THE UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE AN LDS PRESIDENT WOULD BRING TO SAFEGUARDING THE U.S. CONSTITUTION
From the moment Mitt Romney began to publicly contemplate running for president of the United States of America until now his Mormon faith has played a major part in the debate of his credentials to hold that office. Of course, most of the accusations about the church are totally false and as old as the church itself and each have been proven, using primary source documents, as such. One key point that has been totally omitted when addressing a “Mormon In The White House” (borrowing a title from Hugh Hewitt’s best selling book) by Hewitt and all other’s addressing how his faith would play in a presidency is the very high regard that Mormons hold for the U.S. Constitution and this great nation which is bound by it.
Christopher Columbus once said, “ . . . our Lord unlocked my mind, sent me upon the sea, and gave me fire for the deed. Those who heard of my emprise called it foolish, mocked me, and laughed. But who can doubt but that the Holy Ghost inspired me?” (Jacob Wassermann, Columbus, Don Quixote of the Seas, 1930, p. 20.) Let us contrast this statement with what the Latter-day Saint’s unique book of scripture, “The Book of Mormon”, has to say on the subject. Nephi, a prophet who lived upon this land that was to be the future America during the 6th century B.C. saw Columbus in vision and prophesied, “…I looked and beheld a man among the Gentiles, who was separated from the seed of my brethren by the many waters; and I beheld the Spirit of God, that it came down and wrought upon the man; and he went forth upon the many waters, even unto the seed of my brethren, who were in the promised land [this American continent] (1 Nephi 13:12). “The Book of Mormon” continues from here to tell of others that were seized upon by the Spirit to travel to this land.
Mormon’s have a unique perspective concerning the Constitution of this land as well. In a revelation to the Prophet Joseph Smith on December 16, 1833 the Lord said that He “suffered” the constitution of this land to be “established” and ordered that it be “maintained for the rights and protection of all flesh, according to just and holy principles” (Doctrine and Covenants 101:77). From this statement we can see that by revelation we are commanded to maintain the constitution as it was established. Mormon’s, in general, take this as a sacred trust.
It is clear from comments of the founding fathers that attended the Constitutional Congress of 1787; they also felt the inspiration of God in the formulation of our ruling document.
Benjamin Franklin: “I have lived, Sir, a long time; and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth, that God governs in the affairs of men. And, if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the Sacred Writings, that ‘except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it.’ I firmly believe this; and I also believe, that, without his concurring aid, we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel; we shall be divided by our little, partial, local interests, our projects will be confounded, and we ourselves shall become a reproach and a by-word down to future ages. And, what is worse, mankind may hereafter, from this unfortunate instance, despair of establishing governments by human wisdom, and leave it to chance, war, and conquest. I therefore beg leave to move, that henceforth prayers, imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessings on our deliberations, be held in this assembly every morning before we proceed to business; and that one or more of the clergy of this city be requested to officiate in that service.” (Jared Sparks, The Works of Benjamin Franklin, 1837, pp. 155-56.)
Charles Pickney, delegate to the Constitutional Congress: “When the great work was done and published, I was . . . struck with amazement. Nothing less than that superintending hand of Providence, that so miraculously carried us through the war . . . could have brought it about so complete, upon the whole.” (P. L. Ford, ed., Essays on the Constitution, 1892, p. 412.)
James Madison, the father of the Constitution: “It is impossible for the man of pious reflection not to perceive in it a finger of that Almighty hand which has been so frequently and signally extended to our relief in the critical stages of the revolution” (Federalist, no. 37). Madison also recognized the hand of God in the creation of the new nation. Said he, on being inaugurated March 4, 1809: “In these [the virtues of my fellow citizens] my confidence will under every difficulty be best placed, next to that which we have all been encouraged to feel in the guardianship and guidance of the Almighty Being whose power regulates the destiny of nations whose blessings have been so conspicuously dispensed to this rising republic . . ..”
George Washington: “The success, which has hitherto attended our united efforts, we owe to the gracious interposition of Heaven; and to that interposition let us gratefully ascribe the praise of victory, and the blessings of peace.” (To the Executive of New Hampshire, November 3, 1789.)
John Adams: “Our constitution, was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” (John R. Howe, Jr., The Changing Political Thought of John Adams, Princeton University Press, 1966, p. 185.)
Catherine Drinker Bowen wrote a great book entitled The Miracle at Philadelphia. It is the story of the constitutional convention held in that city during the period of May to September 1787.
The preface to her book begins with this expression:
“Miracles do not occur at random, nor was it the author of this book who said there was a miracle at Philadelphia in the year 1787. George Washington said it; and James Madison. They used the word in writing to their friends: Washington to Lafayette; Madison to Thomas Jefferson.”
Is there any doubt that when Romney puts his hand on the Bible and swears to defend and protect the constitution of this great land that his words will not ring hollow and that this very notion will reverberate throughout his whole being as a sacred trust, unlike others whose peccadilloes still stain the dignity of that hallowed office?