Latter-day Saints hold a particular interest in honoring the Constitution of the United States of America. While we are not alone in our belief that the hand of the Almighty helped shape this governing document, we are alone in our belief that divine revelation confirms this truth.
In a revelation given to Joseph Smith, the Lord revealed that, '...I established the Constitution of this land, by the hands of wise men whom I raised up unto this very purpose...' (D&C 101: 80).
In Federalist Paper Number 37, founding father James Madison gave his opinion that 'It is impossible for the man of pious reflection not to perceive in it a finger of that Almighty hand which has been so frequently and signally extended to our relief in the critical state of the Revolution.'
Such declarations, however, do not mean that the U.S. Constitution should be taken word for word as scripture. President J. Reuben Clark referred to the Constitution as not being a 'fully grown document.' It still needed some refinement.
Elder Dallin H. Oaks said, 'Personally, I have never considered it necessary to defend every line of the Constitution as scriptural. For example, I find nothing scriptural in the compromise on slaver.'
Likewise, President Joseph Smith argued that no man was a greater supporter of the Constitution than he, but that the powers given to the federal government were not broad enough. In the aftermath of the Saints being driven from Missouri and their failure to obtain a redress of grievances from President Van Buren, President Smith lamented a federal government that was so weak that it couldn't protect its own citizens from mobocracy. Speaking of Missouri, he said 'there is no justice for a Mormon in that state.' This very issue of state versus federal rights was the driving force behind his decision to run for president of the United States in 1844.
Despite its flaws, the Constitution has served our nation well and has indeed proven to be inspired. Although every word cannot be taken as scripture, the core elements of the separation of powers, the division of state and federal powers, a Bill of Rights to guarantee individual liberties and a healthy relationship between church and state are the inspired fundamentals of the Constitution.
The 'miracle at Philadelphia' allowed for a liberal democracy and a 'vigorous government' that still allowed for the substantive practice of religion. Subsequent attempts to merge the two were not always successful as one element often marginalized the other.
After his stay in America during the 1830s, French essayist and philosopher Alexis de Tocqueville wrote, 'Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits aflame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius. America is great because America is good. If America ever ceases to be good, it will cease to be great.'
It was in this atmosphere that the gospel was restored and it was the Constitution that allowed this.
Latter-day Saints should particularly reverence the Constitution because of the crucial role that it played in the restoration of the gospel. President Wilford Woodruff taught that the United States of America was the only country where the restoration of the gospel could have taken place.
While the early Saints faced persecution and arguably did not enjoy the liberties guaranteed by the Constitution they held as being divinely inspired, the Constitution did make the restoration possible.
Two hundred and twenty years later, the Constitution is the oldest written constitution in the world. It was the first written constitution when it was ratified and it has served as a model for the many other countries' constitutions that have followed.
The Daily Universe honors the Constitution as a divinely inspired document. It has stood the test of time. We continue to see its wisdom as our country faces new challenges. We are grateful for those 'wise men' who put aside their regional loyalties for the sake of national unity and we are thankful for the God that, in the words of the Doctrine and Covenants, 'raised up.'
This editorial represents the opinion of The Daily Universe editorial board. Opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of BYU, its administration or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.