God Bless America!

                  

It was the evening of Sunday, May 1st 2011, in Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Phillies baseball team was playing the New York Mets. It was the 14th inning, the score tied at 1. Then phones lit up and the fans started chattering. Soon the chattering became chanting, starting out faint but growing till it enveloped the stadium. "USA, USA, USA" could be heard clearly throughout the ballpark. A sense of extreme patriotism an pride was felt among all those who were present. Once again, for at least a little while, the citizens of this great nation were united. Some opposed the war on terror and some supported it but for that night there was no arguement. The man responsible for stabbing the knife into our hearts almost 10 years ago was dead. We, as a nation, felt some sense of solace. Many athletes voiced their opinion via Twitter and reports to newspapers. Mariano Rivera, of the New York Yankees said, "You do something like that, somewhere along the way you're going to pay. This was the time." Five-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion, Jimmie Johnson, said "Man, I went to bed early and missed the big news. What a way to wake up though. Thanks to all the men and women who serve our country." Dirk Hayhurst, of the Toronto Blue Jays said, "While I understand the God Bless America sentiment, how about God Bless every nation terrorism has caused senseless pain and suffering? May we all honor you by learning from our past and working hard for a future wherein your sacrifice is no longer required." My personal favorite was said by Daniel Hudson, starting pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He said, "Days like today make me proud to be an American! Got chills watching baseball tonight hearing fans chanting USA USA!! Awesome!" We came together again and that is what we needed. One of my favorite scriptures is found in the Book of Mormon, Mosiah 2:17. It says, "And now, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom, that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only on the service of your God." This means that when we serve others we are serving God. A verse that relates to that is found in Isaiah 60:12. It says: "For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted." I am greatful to the many men and women who served and currently serve our country and in doing so serve God. It is because of them that our nation has not perished. To all of you out there, I say Thank You. You are in my prayers daily. Your names are spoken in reverence by many, myself included. God Bless You and God Bless the USA!