Last night I was watching Charly, the movie based on the book by Jack Weyland. There’s a line in it that I thought was quite profound. “Earth’s crammed with Heaven and every common bush afire with God, but only he who sees, takes off his shoes.” As we approach our Independence Day, I am amazed at the faith it took our forefathers to leave England and come to this new land and then to fight for and gain their independence and forge a new nation. The evidence of God’s influence on the founding of this country is woven throughout the history and the documents of that time. Steps were taken to insure all freedoms, such as the freedom to worship. In the Constitution, provisions were made to separate church and state, to prevent a government-run religion such as the one they had left in England.

The motto of this nation, which is on our currency, is “In God We Trust.” I think that says it all. But as you look around these days, it seems we have forgotten our meager beginnings. There are those out there who deny the existence of God. There are some who believe in God, but don’t know where to find Him. There also those whose “God” is some worldly thing such as those with addictions or who seek the approval of the world. And there are those who’ve been taught correct principles and then somehow lose their way and abandon them. As I observe life around me, it seems that those people who are firmly grounded in the principles of the Gospel are the most happy and successful. They cling to their faith in times of trial and it gets them through the stormiest of seas. These are they who see, who know God’s plan.

In everything around us, we can see God. He is there in a thousand tiny ways if we will just look. It seems to me that today, more than ever, we need people who see. We need people who will stand up and fight for the values that this country was founded on. We need people who will not forget God in everything they do. We need people who will fight for the family, who will take a stand against things that would destroy it. We need people who are not afraid to speak up, even if its just by voting, when a law or proposition violates the moral principles we believe in. Granted, it will not always be the easy or the popular thing to do, but as was said in War and Peace, “All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.” The war for independence still goes on today. It is a different sort of war than the one in 1776. It is more a war of ideas and values and is just as important as the first one in preserving this country. The national anthem sums this up best,

“O! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war’s desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav’n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: “In God is our trust.”
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!”
(The Star Spangled Banner, Verse 4 by Francis Scott Key)

Last weekend I saw the new movie The Karate Kid. It was well done and a good retooling of the original story. I found myself cheering for the hero kid and cringing when he got hurt. And as I left the theater I felt uplifted and ready to take on the world. What is it about this story that has such a lasting and broad appeal? Is it the universal themes of overcoming adversity and forgiveness that keep us coming back?

First we have Dre, a young boy who moves to a new place and is bullied. Then there is Mr. Han, a maintenance man with a painful past who becomes Dre’s teacher. Dre trains with Mr. Han to fight the bully in a tournament. At one point Dre wants to go home, back where they moved from. It is the same for all of us in overcoming trials and tribulations. We have to work to overcome our weaknesses or other adversity. It may take months and sometimes even longer. Sometimes we may feel like we’d rather go back to an earlier time. We may wish to escape our trials and go back to when things were easier. But it is in stepping out of our comfort zone that we grow. Like Dre going to Mr. Han, we can turn to others who have been through trials for guidance. That’s why we have parents, friends, and leaders.

After the tournament, the bully and his teammates grow to respect Dre. It is his choice whether or not to accept the change in them or not. When we have been wronged, it can be hard to forgive those who have wronged us. We may feel justified in our anger. But, a grudge hurts the one holding it the most. Sometimes the hardest thing of all is to forgive ourselves. Mr. Han has a point where he must learn to forgive himself for past mistakes. If we cling to the past we cannot move forward. Sometimes we might find ourselves going over and over a bad choice we have made. This is counterproductive. It is like beating a dead horse. It’s over and there is nothing that can be done to change it. We must learn from it and then move on.

None of this change and growth comes easily or quickly. Alma the Younger was wracked for days with the guilt of what he had done. It was so bad he wished to be dead rather than continue feeling what he was feeling. In the end he was able to forgive himself and set about doing great work in building the Lord’s kingdom. There is a modern adaptation of his story called Turn Around. It follows a young man who has gone off the straight and narrow path and is making all the wrong choices. After a near death experience he endeavors to change his life. It is not easy. In fact, it is a lengthy process and he has to prove to himself and to those he wronged that he has changed. He perseveres and is able to turn his life around.

The last thing we need is to be willing to change. We need to have the right attitude. We need to be humble and teachable. If we don’t want to change, no power on earth will move us. In The Karate Kid, as his Kung Fu skills improve, Dre’s attitude and who he is on the inside change as well. He becomes more confident and doesn’t back down. But it wasn’t until he began to listen to Mr. Han and do what he was told that things began to turn around. We must listen to the Holy Ghost as he prompts us to change and to repent. This week’s challenge is to listen and to make the changes we need to in our lives.

Every year certain holidays come around. Most of us know where the big ones came from such as Christmas, Easter, Valentine’s Day, etc. But some of the less commercialized holidays have more humble beginnings. Father’s Day came about because of the efforts of a daughter who wanted to honor her dad.

Sonora Smart Dodd of Spokane, Washington was inspired to create the holiday after hearing a sermon at church about the newly instituted Mother’s Day. Her father had raised his family alone after his wife died giving birth to his 6th child. In 1909 Sonora enlisted the help of the Spokane Ministerial Association and arranged for a celebration of fatherhood in her hometown. On June 19, 1910, young members of the YMCA went to church wearing roses: a red rose to honor a living father, and a white rose to honor a deceased one. Sonora rode through town in a horse-drawn carriage, carrying gifts to shut-in fathers.

It took several years to make the holiday official. While Mother’s Day was lauded with praise, Father’s Day was often met with laughter. After several attempts through Congress, it was President Lyndon Johnson who issued the first proclamation honoring fathers. And in 1972 President Richard Nixon signed a bill finally making Father’s Day an official holiday. Father’s Day is celebrated in 55 countries and in many different ways in those countries.

In the United States we honor our fathers on the third Sunday in June. But we should honor them everyday. The love and care of parents is special. And there is another father we should remember on this special day as well, our Heavenly Father. He is there to listen to our joys and our grief. He is infinitely patient with our mortal stumbles. He loves us with out qualification. So this year in addition to celebrating your earthly father, take a moment to honor your Heavenly Father and thank Him for all your blessings. Give Him the gift of recommitting yourself to doing all you can to come back to Him.

Larry H. Miller is a name that is practically synonymous with the state of Utah. But for those living elsewhere that name may not mean much to you…yet. To some he was known as the owner of the NBA basketball team, the Utah Jazz. To others, he was the owner of several car dealerships or the guy whose name was on the megaplex theater chain. But Larry Miller was more than just a successful businessman. He was a family man and a generous philanthropist. He supported wonderful businesses and projects, such as the Joseph Smith Papers. He simply loved Utah and wanted to make it great.

At a memorial during the first Jazz game after he died, a video clip was played from an interview he gave. He was asked how he wanted to be remembered. Brother Miller stated that he wanted to be remembered as someone who loved Utah. He gave much to the citizens of the state and left a legacy and example that people living anywhere can follow.

In his younger years, he was an accomplished athlete. He played baseball. As time went on he became a husband and a father to 5 children. He began to find success in various businesses and in later years gave generously of the money he made to help various causes. He was a man who lived life to the fullest until his health forced him to slow down — but even then he didn’t stop. Just prior to his passing, the Jazz had a game. From his hospital bed he asked his wife how the team did and was elated that they had won.

Brother Miller was a humble man and didn’t go about doing his good deeds for others to see. On the night he died, network programming was interrupted by a press conference to talk about this wonderful man. I learned more in that 45 min press conference about him than I ever did when he was alive. His was a life lived full steam ahead.

At the pregame memorial I mentioned earlier, it ended simply with a white rose lying across the courtside chair where he had always sat. A beam of light was cast over the solitary rose. Somehow it seemed fitting to honor a life lived so fully and yet humbly in this simple way. It makes me think about the kind of legacy I want to leave behind.

To learn more about Larry H. Miller, see the new book “Driven: An Autobiography.”