The Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776, by John Trumbull
Celebrating the Founding of the United States and the US Constitution
Discussion Guide
Before the world was created, our Heavenly Father gave us, His spirit children, moral agency. He wanted us to choose Him freely, to choose light, truth, and goodness without compulsion. Moral agency was so important to the Father’s plan that when Satan sought to destroy it, he was cast out of God’s presence (see Moses 4:3). Jesus Christ, on the other hand, championed God’s plan. His atoning sacrifice is what makes it possible for us to use our agency to choose God (see 2 Nephi 2:26–27). Without a Savior, we would be held captive by our sins, our weaknesses, and the conditions of mortality. Jesus Christ makes us free (see John 8:36).
Throughout the earth’s history, the principle of moral agency has not been universally honored. Too many of God’s children have been—and still are—oppressed. At the same time, God has been inspiring His children to protect “that principle of freedom [that] belongs to all mankind” (Doctrine and Covenants 98:5). A key event in that effort happened 250 years ago: The Declaration of Independence was signed, leading to the establishment of the United States of America and its other founding document, the US Constitution. It’s appropriate, as citizens of the United States, to pause and give thanks for the freedoms these documents preserve for us. And it’s equally appropriate, as Latter-day Saints, to recognize God’s purposes and role in those founding events (see Doctrine and Covenants 101:77–80). This is not a history lesson or a political discussion. It’s an opportunity to rejoice in “the Lord our God, who has redeemed us and made us free” (Alma 58:41).
To prepare for your discussion on Sunday, May 31, consider reviewing the following discussion ideas and President Dallin H. Oaks’s message “Defending Our Divinely Inspired Constitution” (Liahona, May 2021, 105–8).
Video introduction by President D. Todd Christofferson and Elder Quentin L. Cook
Begin by watching the following video. As you do, consider questions like these:
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How do the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution help accomplish God’s purposes for His children?
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What do you learn from President Christofferson and Elder Cook about why the Lord values religious freedom?
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What else stands out to you from their message?
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What does their message inspire you to do?
After watching the video, share your thoughts with each other.
As time allows, consider discussing one or more of these additional topics:
Moral agency flourishes in conditions of freedom.
In 1833, when the Saints were facing persecution because of their religion, the Lord revealed to Joseph Smith that He’d had a hand in establishing “the Constitution of this land” (Doctrine and Covenants 101:80) Read His words in Doctrine and Covenants 101:76–80 and consider questions like these:
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Why do you think the Lord would “establish” a document like the Constitution?
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Why do you think it was important for those early Saints to know how the Lord felt about the Constitution? Why is it important to you?
You might also consider what the Book of Mormon teaches about moral agency. For example, according to 2 Nephi 2:26–27, what does it mean to be “free to choose liberty and eternal life … or to choose captivity and death”? How does Jesus Christ make us free?
The First Vision, by Walter Rane
The founding of the United States helped prepare the way for the Restoration.
While the Restoration of the gospel began with Joseph Smith’s First Vision, the Lord had been preparing for His latter-day work of restoration many years in advance. President Jeffrey R. Holland taught that over several centuries and with “meticulous preparation and precise timing,” the Lord created conditions of freedom essential to the coming forth of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (“A Promised Land,” Ensign, June 1976, 25). You might list together some of the historical events, developments, and inventions before Joseph Smith’s time that fostered a unique environment of liberty.
It might also be interesting to review some of Joseph Smith’s experiences with this question in mind: Which of these events would not have been possible without the freedoms guaranteed in the founding documents of the United States? Consider, for example, these verses:
Just as the Lord’s work of restoration didn’t begin in 1820, it also didn’t end when the Prophet died in 1844. How is Jesus Christ continuing to gather His people and restore His gospel? What aspects of this gathering would not be possible without the freedoms we enjoy today?
Religious freedom blesses all of God’s children.
The Lord declared that the freedoms preserved in “the laws and constitution of the people … should be maintained for the rights and protection of all flesh” (Doctrine and Covenants 101:77). As you read the following statements, talk about why the Savior wants us to defend the religious rights of all people—including those who believe differently. What else do you learn about the blessings of religious freedom?
Joseph Smith
I am bold to declare before Heaven that I am just as ready to die in defending the rights of a Presbyterian, a Baptist, or a good man of any other denomination; for the same principle which would trample upon the rights of the Latter-day Saints would trample upon the rights of the Roman Catholics, or of any other denomination who may be unpopular and too weak to defend themselves.
It is a love of liberty which inspires my soul—civil and religious liberty to the whole of the human race. (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith [2011], 345)
President Dallin H. Oaks
Religious teachings and the religiously motivated actions of believers benefit society and deserve legal protection.
For example, there are many needs for humanitarian assistance—hunger, disease, and lack of education to mention only a few. Religious liberty enables believers and faith communities to provide this aid to society’s neediest members. Most religions exhort their believers to give to the poor. Most also teach their believers that they are accountable to God for this duty.
Religions also play a vital role in contributing to social stability. Societies are not held together primarily by law and its enforcement, but by those who voluntarily obey the unenforceable because of their sense of accountability to God. …
When citizens learn to live together with respect—despite important religious differences—they are also more likely to live peacefully with others with whom they have important secular differences.” (“Pursuing Religious Liberty Worldwide [address given at the Notre Dame Religious Liberty Summit, July 20, 2022], newsroom.ChurchofJesusChrist.org)
President D. Todd Christofferson
For centuries, people fought over religious differences, often with government suppressing one religion in the name of another. Religious liberty has allowed people of diverse religious traditions to live together in peace and friendship despite profound disagreements. … Governments that protect religious freedom have fewer social conflicts and greater levels of social cohesion. (“Religious Liberty: The Basis of a Free and Just Society” [address given at the First Forum on Religious Freedom in the Southern Cone, Oct. 29, 2021], religiousfreedomlibrary.org)
Elder Ronald A. Rasband
If religion is not there to help with shaping character and mediating hard times, who will be? Who will teach honesty, gratitude, forgiveness, and patience? Who will exhibit charity, compassion, and kindness for the forgotten and the downtrodden? Who will embrace those who are different yet deserving, as are all of God’s children? Who will open their arms to those in need and seek no recompense? Who will reverence peace and obedience to laws greater than the trends of the day? (“To Heal the World,” Liahona, May 2022, 93)
President Camille N. Johnson
I believe that the most important and impactful work of women continues to be done when we care for our own children, teach a friend to read, patiently address the needs of an elderly neighbor, prepare a meal for the sick, or cry with a sister who is grieving. The universality in the way we bear and nurture humanity connects women across cultural divides and language barriers, laying a foundation for peace.
I strive to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. I believe He came to earth to save humanity from sin and death and to lift us in our sorrow and distress. …
The work of defending the United States Constitution, religious freedom, and the family is not just for legal scholars and academics. It is for … Relief Society presidents and non-lawyers and people of every religious persuasion. …
Let us follow the Prince of Peace and practice, in our personal and professional lives, His perfect example. … He wants to engage with us—and will as we joyfully engage in His great work. (J. Reuben Clark Law Society, “2026 JRCLS Annual Fireside,” YouTube, Jan. 16, 2026, youtube.com/@JReubenClarkLawSociety)
The First Presidency has invited Church members to “participate in a unified fast to express gratitude for religious liberty and to pray that it be strengthened throughout the world” on July 5, 2026 (First Presidency letter, Mar. 12, 2026). What have you learned today that might help you prepare for that fast?