May God preserve the Constitution of the United States

Yesterday, July 24th, was Pioneer Day in Utah. Its the state holiday set aside to commemorate the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who, not unlike the Pilgrims, fled outside the then existing boundaries of their own country in order to escape persecution, safeguard their families, and emigrate to a location where they could simply worship God according to the dictates of their own conscience.

However, they were not just religious refugees. They were also political refugees who were literally running for their lives. They had been violently driven out of the states of New York, Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois. For decades, their "guaranteed" rights under the United States Constitution had not just been denied, but repeatedly trampled upon. They were denied voting rights, religious freedom, their private property was either destroyed or confiscated after being forced to flee to save their lives, they were denied the right to keep and bear arms, their free speech rights were met with threats and acts of violence. They suffered every manner of threats, harassment, terroristic violence, arson, tar and feathering, mutilations, assault, rape, and murder, even of their leaders, plus an official extermination order signed by a governor. They sought justice and redress from both state and national leaders, but were rejected.

So, while it is inspiring to focus on their amazing faith and fortitude, NEVER FORGET how the violations of Constitutional liberty made life so unbearable that they were forced to flee the boundaries of the United States to survive. 

Our United States Constitution is a document, a framework, whose basic principles were inspired by God to secure the "rights and protection of all flesh, according to just and holy principles".

However, the United States Constitution is only an historical document, a passive relic, UNLESS the principles it espouses are preserved, supported, and fiercely defended by both elected political leaders AND We The People of the United States of America to protect the rights of ALL minorities, be they racial, religious, cultural, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, etc. etc.

THIS is one reason why the Founding Fathers crafted our country as a Constitutional Republic rather than as a pure democracy, because as few as 50.1% of voters can, have, and will inflict horrible injustice on the other 49.9%. So don’t you believe all those arguments by people seeking to impose their agenda that the US Constitution is outdated and inefficient. 

May God preserve the principles enshrined in the United States Constitution and may God preserve the United States of America as long as We The People are righteous enough to warrant His blessings!