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

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