "running together and with their armor girded about their loins." (Alma 46:21)
So, we must ever ask ourselves: Are we worthy of the same merited respect as those who have gone before us? Or more pointedly, are we living honorably for those who will go on after us? If not, may we then proudly “put on,” as my own fourth great grandfather, Charlie Seaman did, “Christ by profession,” and then stand - boldly and nobly, secure and stable in our principles.
But even then, despite our best efforts, there will yet remain, as Emerson once described, "parlor soldiers," who "shun the rugged battle of fate, where strength is born." Such persons deserve our pity more than ire as they have forsaken their honor for ease, morals for pleasure, reputation over character.
And after all these truths have been made known, if our objective remains the same - to lie down, unmoving and flat, like a shadow - then our lives [and surely those of our children] will inevitably go down like the Vasa, as an unwise and empty vessel deprived of its weight; forgotten by men and then left by God to be a thing of naught – as just a sound and nothing else.
Long live the fighters
