Tag Archives: Thanksgiving

Gratitude for the Gifts of God

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God exists. He lives. He is your Father. He knows you, loves you, and is intimately concerned for your wellbeing. His Firstborn Son is Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. The Savior also loves you more than you can comprehend. He suffered and died for your sins and then rose from the grave to empower you to overcome obstacles, sin, and death, on your journey back to Heavenly Father. 

One of the ways the Father and the Son have aided us in our mortal testing period is by giving us gifts. These gifts don’t come wrapped in a bow or under a tree. Rather, they come in the form of talents, aptitudes, and skills. The holy scriptures talk many times about several of the gifts that are given to mankind. The Savior told His disciples: 

“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 

“He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. 

“And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 

“They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover” (Mark 16:15-18). 

These are examples of spiritual gifts, but there are so many more! The Apostle Paul listed several others and told us something of their purpose: 

“[C]oncerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. . . . 

“Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. . . . 

“. . . the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. 

“For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; 

“To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; 

“To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues. . . . 

“. . . covet earnestly the best gifts” (1 Corinthians 12:1, 4, 7-10, 31). 

Spiritual gifts are given to us to “profit withal.” Said otherwise, each of us is given gifts to benefit others. One person has the gift of healing, but why? To heal others. Another is given the gift of prophecy. Why? So that others can hear the prophecies and repent and change their lives. Some are given the gift of speaking in tongues to be able to communicate with their brothers and sisters from other lands, to serve them more effectively, and to preach the Gospel to them in their own language. 

Almost none of these amazing spiritual gifts are given to benefit the receiver alone. In His Sermon on the Mount, the Lord taught: 

“Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 

“Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16). 

In the same way that we are to let our convictions and testimonies of Jesus Christ shine to help others come to their Redeemer, we are to share our gifts for the same purpose. The two great commandments are to love God and to love our neighbors. We can love and serve them as the Savior did by sharing our gifts, talents, abilities, time, and love with them. 

Additional scripture that the Lord has so graciously given to us in these last days before His return in glory also tell us of spiritual gifts and confirm what Paul said about their purpose. An ancient Israelite prophet living in the New World around 400 A.D. explained in great detail the importance, origin, and reason for spiritual gifts: 

“And again, I exhort you, my brethren, that ye deny not the gifts of God, for they are many; and they come from the same God. And there are different ways that these gifts are administered; but it is the same God who worketh all in all; and they are given by the manifestations of the Spirit of God unto men, to profit them. 

“For behold, to one is given by the Spirit of God, that he may teach the word of wisdom; 

“And to another, that he may teach the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; 

“And to another, exceedingly great faith; and to another, the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; 

“And again, to another, that he may work mighty miracles; 

“And again, to another, that he may prophesy concerning all things; 

“And again, to another, the beholding of angels and ministering spirits; 

“And again, to another, all kinds of tongues; 

“And again, to another, the interpretation of languages and of divers kinds of tongues. 

“And all these gifts come by the Spirit of Christ; and they come unto every man severally, according as he will. 

“And I would exhort you, my beloved brethren, that ye remember that every good gift cometh of Christ. 

“And I would exhort you, my beloved brethren, that ye remember that he is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and that all these gifts of which I have spoken, which are spiritual, never will be done away, even as long as the world shall stand, only according to the unbelief of the children of men” (Moroni 10:8-19). 

God is good. He gives gifts – so many gifts – to benefit His children. He pours out these gifts upon all, but more upon the believing and the grateful. Those who trust in Him are led by Him and the Holy Spirit provides numerous gifts depending on the situations they find themselves in, from translating languages to healing the sick to receiving the ministrations of angels to teaching truth. All of these wonderful abilities come from God for the purpose of blessing us. 

In modern times, the Lord made a declaration about gifts that we should remember. Said He: 

“[Y]e are commanded in all things to ask of God, who giveth liberally; and that which the Spirit testifies unto you even so I would that ye should do in all holiness of heart, walking uprightly before me, considering the end of your salvation, doing all things with prayer and thanksgiving, that ye may not be seduced by evil spirits, or doctrines of devils, or the commandments of men; for some are of men, and others of devils. 

“Wherefore, beware lest ye are deceived; and that ye may not be deceived seek ye earnestly the best gifts, always remembering for what they are given; 

“For verily I say unto you, they are given for the benefit of those who love me and keep all my commandments, and him that seeketh so to do” (Doctrine and Covenants 46:7-9). 

The Lord is anxious to bless us and give us all the gifts we can use and need. He wants us to ask Him for gifts. He wants us to approach Him boldly (Hebrews 4:15-16). He wants us to be thankful and to live continuously in the spirit of thanksgiving. 

As we ask of Him in our prayers and as we receive according to our faith, we need to remember why we receive gifts – “for the benefit of those who love [God] and keep all [His] commandments, and him that seeketh so to do.” We don’t need to be perfect to receive gifts of God. Every person on earth has at least one spiritual gift. These gifts are evidence of our Father’s and our Savior’s love. 

This Thanksgiving, I give my sincerest thanks to my Father in Heaven for the gifts He has given me. I have been blessed with several distinct gifts that have blessed my life, increased my faith in Jesus Christ, and have allowed me to better uplift others in my sphere of influence. These gifts are real and they are evidence of His goodness. 

Art by Jenedy Paige

I have a powerful testimony that I am a son of God and that each man and woman one earth is a beloved son or daughter of the Almighty. I know this without any doubt. It is true! The Bible confirms it and the Spirit teaches us that we are His children and that we came from His realm to inhabit this planet to learn, grow, and prove our faithfulness to His commands that would be delivered to us through our Mediator Jesus Christ.

As we make our way through mortality, we need help; we need spiritual gifts. These the Lord is willing to pour down upon us. And I testify that He has flooded the earth with spiritual gifts to benefit us, to witness to us that He is aware of us and that He cares, and to give us the joy of helping others through their challenges to come to Christ and to glorify God. In the end, the greatest gift God has given us is His Son Jesus Christ who died and rose again to draw all men to Him that they might be saved and exalted in the Father’s Kingdom. 

Zack Strong, 
November 24, 2022

Be Thankful for America

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I’ve said it before, but I’m going to say it again: Thank God that you are an American! This Thanksgiving, I’m profoundly grateful for the United States of America. America is unlike any other nation on earth. Our heritage of Freedom is unique and unparalleled in greatness and achievement. Our People are different in character and build. Our institutions are noble and inspired. America is geographically distinctive and blessed beyond measure – the richest of all fruited plains in the world. This Thanksgiving, I give my unashamed and unapologetic love, adulation, and thanks to my homeland, America. 

I’ve spent most of the past two and a half years outside of my beloved country. Nothing more is required to feel deep longing and love for America than to be away from her for any prolonged period of time. I miss her more than I can say. I miss her majestic mountains, radiant rivers, and fantastic forests. I miss her hardy, down-to-earth people. I miss my fellow patriots, the protections guaranteed under the Constitution, and my birthright of Freedom. 

I also miss my Liberty’s teeth – my guns. I miss being able to have a legal right of self-defense – and fellow countrymen who acknowledge and support it. I’m truly grateful for the natural law of self-defense and for the fact that America still safeguards it even in the face of malicious attempts to enslave the population. 

Let’s be honest: The only thing holding back the flood waters of global tyranny is America. And the only element of society in America holding back the onslaught of Satanic despotism is the mostly white, Christian, constitutionalist gun-owner – the “bitter clingers” and “deplorables” in the “fly-over” states. 

In fly-over America, the rebellious, independent, manly spirit of the Founding Fathers lives on. It’s the rednecks, not the white-collar city-dwellers, who represent real America. It’s in the rural areas, in middle America, in the communities no one has ever heard of, where Americana dwells. 

Rebellion to tyrants and obedience to God is the American tradition. The most rebellious and, simultaneously, religious swaths of America are found in the red states. We’re the ones called “domestic terrorists” because we won’t let Antifa burn down our cities, because we don’t march with the Marxist front group Black Lives Matter, because we don’t tear down statues of our national heroes, because we reject schools teaching communism to our kids, and because we refuse to be injected with bioweapons of mass genocide disguised as “godsend” vaccines. We’re true America and all those who support the enemy’s agenda are imposters and traitors. 

America is much more than a political entity. America didn’t suddenly begin in 1776 or when the Mayflower landed or when Colombus arrived. Rather, America is an idea and a land of prophetic purpose, history, and destiny. The idea is summed up by the great triumvirate of values: Faith, Family, Freedom. America is the ultimate home to those who worship God, who seek to raise their families in righteousness, and who love their Liberty. 

America has an ancient history. She was home to several great civilizations that historians have scarcely acknowledged and which average people know practically nothing about. My own religious tradition, which I attest I know to be true through the Holy Spirit which has touched my heart, teaches that God led various peoples to this Promised Land. An ancient seer recorded the special significance of this land, identified as Zion, and the promises offered to those who faithfully dwell here: 

“And this land shall be a land of liberty unto the Gentiles, and there shall be no kings upon the land, who shall raise up unto the Gentiles. 

“And I will fortify this land against all other nations. 

“And he that fighteth against Zion shall perish, saith God. 

“For he that raiseth up a king against me shall perish, for I, the Lord, the king of heaven, will be their king, and I will be a light unto them forever, that hear my words. 

“Wherefore, for this cause, that my covenants may be fulfilled which I have made unto the children of men, that I will do unto them while they are in the flesh, I must needs destroy the secret works of darkness, and of murders, and of abominations. 

“Wherefore, he that fighteth against Zion, both Jew and Gentile, both bond and free, both male and female, shall perish” (2 Nephi 10:11-16). 

This promise has been fulfulled thus far. America has had no king. As Thomas Paine said, the law is king of America. Autocrats have no place here. America was reserved for a free people – a people that would serve God and obey His laws. It was, as Isaiah and other ancient Hebrew prophets foretold, the land where the Lord would establish Zion prior to His Second Coming.  

Another olden day Israelite prophet recorded similar promises made to another group of Ancient Americans and which apply to modern America with equal force: 

“And the Lord would not suffer that they should stop beyond the sea in the wilderness, but he would that they should come forth even unto the land of promise, which was choice above all other lands, which the Lord God had preserved for a righteous people. . . . 

“And now, we can behold the decrees of God concerning this land, that it is a land of promise; and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall serve God, or they shall be swept off when the fulness of his wrath shall come upon them. And the fulness of his wrath cometh upon them when they are ripened in iniquity. 

“For behold, this is a land which is choice above all other lands; wherefore he that doth possess it shall serve God or shall be swept off; for it is the everlasting decree of God. And it is not until the fulness of iniquity among the children of the land, that they are swept off. 

“And this cometh unto you, O ye Gentiles, that ye may know the decrees of God—that ye may repent, and not continue in your iniquities until the fulness come, that ye may not bring down the fulness of the wrath of God upon you as the inhabitants of the land have hitherto done. 

“Behold, this is a choice land, and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall be free from bondage, and from captivity, and from all other nations under heaven, if they will but serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ” (Ether 2:7, 9-12). 

Again, these glorious promises have been and are being fulfilled. Inasmuch as Americans have worshiped Christ and have honored His commandments, we have prospered and enjoyed more Freedom than any other nation in history. Yet, as we’ve allowed communism, LGBT mania, political correctness, infanticide, feminism, New Age philosophy, and immorality and perversions of a thousand types, creep into the land, we’ve gradually lost our rights, decreased in prosperity and unity, and are on the verge of completely abdicating our Liberty. The Lord’s wrath is starting to come upon us to chasten us and humble us so that we will once more return to Him so that He may pour out even greater blessings on this Promised Land of Zion. 

Dear reader, even if you disbelieve the inspired words of the ancient prophets cited above, our own American Founders repeated the very same thoughts, cementing forever the notion that virtue and religion are necessary to the maintenance of a free state. John Adams bluntly stated: 

“The only foundation of a free constitution is pure virtue, and if this cannot be inspired into our people in a greater measure than they have it now, they may change their rulers and the forms of government, but they will not obtain a lasting liberty. They will only exchange tyrants and tyrannies” (John Adams to Zabdiel Adams, June 21, 1776). 

A close associate of Mr. Adams, and a distance relative of mine, Caleb Strong, added: 

“Indeed, we are generally apt to ascribe too much to the efficacy of laws and government, as if they alone could secure the happiness of the people; but no laws will be sufficient to counteract the influence of manners which are corrupted by vice and voluptuousness; and it is beyond the power of any government to render the circumstances of the citizens easy and prosperous, if they want the habits of industry and frugality. – Government is necessary, to preserve the public peace, the persons and property of individuals; but our social happiness must chiefly depend upon other causes; upon simplicity and purity of manners; upon the education that we give our children; upon a steady adherence to the customs and institutions of our ancestors; upon the general diffusion of knowledge, and the prevalence of piety and benevolent affections among the people. 

“Our forms of government, are, doubtless, like all other institutions, imperfect; but they will secure the blessings of freedom to the citizens, and preserve their tranquility, as long as they are virtuous; and no constitution, that has been, or can be formed, will secure those blessings to a depraved and vicious people” (Patriotism and Piety, 138). 

President George Washington concurred with his two esteemed compatriots, stating: 

“Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens” (George Washington, Farewell Address, 1796). 

National Monument to the Forefathers

Other such statements could fill volumes. The great sages of our past all believed in God and held that America was set apart by Him for inspired reasons. This belief was handed down by our noble Pilgrim and Puritan forefathers who likewise believed that America was a special place reserved by God for higher purposes. The notable preacher Increase Mather, for instance, had declared: 

“This is Immanuel’s land. Christ by a wonderful Providence hath dispossessed Satan, who reigned securely in these Ends of the Earth, for Ages the Lord Knoweth how many, and here the Lord hath caused as it were New Jerusalem to come down from Heaven; He dwels in this place” (Increase Mather, in Michael G. Hall, The Last American Puritan: The Life of Increase Mather, 1639-1723, 99). 

The idea that America was the New Jerusalem and the abode of God persisted through the ages and was firmly rooted in the minds of the men and women who established the United States. To cite only one example, in 1796, John Lathrop delivered an Independence Day oration wherein he asserted: 

“Liberty descended from Heaven on the 4th of July, 1776. . . . 

“The first promulgation of the Gospel of Liberty was the declaration of American independence . . . the Americans were elected by God to redeem from bondage the miserable victims of arbitrary power.” 

To peoples of other nations, it no doubt sounds presumptuous and prideful to hear Americans assert that we are a chosen people of God and that America itself is a blessed and unique land – the very Zion of the Almighty. Yet, it’s true! It was the belief of the ancients who inhabited this land. It was the testimony of the Pilgrims who tamed this wild continent and the Founding Fathers who erected a constitutional Republic. And it is my fervent witness that I happily share at this time. 

I thank God for America! There’s nowhere else on earth like her. Her beauty is awe-inspiring, spanning splendid mountain ranges, effulgent forests, rugged deserts, extensive plains, rich farmland, teeming lakes and rivers, tropical islands, and artic expanses. Her achievements in technology, medicine, and science are unrivalled. She has raised more people farther out of poverty than any other nation has ever dreamed. Her People have been traditionally good, gracious, and godly. Her advancements in the art of government, science of law, and principles of Liberty are unmatched. And, significantly, God has planted His standard – His ensign to the nations – in America. 

An inscription on the National Monument to the Forefathers

Lastly, I ask, what’s in a name? Most people believe that the name “America” comes from the Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci. This, however, is perhaps not the case. The true origin may be far more ancient and more significant. The name may actually derive from a name meaning “Kingdom of Heaven.” If true, it’s a fitting title for God’s Zion and New Jerusalem. 

My heart is full of love for America. I love Lady Liberty. She’s beautiful to my sight, to my mind, and to my soul. I long for the day I can finally bring my wife and daughter to this special place to experience the spirit of destiny and divine purpose that possesses the nation from sea to shining sea. Immanuel’s land is the only place for me. I ask my Heavenly Father and His Son, my Savior, Jesus Christ, to preserve a righteous remnant here, to speedily establish Zion, and to let the New Jerusalem be built up and shine its light to the world. God bless America! 

Zack Strong, 
November 26, 2021 

The Mayflower Compact and Pilgrim Values

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This Thanksgiving, we turn our minds back to the men and women who laid the foundation for the greatest nation in human history, the United States of America. In particular, we review the values and ethics the early American colonists brought with them and carefully cultivated in this New World. As we examine the faith and fortitude of the Pilgrims, it is my wish that a part of their intrepid spirit will rest upon you and that you will not only feel grateful for them and their sacrifices to forge a civilization on this wild continent, but that you will seek to be more like them in fighting for a better world.

The other day, a friend posted a copy of the Mayflower Compact on social media. A person commented on the post that they had never read the document until then. It made me wonder how many other people have never read this foundational text. For those who may have never read this Pilgrim constitution, I reproduce is below. First, however, let me provide important context for the European settlement of America.

Seventeenth Century Europe was a place of religious, economic, and social oppression. Popes, kings, and tsars oppressed all who disagreed with them. Christian sects persecuted each other. Church and state were combined in an exceptionally dangerous union. In Rome and many parts of Europe, the pope governed not only in ecclesiastical, but secular matters – often tyrannizing, hunting, and killing so-called “heretics” for dissent. In the British Isles, the Church of England wielded the power of the state against its dissenters. In Russia, the empire forced Russian Orthodoxy on the populace and ostracized “Old Believers.” Though the Dark Ages had formally ended, darkness prevailed throughout Europe in actual fact.

At the time of the War for Independence, the fiery patriot Thomas Paine described the world’s situation:

“O ye that love mankind! Ye that dare oppose, not only the tyranny, but the tyrant, stand forth! Every spot of the old world is overrun with oppression. Freedom hath been hunted round the globe. Asia, and Africa, have long expelled her. Europe regards her like a stranger, and England hath given her warning to depart. O! receive the fugitive, and prepare in time an asylum for mankind.”

The “asylum for mankind,” of course, was and is America. In another spot in Common Sense, Paine wrote:

“But Britain is the parent country, say some. Then the more shame upon her conduct. Even brutes do not devour their young, nor savages make war upon their families; wherefore the assertion, if true, turns to her reproach; but it happens not to be true, or only partly so, and the phrase parent or mother country hath been jesuitically adopted by the king and his parasites, with a low papistical design of gaining an unfair bias on the credulous weakness of our minds. Europe, and not England, is the parent country of America. This new world hath been the asylum for the persecuted lovers of civil and religious liberty from every part of Europe. Hither have they fled, not from the tender embraces of the mother, but from the cruelty of the monster; and it is so far true of England, that the same tyranny which drove the first emigrants from home, pursues their descendants still.”

Paine was correct. Freedom was a phantom in nearly all parts of the globe. The Dark Ages prevailed in a very real sense in Africa, Asia, the Pacific, Latin America, Europe, and the uncivilized parts of North America. Only in the aptly-named New World did the fire of Freedom and Independence burn. This Liberty inferno was sparked by the Pilgrims over a century before.

The Pilgrims, as Paine noted, came not only from Britain, but from numerous nations in Europe. Germans, Swedes, English, French, Dutch, Irish, Scottish, Danes, Swiss, and many others, often risked life and limb to abandon Europe and make America their home. These European outcasts threw off their shackles and became among the first Americans.

These men and women came to this continent for Freedom, prosperity, a second chance at life, to escape immorality and worldliness, and to practice their religion free from oppression of other sects. While it is true that some colonists set up their own politico-religious jurisdictions that discriminated against others not of their particular sect, their overarching ideal, which found its ultimate expression in the American Revolution and U.S. Constitution, was that all men should be free to worship according to the dictates of their own conscience and without oppression.

The core group of early Pilgrims were in fact English. They did not, however, subscribe to the Church of England’s theology and practice. Some were Puritans who wanted to purify the Church of England’s corrupt theology. Others were labeled Separatists because they rejected the Church of England altogether. These groups were persecuted for their non-conformity. Many eventually fled to the Netherlands where they were allowed to worship God in a manner pleasing to them. This is important: They did not flee from England to the Netherlands for crass economic reasons! Their motivation was religious Freedom.

After a short time, however, the Pilgrims found the Netherlands, like England, to be unsuitable. They disliked what they considered Dutch worldliness. They also worried about the Netherlands’ embroilment in European wars and intrigues. With their minds fixed on the welfare of their children and of their immortal souls, the Pilgrims left the Netherlands seeking a new hope in the New World.

The first batch of Pilgrims to arrive in America made their now famous voyage in September 1620 aboard the Mayflower. Though they sought to land in Virginia, which received its first settlers in Jamestown thirteen years previous, inclement weather had a different plan. In November of 1620, the little ship arrived off the coast of Massachusetts near Cape Cod. The Pilgrims eventually made a nearby location, which they called Plymouth, their permanent residence. Before they disembarked the Mayflower, however, they gathered to form a new government – the Mayflower Compact.

The Mayflower Compact is a significant document. Not only did the Compact govern Plymouth for 71 years, but it set forth the ideological concept of America and sparked the tradition of establishing governments through formal compacts and written constitutions. Before discussing the Compact, I encourage you to read it now in full:

“IN the Name of God, Amen. We whose Names are under-written, the Loyal Subjects of our dread Soveraign Lord King James, by the grace of God of Great Britain, France and Ireland, King, Defendor of the Faith &c. Having undertaken for the glory of God, and advancement of the Christian Faith, and the Honour of our Kng and Countrey, a Voyage to plant the first Colony in the Northern parts of Virginia; Do by these Presents, solemnly and mutually, in the presence of God and one another, Covenant and Combine our selves together into a Civil Body Politick, for our better ordering and preservation, and furtherance of the ends aforesaid: and by virtue hereof do enact, constitute, and frame, such just and equal Laws, Ordinances, Acts, Constitutions and Officers, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the general good of the Colony; unto which we promise all due submission and obedience. In witness whereof we have hereunto subscribed our Names at Cape Cod, the eleventh of November, in the Reign of our Soveraign Lord King James, of England, France and Ireland the eighteenth, and of Scotland the fifty fourth, Anno Dom. 1620.”

The document was then signed by forty-one individuals, among whom were William Bradford, Myles Standish, John Carver, and other personalities of note. Please highlight the reason these settlers gave for coming to the New World: The “advancement of the Christian Faith.” Religious Liberty has often been called “the First Freedom.” So it was for the Pilgrim fathers. They fled England not for gold or glory, but for God. They bound themselves together “into a Civil Body Politick,” established “ordered” Liberty, and pledged to work together to advance Christendom. This Christian settlement at Plymouth, not that at Jamestown, was the true birth place of the American nation.

In an article released just in time for Thanksgiving 2020, Eric Patterson and Rebecca Blessing highlighted and underscored the fact that the Mayflower Compact, as you have just seen for yourself, was not created because of politics, social theory, or activism, but was, rather, an organic outgrowth of the Pilgrims’ Christian faith:

“In November 1620, the individuals we know as the Pilgrims created the first social contract in the New World. It was their Protestant faith, rather than some sort of political theory, that provided the idea of covenanting together to form a civil body politic. . . .

“What are we to learn from this today? Most important, the organizing principle for the Compact was the theological motif of covenant. The idea of dedicating oneself to others, before God, in a covenant relationship was essential to many Puritans as well as the Separatists. Covenantalism became a fundamental theological principle for how Presbyterian and Congregationalist churches operated in the 16th and 17th centuries, as well as how they operate today. Therefore, the claim that the social contract theory is necessarily and uniformly secular is utterly inaccurate: the Pilgrims created a theologically informed, non-coercive social compact sans Leviathan. . . .

“At a time when some challenge the morality and religious character of America’s first founders, the plain facts of the 1620 Mayflower Compact, a theologically informed social compact for believers and non-believers alike, remind us of the good seeds planted in our shared past. It is up to us to cultivate those seeds in our own time.”

The Pilgrims of New England planted the good seeds of Faith, Family, and Freedom that were later cultivated and tended to by later generations of Americans; most notably, the generation that won American Independence and nourished the tree of Liberty with their own blood. The Pilgrims established the religious, cultural, social, and even economic patterns that were followed by later Americans and finally codified in our constitutional system. The standout quality of these early Americans was, of course, their reliance upon God – or, as later Americans would declare, their “firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence.”

My own family line, the Strong family, arrived in America in 1635. The first of our clan, Elder John Strong, settled his family in Hingham, Plymouth Colony, and, later, Northampton, Massachusetts. A man by the name of Benjamin W. Dwight, in researching his own family history, found so much information about the influence of the Strongs in early America that he wrote a lengthy book in 1871 detailing our family history up to that point. At the beginning of the book, he made several observations that apply to the Pilgrims generally. I heartily second these words:

“If any part of the world’s history hitherto deserves to be cherished in grateful and admiring remembrance, it is that of this country from its first settlement to the present hour; and the men, that wrought under God all the great benefits which we now enjoy into their present shape, deserve, for the moral purity of their characters, the heroism of their lives, and the greatness of the social results achieved for this nation and for all mankind by their industry and their virtue, to be embalmed forever in the hearts of their descendants. Whatever may occur in future years to change greatly the elements or courses of our development as a people, the fact can never be impaired, that the real builders of this nation, and the inspirers of its aims and purposes, were the Puritans of New England and their immediate descendants. Who and what they were in their every day life; how they spread from point to point over this wide land, first conquered by themselves to Christian civilization, penetrating every part of it with the ideas and institutions of their early homes; and how, from the precious seed which they bore forth and scattered, and often with much weeping, in the waste parts of the wilderness before them, the glorious harvest of our times has grown up for us, it is pleasant to find for one’s self, and to be able to show unto others. The processes of the early settlement of this country, and of the wide-spread development of the active principles of home colonization, which have made out of a few religious strangers here at the first, one of the mightiest nations of the world in so short a time, are among the greatest marvels of human history.

“The Puritan element, whose influence has been so all-conquering and beneficent among the social forces that have made us what we are as a people, is becoming manifestly every year a more and more diminishing quantity among the agencies at work to perpetuate and enlarge our greatness among the nations of the earth. How carefully, therefore, should we secure the memorials, while we may, of the long procession of true-hearted men and women that have borne down, with many tears and toils and prayers, the precious ark of God’s covenant and of our liberties to the present hour. We will not, we cannot, forget those who toiled and dared and endured so much for God and for us. To enjoy the splendid heritage of good which they so laboriously and lovingly prepared for us, as if that were all that we of this day cared for, and to forget them as the magnanimous bestowers of its rich benefits upon us, would be the strongest possible proof of our utter degeneracy from the noble historic stock to which we belong.

“Our fathers were workers. They ate their own bread, and were almost all of them at the first honest and earnest tillers of the ground. Self-help was the universal law of life. Nothing, next to vice itself, was more odious to them than idleness. Ministers and people alike, husbands and wives, fathers, mothers, and children, all helped themselves and helped each other. Self-indulgence was no part of the original fabric of our constitution as a people. It is pleasant to convey the records of the lives and deeds of such a sturdy and God-fearing ancestry as ours, to those who shall succeed us, as among the most precious remembrances of all past times. These were they who used to pray regularly at their firesides, and in their sanctuaries, that “God would bless their children and children’s children to the latest generation;” and in what a fullness of all good things has the blessing that they prayed for, been rained down upon us! The aroma of their many virtues, which is so fresh in our hearts, who live within the very precincts of their times, we would fain perpetuate, if possible, in the happy consciousness of all their posterity” (Benjamin D. Dwight, The History and Descendants of Elder John Strong, of Northampton, Mass., Vol. 1, 1-2).

These glowing praises are not unfounded. The early Pilgrims, while not perfect, were God-fearing, hard-working, pious, virtuous, and zealous. They were humble men and women who put God, family, and community above self. Their principles of “self-help,” community service, faith in God, reliance on the Almighty, and “moral purity,”distinguished them. They forged a community dedicated to Jesus Christ, virtue, and personal Liberty.

Our Pilgrim fathers were made of the stuff that all true Americans in every age have been made of. They possessed integrity, heroism, diligence, discipline, and faith. We owe an unpayable debt to these humble “Separatists.” Had they not separated themselves from the corruptions and contentions of Europe, the makeup of this nation – if we would have become a nation at all – would be vastly different. As it turned out, the Pilgrims infused their religion and ethics into the very fabric of America, recreating this land in their image. The Mayflower Compact which they drafted firmly established America as an outpost of Christianity – an asylum for all who wished to be free and worship their God in peace.

Paul Strand has observed of our Pilgrim ancestors:

“The Pilgrims didn’t just give America Thanksgiving celebrations. They believed religious freedom and liberty were worth dying for. They made the Bible America’s most-read guide to life. And the Pilgrims’ covenant with God and man in 1620 and the form of self-rule they pioneered would eventually shape America’s Constitution and the entire government.”

This Thanksgiving, let us remember that the Pilgrims “toiled and dared and endured so much for God and for us.” They set the example of writing constitutions to bind people together in voluntary compacts for the greater good and for the advancement of Christendom. They left us a legacy of fervent faith in God Almighty, as well as an example of hard work and perseverance. These good men and women would not have seen themselves as heroes, but we rightly view them today as larger-than-life figures who crossed an ocean, left behind everything they knew, tamed a wilderness, forged a new nation through written contracts, and did their best to put into practice their noble values.

I give sincere thanks on this special day to my God for the Pilgrims, including for my own Strong family – past and present. I cherish the heritage of Faith, Family, and Freedom handed down by these faithful individuals. God help us remember them, honor their sacrifices, and reenthrone their values – the values that made America great – so that we may win for ourselves and our countrymen God’s marvelous protection, blessings, and grace. All of this and more can we accomplish if we will do as our forebears did and enter into a covenant to serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ. Happy Thanksgiving.

Zack Strong,

November 26, 2020

Three Things I’m Thankful For

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“O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth forever.” – Psalm 136:1

Gratitude is an underrated quality. It has the capacity to expand our souls, lighten our burdens, humble us, give us greater perspective, and fill us with hope. In our me-centered society, however, we often forget to remember the myriad of things our Creator has given us, our family and friends have done for us, and which we enjoy as sojourners in the marvelous 21st Century. With Thanksgiving just days away, we have the perfect opportunity to express our gratitude and tell people how good God has been to us and why life is not the drudgery we often depict it as.

Among the myriad of things for which I’m grateful, three stand out during this particular season: My Faith, Family, and Freedom. I will endeavor to explain why each means so much to me. As you read, I invite you to consider those things that are truly important to you. I also invite you to share them publicly. Together, we can inspire others to count their blessings as well and thus brighten the world in some measure.

Faith

Of all the things that have blessed and shaped my life, none has done so more than my faith in, and witness of, Jesus Christ. By the power of the Holy Ghost, I know that Jesus Christ, that humble Man of Nazareth, is the Son of God, the resurrected Redeemer, and the Lord of lords. He died on the Cross of Calvary, but He yet lives in a perfected form, with a body of flesh and bone (Luke 24:36-43). As sure as I know any other thing, I know that my Savior lives.

I’m grateful for the influence the Gospel of Jesus Christ has had in my life. The precepts of the Master have informed my politics and principles and have directed my decisions in every aspect of life. Whatever good qualities I possess today are a result of my faltering attempt to follow the Lord. I’m truly thankful that He does not cast us off when we fail to follow Him perfectly. Instead, the Savior reaches out, takes us by the hand, mentors us, shows us the way, and helps us take each baby step forward when we let Him.

The Lord has always been with me and has helped me – even, and perhaps especially, when I didn’t deserve it. In times I’ve been low, He has raised me up. In times of deep depression, He has been there to comfort me. In times of sorrow for my sins, He has wiped away my tears and lifted me one inch at a time. In times of need, He has provided. In times of stress, He has calmed me when I turned to Him in prayer. In times of joy, He has smiled with me. In times of inspiration, He has assisted me and given me energy to create, evaluate, and excel. And in times of love, He has embraced me and allowed me to feel His infinite love for me.

I’m grateful for the host of answered prayers I’ve received. In big things and in little things, my Father in Heaven has answered my prayers. I can’t claim that every prayer I’ve uttered has been answered, but when I need it most, He always hears me and responds. Moments ago, as I was writing this article, He answered a small prayer. No one can tell me that prayer doesn’t work. It does. I know it does. I’ve had too many experiences to ever believe otherwise. Often, Father has answered my prayers in powerful and immediate ways, obliterating all doubt in my heart about whether He lives and loves me.

I can stand before the world today and declare that I know my Eternal Father lives, that His Son, Jesus Christ, is the Redeemer of mankind, and that the Holy Spirit imparts the truth of these things to the honest seeker of truth. I’m grateful for this knowledge! I’m grateful that I am a son of my living Father in Heaven. I’m grateful to be a follower of the true Messiah, Jesus Christ. And I’m thankful that the Holy Spirit has

In my personal life, as in society, faith is the first and most important principle. As individuals, and as a civilization, we must turn our hearts back to Christ. We must begin to believe in His law, love, and mercy once again. We must make the Gospel a part of our daily lives and public conversation. The name of the Lord must be repeated in our hearts, homes, schools, government buildings, and places of worship. Only by reviving and preserving our Faith and becoming a godly society once more can we escape the traps set for us by the enemy of our souls.

I’m sincerely grateful that Faith still burns brightly in the hearts of millions of my countrymen. A remnant of faithful followers of the Lord Jehovah is rising. Let’s show our gratitude to our Savior this Thanksgiving by inviting Him into our hearts and homes. Let’s pray together in His name, read the holy scriptures in our families, publicly express our thanks to Him and our Father, and go about doing good as He did during His mortal ministry and as He continues to do today.

Family

The family is the most important unit in society. Society is but a mirror image of the families that comprise it. If society fails, it is because its families failed first. Truly, society is won or lost at the dinner table. This Thanksgiving, I encourage you to gather your family around you, regardless of the discouragement of politicians and the media, and tell them how much they mean to you. I also take this opportunity to express my heartfelt gratitude to God for my family, and to my family for the blessing they’ve been in my life.

Not only do I feel grateful beyond measure for my parents and siblings, without whom I wouldn’t have made it this far in life, but for my own new little family. Last year, I married my beautiful wife. This year, we invited a sweet little girl into our home. My little Evie is the thing I’m most grateful for. I’m thankful for her endless abundance of smiles. No matter what I’m feeling, her radiant smile warms me and makes me smile, too. I’m grateful for her sweetness. I can feel love and joy radiate from her spirit and from her gorgeous, ever-changing hazel eyes. Evie is a reminder to me of what’s really important in life; a living reminder that God is good and wants us to be happy.

The children of God are designed to be happy. The place they can experience the greatest amount of growth, fulfillment, and joy is in the family. It was not happenstance that Father commanded Adam and Eve to unite as “one flesh” and to “be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth” (Genesis 1:28; Genesis 2:24). The family is the incubator of goodness, civility, citizenship, chivalry, manners, refinement, charity, purity, faith, love, and happiness.

I’m grateful for my upbringing by my parents. They taught me the best they could to know and love God. They taught me about the world. They gave me good examples. I learned the value of hard work and study from my Dad, and the value of selflessness and charity from my Mom. My sisters and brother have also been a source of joy and help. My family are my best friends. And I’m thrilled to add my wife, who tries so hard to be a good mother, and my amazing daughter to that list of best friends forever.

I encourage each of you to spend as much time with your family as possible. We often get so busy in this fast-paced world we live in that we neglect what matters most – our family. An old adage says: Love is spelled T-I-M-E. And so it is. Give your family your time. Husbands, set aside time for your wives. Wives, carve our time just for your husband. Parents, always give the maximum amount of time to your children. Siblings, spend your time with your brothers and sisters. Families that devote their time to God and to each other are families that will survive the storms of life.

Again, I’m more thankful than I can say for my family, my wife, and my little girl. They make life meaningful. Life would be bland without them. I’d lose my motivation to research, write, and do the things I do without the knowledge that it is all to give my family a better world to live in.

Freedom

Our Faith and Families, as wonderful and indispensable as they are, ultimately mean very little without Freedom. Freedom is the spice of life. We are each endowed by God with sacred rights to enjoy and exercise, the agency to choose our course, and personal accountability for our actions. It is Freedom that allows us to worship our God, enjoy our families, and find fulfillment in life. I’m grateful that though it is battered and bruised, Freedom still exists.

I’ve lived on multiple continents and have several years of experience in foreign lands under different systems of government and law. Without question, there is more Liberty in the United States than anywhere else on this planet. And I say this while also acknowledging that we have lost a tremendous amount of our Freedom because of the machinations of traitors. Yet, despite what we’ve lost, we still possess our basic rights, albeit in an embattled state – the right of free speech, the right of assembly, the right of due process, the right to worship the god of our choice, the right to keep and bear arms for self-defense, the right of private property, the right of habeas corpus, and so forth.

I’m grateful for my God-given rights and the inspired Constitution which safeguards them. I’m thankful for the wise and patriotic men who founded America and raised up a free society on its solid foundation of Freedom. I’m grateful for the American heritage of Liberty, Independence, and resistance to tyrants – a heritage unequaled anywhere in the world. I’m thankful for the right to choose my own path in life, which includes my choice to follow the Savior and to be with my wife and daughter. Liberty is the most indispensable of all blessings because it enables all the rest.

I encourage you to exercise your Freedom this Thanksgiving by denying the despotic demands of tyrants who would keep you away from your family on this special holiday. Use your agency and choose to gather with your family, sharing your testimony of God and your sincerest feelings of gratitude with them. We say, “Let Freedom ring.” But Freedom cannot ring if we stifle it in our personal lives. Use your rights, exercise your agency, and show that you are a free individual.

Yes, I’m so very thankful for my Freedom! It is the catalyst for enjoying my Faith and my Family. It is the supreme gem in the crown of blessings given by our Heavenly Father. Without it, nothing else matters. With it, we can choose what matters to us. Choose to exalt, observe, and exercise your Faith, Family, and Freedom this Thanksgiving.

A Challenge

Dear reader, gratitude matters. An attitude of gratitude will go a long way toward healing our broken society. It will bring greater peace and perspective into your life. It will also bring the blessings of Heaven into your home because God our Father loves and prospers those who acknowledge His hand in their lives.

I urge you take this special opportunity to express your gratitude to everyone you can. I invite you to adopt the challenge laid down by Russell M. Nelson, the prophet-president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He challenged us to do two things during this Thanksgiving season:

“Over nine and a half decades of life, I have concluded that counting our blessings is far better than recounting our problems. No matter our situation, showing gratitude for our privileges is a fast-acting and long-lasting spiritual prescription. . . .

“As a doctor, I know the value of good therapy. So, dear friends, may I prescribe two activities to help us experience the healing power of gratitude. First, I invite you, just for the next seven days, to turn social media into your own personal gratitude journal. Post every day about what you are grateful far, who you are grateful for, and why you are grateful. At the end of seven days, see if you feel happier and more at peace . . . Working together, we can flood social media with a wave of gratitude that reaches the four corners of the earth.

“Second, let us unite in thanking God through daily prayer. Jesus Christ taught His disciples to pray by first expressing gratitude to God and then petitioning Him for the things we need. Prayer brings forth miracles.”

I know that during those times when I’ve consistently expressed greater gratitude and focused on what’s good in my life instead of what’s wrong in the world, I have felt more Heavenly power, light, and joy. I therefore know that President Nelson’s challenge, if heeded, will yield good fruit.

Let us all work harder to cultivate an attitude of gratitude so that we may reap the blessings of peace and happiness it provides. This Thanksgiving, choose to be grateful. Express your love and sincere thanks to your God, your family, and your fellow beings, even for the smallest of things. This day and always, choose gratitude!

Zack Strong,

November 20, 2020

Give Thanks and Mean It

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Each Thanksgiving, American families gather and gorge themselves on turkey, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie. They watch football, laugh together, and then go back and eat some more. In all the revelry, how many of us stop and remember the purpose of the holiday we’re commemorating? What are we supposed to be thankful for anyway? And is our gratitude verbal only or do we show it in our actions? This Thanksgiving, I make a plea for Americans everywhere to give thanks and mean it.

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Let’s start at the beginning – the purpose of the holiday. The designation of the fourth Thursday in November to be Thanksgiving was made on October 3, 1863 by President Abraham Lincoln. I rank President Lincoln as one of America’s top five worst presidents and one of the biggest violators of the Constitution to ever occupy the White House. However, he talked a good talk and his praise for God often waxed eloquent. His 1863 proclamation read in part:

“The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God . . . It has seemed to me fit and proper that [the gracious gifts of the Most High God] should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union.”

From 1863 to the present, Thanksgiving has been annually observed on the fourth Thursday in November. The purpose of the holiday, ostensibly, is the same: To acknowledge that our blessings, deliverance, and prosperity come from Almighty God and to give our praise to Him for His mercy and watchful care over our People and Republic.

The practice of proclaiming days of thanksgiving, fasting, and prayer, however, dates back much earlier. They date back to the first years of white settlement in the New World. The practice became more formalized when on October 3, 1789, George Washington became the first president to call for a national day of thanks. I reproduce his presidential proclamation in full:

“Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor—and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me “to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.”

“Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be—That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks—for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation—for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war—for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed—for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted—for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

“And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions—to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually—to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed—to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord—To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and us—and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.”

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The purpose of the United States’ first Thanksgiving was for our People to give religious devotion to “that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be.” We were meant to express gratitude to God for his “signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of [the War for Independence].” Americans were intended to thank the Lord for the “tranquility, union, and plenty” which they enjoyed in their blessed country. Additionally, President Washington wanted the American People to “unite it the most humbly offering of prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations” for forgiveness of their “national and other transgressions.” This first day of thanks was intended to also “promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among . . . us.”

In other words, Thanksgiving was set apart as a day of religious service for the expression of gratitude, the increase of our faith in the Lord, the spread of wholesome Christian values, and a general increase in light and knowledge. It was a distinctly Christian holiday. Jesus Christ was its center. It was in His holy name that the American People were intended to offer their thanks and devotions to Almighty God.

Americans have more to be grateful for than any other people on the planet. In his Inaugural Address of April 30, 1789, President George Washington acknowledged this fact. He stated:

“No People can be bound to acknowledge and adore the invisible hand, which conducts the Affairs of men more than the People of the United States. Every step, by which they have advanced to the character of an independent nation, seems to have been distinguished by some token of providential agency.”

God’s hand was present not merely in the War for Independence. His influence was to be seen everywhere. He poured out His blessings upon the American People, guided us in creating our unique and unsurpassed system of law known as the Constitution, blessed us with order and industriousness, gave us power and influence, planted the standard of Christianity and religious devotion in our hearts, prospered us with fields and flocks and bountiful harvest and almost unlimited resources, and made of the most blessed People on the planet.

Modern leftists claim this is a “chauvinistic” attitude, but it’s the truth: Americans are the most blessed People on earth. After spending time in France as ambassador and touring Europe, Thomas Jefferson wrote home to his good friend and future president James Monroe:

“my god! how little do my countrymen know what precious blessings they are in possession of, and which no other people on earth enjoy. I confess I had no idea of it myself. while we shall see multiplied instances of Europeans going to live in America, I will venture to say no man now living will ever see an instance of an American removing to settle in Europe & continuing there” (Thomas Jefferson to James Monroe, June 17, 1785).

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Anyone who has ever visited or lived abroad must make the same declaration. Nowhere I have ever lived or traveled, be it Russia, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Canada, Ukraine, Lithuania, or Panama, even comes close to matching the superior blessings we enjoy in the United States. Whenever I return to my country from abroad, I feel lighter and happier. There’s a unique feeling in America. There’s a current in the atmosphere that emits hope and solidarity with the great Freedom fighters of the past. You stand on soil trod by men like Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, Madison, Adams, Henry, the Pilgrims, the Pioneers, the frontiersmen, and others. Yes, America is a blessed land – the Promised Land of God.

Despite our decaying culture, mob government, and imploding society – all brought about by communist infiltrators and apathy on the part of people who should be most concerned with maintaining our Republic – the United States is still the best country on earth. We have the most potential of any People. We have an unsurpassed heritage of Freedom and the example of the Founding Fathers to guide us. We have the greatest means of overthrowing the “rulers of the darkness of this world” (Ephesians 6:12) of any nation. We have tens of millions of people in whose hearts still burn the fires of Liberty. There are millions of Americans like me who love their Faith, Families, and Freedom and who will die before surrendering them. The Establishment be warned.

Now on to the second portion of this article. How do you show that you are grateful to be an American and that you are are thankful for your unrivaled blessings? I suggest three things each of us can do to show our gratitude by our conduct:

1) Become informed, alert, and aware

2) Vote correctly

3) Turn to God

The first thing we can do to show that we are grateful for the Liberty we’ve been given and the sacrifices our ancestors have made to hand us these blessings is to become aware of them. Despite living in the technology age and having the collective learning of humanity at our fingertips, we’re woefully uninformed. We don’t know our history. We’ve lost touch with our heritage, roots, and traditions. With a few exceptions, we don’t know the names of the figures who made America great. We don’t know their stories. We don’t know the sacrifices our People made to forge a well-ordered, prosperous, and free civilization on this previously barbarous continent. We take it all for granted.

Because we take for granted our Freedom, we ignore the threats to it. After all, if you don’t understand one, you can’t understand the other. We are oblivious to the forces chipping away at our rights, sapping our wealth, stirring up division, seeking for power over us, and transforming our government into an oligarchy of Elitists in which we – the average citizens – have no say.

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It is an insult to the purpose of Thanksgiving to continue on in our ignorance. President Washington pleaded for us to “promote . . . knowledge . . . and the encrease of science” in vain if we don’t take advantage of our means of education to learn correct principles, real history, and truth. Surely an indispensable part of giving thanks for the profound blessings our country has enjoyed is to be aware of the dangers that threaten to strip us of those very blessings. We must be alert. We must awaken. We must become aware of what’s going on in our community and society. And we must take a stand against all forces which would deprive us of those things for which we unite each November to give thanks – namely, our Faith, Families, and Freedom.

The second thing Americans can do to show their gratitude this Thanksgiving is to determine to vote correctly. And yes, there is a right and a wrong way to vote. Voting for candidates of any party whose principles and personal character conflict with the founding vision of America, with the principles of our inspired Constitution, or with that which is in our People’s best interest, is the wrong way to vote. And voting for individuals of any party whose principles and character are in harmony with the founding vision of America, most importantly with our inspired Constitution and the Christian values which undergird it, is the only correct way to vote.

Resolve this Thanksgiving to do everything in your power to ensure that the blessings you enjoy will still exist for the next generation to enjoy as well. You can help bring this about by removing from office all derelict representatives from their posts and replacing them with worthy stewards of our rights. Determine now to be more active in rejecting all parties, programs, and people whose principles conflict with those values and standards which made America great in the first place and caused our forefathers to institute solemn days of thanksgiving. Instead, use your inherent power to support only those ideas, institutions, and individuals which are truly American in character.

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Third, and most importantly, you can show your gratitude by turning more fully to God. No matter how committed you may be to the Savior, there isn’t a single person who can’t become more Christlike, more righteous, more selfless, more charitable, more loving, and more faithful. I have long been of the opinion that the only thing that can truly save our Republic is repentance. Repentance is the remedy we seek. Unless we repent, our society cannot survive.

What is repentance? To most, repentance is a scary word evoking thoughts of stiff punishment, cold tribunals, public shaming, profound embarrassment, and harsh judgment. This false conception was introduced to Christendom only after the martyrdom of the Lord’s apostles who knew better. The original sense of the Hebrew concept of repentance is “to turn.” To repent is to turn away from sin and to turn to God. It means to turn away from harmful practices – adultery, substance abuse, theft, murder, lying, and so forth – and to turn to good works, charity, compassion, faith, and love. Repentance is the most hopeful word in our language.

Repentance is not only the most hopeful word in the English language, but is also our most desperately needed act. It is the remedy to our society’s problems. Until we generously apply this remedy and become true disciples of Jesus Christ, things will continue to spiral out of control. This Thanksgiving, we can show that we are truly grateful for our blessings by recommitting ourselves to lives of purity and goodness. Our Savior “went about doing good” (Acts 10:38) and so should we. Emulating our Lord’s example expresses the ultimate gratitude.

For those who are not Christian, I commend to you a quote by the great Benjamin Franklin. He said: “A virtuous Heretick shall be saved before a wicked Christian” (Benjamin Franklin, “Dialogue Between Two Presbyterians,” April 10, 1735). However, I also invite you to “come and see” (John 1:39) what the Lord’s Gospel offers. It truly offers the abundant life (John 10:10). It is the only path that leads to eternal happiness (Matthew 7:13-14).

An additional word about national repentance, or turning to God, seems prudent as our society comes together to ostensibly worship God. In ancient times, the Lord told His people that if they repented, or turned from their incorrect traditions to correct and worthy ways, He would forgive them and prosper their land. He was anxious to forgive them and bless them, but that blessing depended upon their repentance, righteousness, and faithfulness. Note the marvelous blessings the Lord promises to peoples who turn to Him:

“Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the Lord . . . they are gone away backward.

“Why should ye be stricken any more? . . . .

“Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers. . . .

“Hear the word of the Lord . . . give ear unto the law of our God. . . .

“Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;

“Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge [i.e. do justice to] the fatherless, plead for the widow.

“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

“If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land” (Isaiah 1:4-5, 7, 10, 16-19).

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Similar blessings are pronounced in the more popular declarations found in the following passages of the Bible:

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14).

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord” (Psalm 33:12).

This Thanksgiving, the most important thing we can do to express our gratitude is to humble ourselves before God, turn to His Son, and commit ourselves to living lives of goodness that harmonize with the commandments. We ought to, as the Father of our Country implored, “unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions.” To repent is to improve and rededicate our lives to the Lord. Let’s unite in recommitting ourselves, as a People, to our great God.

My fellow Americans, we have so much to be grateful for! We have more reason to give thanks than any other group of people who have ever lived. We are richly blessed. However, our blessings are beginning to dry up because we have allowed the sickness of sin to rot our culture, replace our Faith in Christ with trust in science and the faux “wisdom” of men, destroy too many our Families, and gnaw away at our Freedom under the law. Yet, notwithstanding the serious challenges that face us, we’re still the greatest society on earth and we have, without any doubt, the greatest potential of any people to overcome our challenges and shine again.

America was founded to become a shining city on a hill. We were meant to be a refuge for the oppressed of mankind – a haven for those who want to live in peace, breathe free air, raise their families without micromanaging, and worship God as they see fit. For a long time, this vision was a burgeoning reality. Because of our apathy, historical forgetfulness, and immorality, however, we have fallen to a large extent. In order to revive America, we must: 1) Become informed about our history and alert to the dangers threatening us; 2) vote according to principle and support only individuals, ideas, and institutions that conform to the unique principles of Americanism and the Gospel of Jesus Christ; and 3) turn our hearts back to the Lord and become a righteous People once again.

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I hope you will take the opportunity this Thanksgiving to teach your family the history of the holiday. Teach your children that our national blessings come from the Lord and that their continuation depends upon our faithfulness. Teach them to rely upon God and to kneel down and give thanks to Him. Teach them that Jesus is the God of this blessed land.

This year, as you gather with your families, give thanks from the bottom of your heart for everything the Lord has blessed you with and for everything He has blessed this country with. Give thanks for your God-given rights. Give thanks to live in the most incredible and prosperous nation on earth. Give thanks for the Constitution and its sublime principles. Give thanks for the unsurpassed heritage of Liberty we have as Americans. Give thanks for your Faith, Family, and Freedom. Yes, give thanks and mean it!

Zack Strong,

November 28, 2019

Thank God that You Are an American

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On this Thanksgiving, I want to forego all negativity and simply express my gratitude for the unsurpassed blessings we enjoy as Americans. In a letter written from France, a nostalgic Thomas Jefferson exclaimed: “My God! How little do my countrymen know what precious blessings they are in possession of, and which no other people on earth enjoy!” (Thomas Jefferson to James Monroe, June 17, 1785). My sincerest feelings echo Jefferson’s. Fellow American – you possess more blessings, privileges, opportunities, power, and influence by virtue of your citizenship in the blessed United States than the people of any nation, kingdom, or empire now or in the past have ever enjoyed.

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America is great because of the generous blessings of Almighty God. Our forefathers were righteous men and women who worshiped Jesus Christ and lived according to the noble principles of the Bible. Contrary to what the detractors claim, America was founded as a Christian confederation – a shining city on a hill. The first Pilgrims covenanted with each other to establish a new nation “for the glory of God, and advancement of the Christian faith.” From day one, America was dedicated by its humble settlers as a Christian country.

Because early Americans possessed a heartfelt witness of their peculiar place in history and the bounty of blessings their Creator had bestowed upon them, they lived righteously and Heaven showed her blessings upon them. Early Americans understood that “righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34). Because they were righteous and cherished public virtue, the Lord richly blessed the colonies and, later, the American Republic. Without the faith in Christ burning in their hearts, our forefathers simply would have never advanced as they did but would have become like the stagnant, degenerate, unfree fiefdoms of Europe.

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The historical record is proof that God has loved, favored, and blessed America above all other nations. Never has a nation risen to greatness so quickly as did the United States. Never has a nation achieved such global power and influence. Never before has a People claimed as many rights and Liberties as has the American People. No people has ever enjoyed the same level of prosperity and wealth as ours. Never has a land possessed so many raw resources and cultivated them into useful products. Never has a people been so industrious and consequently been placed in such a lofty position to benefit others as has ours. Never has a nation possessed a written Constitution that has provided for a stable government for so many years.

Furthermore, many of the world’s greatest inventions have come from the United States. The car, airplane, light bulb, radio, telephone, cotton gin, thresher, assembly line, suspension bridge, electric guitar, air conditioning, refrigerator, frozen food, washer and dryer, computer, CD, internet, GPS, atomic energy, laser technology, machine gun, Kevlar, fiber optics, and a thousand other useful technologies found their birth in our great nation. No nation has given so much to the world. And it all comes back to the righteousness of our American forefathers, for which they were blessed bountifully by Heaven.

Do we take these blessings for granted? Do we take our privileged and blessed lifestyle for granted? Or do we consciously acknowledge how blessed we are? Do we fall to our knees and thank God for what He has done for our forefathers and what He has done for us? Do we remember to be grateful in our daily prayers? Do we feel true gratitude in our hearts for the unsurpassed blessings we enjoy – blessings which most of the world cannot even fathom?

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When you take to the internet to complain about your government, do you ever stop to think how blessed you are that we have a Constitution that defends our right to speak out? When you hop into your car and drive to the store, do you think how easy travel, getting food, and exchanging goods has become? When you prepare a Thanksgiving feast for your family, do you pause to reflect how all of these good foods ended up on your table and how easy it was to obtain, preserve, and prepare them? When you flip on the TV or flip a light switch, do you remember your ancestors who struggled and toiled to give them to you? Do you pause in the rush of modern life to give gratitude to God for all these things that you take for granted, but which not even the greatest kings in ancient days could have imagined having?

This Thanksgiving day, let’s remember our ancestors. Let’s remember the God-fearing Pilgrims who settled this land, the Sons of Liberty and Founding Fathers who won American Independence with their blood, and all of our forefathers who built such an amazing, unsurpassed, unequalled edifice of greatness and handed it to us on a silver platter. Let us not begrudgingly give thanks to our God for His innumerable blessings upon our People. Rather, let’s give cheerfully, for “God loveth a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7).

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On this Thanksgiving holiday, let’s turn our hearts to Jesus Christ. Let’s draw our families close around us. Let’s pray together and give thanks together for the glorious Freedom we enjoy. Let us never be guilty of ingratitude; no, not to our stalwart ancestors and not to our loving Heavenly Father. When you get on your knees to pray today both as an individual and with your families, thank God that you are an American. Thank Him that He has bestowed so many blessings upon this Promised Land, that He freed our People from European tyranny, that He has preserved us as a unified nation for all these years, that He has allowed our inspired Constitution to remain the supreme law of the land, and that He has poured out an unequalled flood of light, knowledge, and truth upon our People.

God bless America! God bless you and your family! And God preserve us in Liberty so long as we turn to Him and remember to thank Him for our daily blessings – blessings which no other nation on earth enjoys in such abundance.

Zack Strong,

November 21, 2018.