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Sabbath Devotional :: On Patriotism
Ten years ago, my husband got a job teaching music in the Bronx. We packed up our four kids and took the scenic route from our home in Utah to New York state, where I had never been. As we followed the GPS, we drove into upstate New York from Pennsylvania, and I was awestruck by the beauty. I was also surprised by the emotion I felt. I felt as if I were coming home, to the place where I belong. I felt the spirit very strongly telling me that I was on sacred ground. Well, that made sense. Upstate New York is where Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared…
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Sabbath Devotional :: Thoughts on the Lyrics of Liberty
In many churches and chapels around the U.S. today, congregations will sing patriotic songs. One probable candidate is “America the Beautiful,” which was quickly drafted by Katherine Lee Bates in 1893 when she visited Pikes Peak. She wrote of the experience: One day some of the other teachers and I decided to go on a trip to 14,000-foot Pikes Peak. We hired a prairie wagon. Near the top we had to leave the wagon and go the rest of the way on mules. I was very tired. But when I saw the view, I felt great joy. All the wonder of America seemed displayed there, with the sea-like expanse. The…
