Episode 131

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Published on:

15th Jun 2026

131. GOD BLESS AMERICA, LAND THAT I LOVE...

Join Judy in celebrating Forefathers, Flags, and our Indepenance and walk away humming God Bless America!

Transcript
Speaker:

Welcome, friends, to the Creative

Spiritual Journey podcast, where Ghia

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and I walk with you for just a moment

on this journey of life and share

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with you the things of our hearts, the

joys and the blessings and the lessons

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that we have learned along the way..

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Thanks for joining me.

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Today's episode, I've had a hard time

deciding is it Forefathers and Flags

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or God Bless America, Land That I Love?

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Because tomorrow is Flag Day, and then

next Sunday is Father's Day, and we have

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the upcoming 4th of July celebration this

episode has been very special in the

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making, in that it has made me reflect

and ponder, and it has even brought me

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to tears Here is where I need to add a

disclosure, is I guess the word, that

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this is not a political message nor a

Sunday school lesson because I am neither.

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I am a podcaster making an

episode that brings me joy.

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this message is going to seem

cheesy and maybe like I'm

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oversimplifying the issues at hand.

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My hope is that this message stirs

a little patriotism, a love for our

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forefathers, for our country, this

land and recognize our responsibility

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to uphold this independence, this

freedom that we are so blessed with.

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So it is the year 2026, so

we are celebrating the United

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States 250th anniversary of the

Declaration of Independence.

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It is called a

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semiquincentennial.

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Semiquincentennial?

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Have you heard that word before?

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Can you believe America is that young?

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When you look at the big picture

of the creation of this world,

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250 years, we're still babies

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we're not a perfect nation by any means.

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In fact, we have a lot of growing

pains, I call them, flaws and mistakes

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that we've made along the way.

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But I believe we are a land of promise,

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a land ordained by God to

be free, a land of liberty.

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I don't know if you remember

the bicentennial celebration.

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I was in elementary school, and

like millions of other elementary

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school students we stood on a

stage and sang, "This land is

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your land, this land is my land."

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Or how about, "50 nifty United States"?

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I love those songs, but the one

that comes to mind is . god bless

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America, the land that I love.

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Stand beside her and guide her through

the night with the light from above.

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From the mountains to the prairies,

to the oceans white with foam, God

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bless America, my home sweet home.

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At the time, they were just songs to

memorize, but looking back, I realize they

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were teaching us something much deeper:

gratitude for our country, patriotism,

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appreciation for our freedoms, and the

responsibility that comes to us as being

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a citizen of the United States of America.

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I grew up in a home where my father

always flew a big American flag.

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on a flagpole out in our yard, During the

bicentennial year, he had a bicentennial

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flag with the circle of the 13 colonies.

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And he would wear a flag pin on his lapel.

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He was a Navy man who I think probably

was the only one who celebrated Flag Day.

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Growing up, the 4th of July was

my favorite holiday because of

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the fireworks, the picnics, the

parades, the family togetherness.

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I had a strong sense of belonging

to something bigger than myself when

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we would celebrate the 4th of July

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This year, in The Church of Jesus

Christ of Latter-day Saints, we have

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been invited to join something big.

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As the United States commemorates

its 250th anniversary of the

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Declaration of Independence.

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We've been invited to participate in

a united fast on Sunday, July 5th,

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2026, in gratitude for the blessing

of religious liberty and with prayer

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that this freedom will be protected

and strengthened throughout the world.

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This is a meaningful opportunity to

express gratitude for our freedom

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to worship and to unite in faith

on behalf of our communities, our

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nation, and our people everywhere

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I love that it is to strengthen freedom

to choose and religious freedom to worship

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as one will throughout the whole world.

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This is not just a celebration

of the United States.

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It is a celebration of human beings'

That we have these rights, they

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are God-given, for life, liberty,

and the pursuit of happiness.

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I'm sure you've heard

the term forefathers.

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What is a forefather?

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They are an ancestor, typically a male

relative from the past generations.

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But the term broadly refers to pioneers,

founders, like the founders of our

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independence, the founders of this nation

and the Constitution, or early members

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of a group such as a family, nation, or

tradition who established foundational

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beliefs, practices, or culture.

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I love our forefathers.

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I love my father.

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I love watching my husband

be a father and a grandpa.

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According to The Family: A

Proclamation to the World

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Fathers by divine design are to preside

over their families in love and in

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righteousness, and are to be responsible

to provide The necessities of life

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and protection for their families.

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That sounds a lot like our forefathers

when they stepped up to sign

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the Declaration of Independence.

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They were establishing a nation where

we could have freedoms and independence

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and the pursuit of happiness.

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I love our forefathers.

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of this nation, their courage,

their inspiration, and forward

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thinking to be unified.

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They were men of all different kinds

of backgrounds and came at it with all

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different kinds of opinions, I'm sure.

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But they took a moment to put aside ego

and pride and to consider the bigger

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picture, the needs of a nation, the birth

of a nation and its independence and its

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future of what it could grow up to be

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The story we've been told of Independence

Day is of 56 men, our forefathers

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stepped up to a wooden

table in Philadelphia.

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They dipped their quills in ink and signed

their names to a piece of parchment.

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By doing so, they officially claimed

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our independence from England,

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Now, the Declaration of Independence

is a big document with big words

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that I feel like sometimes you

need a degree in law to understand.

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But there are some words

that ring true to my heart

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Maybe these are words that you're familiar

with from the Declaration of Independence.

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And that is

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we hold these truths to be self-evident,

that all men are created equal,

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and that they are endowed by their

Creator with certain unalienable

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rights, that among these are life,

liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

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Ah, that just brings a smile to my face.

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How about you?

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But we know that this liberty,

this independence, this

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freedom is not new to America.

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It is as old as time.

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In fact

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Before this world was created, our

Heavenly Father gave us, you and I,

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His sons and daughters, moral agency.

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He wanted us to choose Him freely,

to choose light and truth and

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goodness without compulsion.

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Moral agency and this freedom is so

important to Heavenly Father's plan.

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Agency.

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That is exactly what

Satan sought to destroy.

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In fact, he was even cast out of

God's presence, and Jesus Christ

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became the champion of God's plan.

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His atoning sacrifice is what

makes it possible for us to use

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our agency to choose God's plan.

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Without a Savior, we would be

held captive by sin, weakness, and

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conditions of this mortal journey,

but Jesus Christ makes us free.

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When we were raising our family, my

husband would often ask our children,

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"What is the price of liberty?"

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?" We think of the price of liberty of the

man who gave their lives, which is true,

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the forefathers and the work and sacrifice

in establishing this land, which is true.

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But in the Book of Mormon,

Father Lehi teaches his

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children the price of liberty?"

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He said, "Wherefore I, Lehi, prophesy

according to the workings of the Spirit

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which is in me, that there shall none come

to this land save they shall be brought by

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the hand of the Lord, because this land is

consecrated unto him who he shall bring.

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And if it so be that they shall serve

him according to the commandments which

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he has given, it shall be a land of

liberty unto them; wherefore they shall

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never be brought down into captivity.

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If so, it shall be because of iniquity;

for if iniquity shall abound cursed shall

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be the land for their sakes, but unto the

righteous it shall be blessed forever."

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So the simple answer is be good boys,

be good girls, choose the right, love

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the Lord, and you will have liberty.

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It's that simple "Inasmuch as

ye shall keep my commandments,

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ye shall prosper in the land."

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This pursuit of happiness is prospering

in the land, "But inasmuch as ye

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will not keep my commandments, ye

shall be cut off from my presence."

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That, to me, is a state of

hopelessness, I feel like our

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home sweet home isn't so sweet.

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There's division and contention.

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And it appears evil is seeking to

destroy liberty and oppress the people.

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This is found in 2 Nephi 2:27.

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men are free according to

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the flesh and they are free to choose

liberty and eternal life through the

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mediator of all man or to choose captivity

and death according to the captivity and

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power of the devil, for he seeketh to

make all man miserable like unto himself."

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The Book of Mormon contains over dozens

of teachings saying that this is a

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choice land, and whatsoever nation shall

possess it shall be free from bondage

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and captivity, and from all other nations

under heaven, if they will but serve the

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God of the land, who is Jesus Christ."

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This land is described as a

choice land above all other lands.

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This is not about national superiority,

but this is the price of liberty?"

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?" The prophet Joseph Smith loved this land

and recognized that our religious freedom

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was established for the restoration of

the gospel of Jesus Christ, He said, "I

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am bold to declare before heaven that I

am just as ready to die in defending the

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rights of a Presbyterian, a Baptist, or

a good man of any other denomination.

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For the same principle which would

trample under the rights of a Latter-day

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Saint would trample under the rights

of a Roman Catholic or any other

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denomination who would be unpopular

or too weak to defend themselves.

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It is the love of liberty which inspires

my soul, civil and religious liberty

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to the whole of the human race."

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I believe the Prophet Joseph

Smith could see a bigger picture.

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He could understand the importance of

freedom of religion, not just for his

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time and in the United States, but for all

human beings across the whole wide world.

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Just recently, Sister Camille

Johnson, who is the General Relief

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Society president, of the church,

ooh, can you imagine that job?

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She, understands the importance of our

role as women in defending religious

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freedom, and what we can do in our

personal lives this is what she had to say

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"I believe that the most important

impactful work of women continues

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to be done when we care for our own

children, teach a friend to read,

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patiently address the needs of an elderly

neighbor, prepare a meal for the sick,

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or cry with a sister who is grieving.

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The way we bear and nurture humanity

connects women across culture

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divides and language barriers,

laying a foundation for peace.

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I strive to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.

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I believe He came to earth to save

humanity from sin and death, and to

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lift us in our sorrow and distress.

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The work of defending the United States

Constitution, religious freedom, and the

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family is not just for legal scholars

and academics, it is for Relief Society

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presidents, and non-lawyers, and

people of every religious persuasion.

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Let us follow the Prince of Peace."

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I love that.

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"Let us follow the Prince of Peace

and practice in our own personal and

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professional lives His perfect example.

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He wants to engage with us and will as

we joyfully engage in His great work."

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Isn't that beautiful?

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That, my sisters, is what we can do It

begins in our hearts, in our homes, with

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what we do with our hands and our times.

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It begins in our prayers and our fasting.

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It begins in our service

and our ministering.

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Sometimes I think we minimize the

power that we have, that we can make in

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bringing peace and change in the world,

So my friends, I hope that today you

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find yourself humming God Bless America

because we have been so blessed And as

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America approaches her 250th birthday,

my heart is filled with gratitude.

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Gratitude for my father who loved

this country and taught me to

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love this country and honor her.

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Gratitude for religious freedom.

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so many fought to defend, I

have traveled the world over and

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I have seen beautiful places.

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I've even been in countries when

they have celebrated their freedoms.

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And there's just something about

America being ordained by God to

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establish this, his restored gospel,

his church, his kingdom here.

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There's just a little bit different

tenderness in my heart for that.

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And I hope it is for you too, because

there is so much to be grateful for.

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Gratitude for the promises

found in the Book of Mormon.

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Gratitude for the voices like Joseph

Smith and Camille Johnson, who

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remind us that liberty and peace are

preserved one person, one family,

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one act of discipleship at a time.

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It begins with you.

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When you sing God Bless

America, land that I love,

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maybe we're being more

than just patriotic.

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Perhaps we're offering a prayer, a

plea to God to bless us and for us to

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remember our commitment to do our part

to bless this land do you sometimes

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wonder, like I do, what 2076 will bring?

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What will it look like for our

children and our children's children?

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Will it still be a land

of liberty and freedom?

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That's up to us.

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That's up to them.

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It's up to us fulfilling this

covenant promise with the Lord to

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keep His commandments and to honor

and serve the God of this land

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So what will you do for

this Semiquincentennial.

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Celebration?

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Maybe you'll fly a big flag in

your yard or go to a parade and

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catch some taffy or have a picnic

in the park and have a hot dog.

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For me, there has to be fireworks and

standing together side by side, shoulder

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to shoulder, with my hand over my heart

saying out loud the Pledge of Allegiance

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to the flag of the United States of

America and to the Republic for which it

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stands one nation under God, indivisible

with liberty and justice for all.

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And I'm sure it will bring tears to

my eyes, tears of joy and gratitude.

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I sure missed celebrating the 4th

of July while I was in South Africa.

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We take her for granted too much.

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I hope that you join in the fast on

July 5th to tell our Heavenly Father,

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that we are grateful for our and life,

liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

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We are so blessed, and I love you.

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I hope that you be good girls, choose the

right, love the Lord, love this country

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and will hum at least a few bars of God

Bless America today as you walk around.

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Thanks for joining me.

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Hey, and happy Flag Day, and happy

Father's Day, and happy 4th of

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July, and happy everything day.

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join me next week for

a Semiquincentennial.

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meditation.

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I don't know.

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Come and find out, and

I'll see you on the trail

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About the Podcast

Creative Spiritual Journey
one small, deliberate step at a time
We are all on a journey—a journey home to our heavenly parents. Any experienced traveler knows there are days you laugh and days you cry.

We aren’t here to tell you how to live—we are here to share how we live—how we survive, thrive, and even find joy!

The journey gets messy with rainstorms and sleepless flights but the hard times—the miserable times—those make the best stories.

And the vistas, the sunsets, the little birds outside the window—those are the reminders that God is in the details, he is aware of us, he has trod the path before.

The Creative Spiritual Journey Podcast is hosted by Judy and Ghia Cooley—two sisters in their wisdom years—who love the savior and are dedicated to making this journey one small, deliberate step at a time.

Join us!

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