C.S Lewis explained that “Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at its testing point.”

As I’ve said countless times, the world often does not make things easy. There are so many temptations pulling this way and that. It sometimes seems so much easier to give up. To just allow yourself to do whatever everyone around you is telling you to, regardless of if it’s morally right. People often don’t realize how much courage it takes to remain virtuous.

As C.S Lewis said, courage is being able to remain virtuous, and stand firm in your principles, even when it seems impossible. Courage is being able to say no when the whole entire world is screaming yes. Courage is the ability to stand firm when everyone else is falling. Courage is recognizing the truth and not disregarding it for anything. All the work put into become virtuous would be for nothing if you don’t have the courage to stand firm in what you’ve accomplished.

It is true what Plato said, that “courage is knowing what not to fear.” All of those who are telling you to believe in or do something wrong are not to be feared. In the long run, they have no power. The only thing we need fear is not living up to our potential and not doing what we know we should be doing. I promise you, if you are doing what is right it is never impossible to have the courage to stay on that path. It is not easy or popular, but it will bless you more than you know. Just recognize that it takes courage. I know that each of us can stand firm and remain virtuous if we are willing to do so.

Yours truly,

Publius

In Plutarch’s Essay, “On Listening”, he teaches that “speech contains both injuries and benefits in the largest measure.”

Throughout our day to day lives we hear people shouting at us to go one way or another and sometimes it’s hard to determine what we should and should not follow. Some of the things we hear can hurt us; we can be influenced by flattering words and be steered in a direction that can lead us to harm, instead of bringing us closer to truth. However, some of the things we hear can aid us in coming nearer to the truth. We can hear inspiring quotes or lessons that can help us realize what we have been doing wrong or could be doing better.

With all of the things we hear, how can we tell what we should and should not follow? We listen. Not only need we listen, we must listen well enough that we can recognize when what is being said is helpful or harmful. Overall, be a seeker of truth. In order to do that you cannot, simply listen to one thing and be content with only that. Keep your mind open, but be cautious so you will not be swayed by enticing words. Plutarch also said that “success is not due to chance or accident, but to care, diligence, and study.” We cannot expect to gain knowledge and obtain truth if we don’t care enough to listen, be diligent enough to follow up, or study enough to decide what is true. The amount of success we have is based solely on the amount of work we put forth. I encourage you to listen to all that is being said around you, be cautious, and seek truth. By doing so, you will come closer to personal liberty and virtue and be able to know for a certainty what is true.

Yours truly,

Publius

“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used to create them.” Albert Einstein

When I saw this quote, I began to think of how we thought and are thinking today.  What were we thinking that caused us to lose our liberty? Ideas such as “it’s the government’s job, I shouldn’t have to do this” and “I am entitled to this free stuff because…” might be the reasons we have ended up without our liberty. Our ideas have been promoting greed and laziness, instead of charity and hard work. If we want to restore liberty, we cannot continue to rely on the government for everything because that is what gives them so much power. We must turn our thinking from “what is the bare minimum I can do?” to “what more can I do?” We each can accomplish so much, but in order to do so we need to turn our thoughts to others instead of ourselves and be willing to put forth the work that is required. What we think effects so much of what we do and who we are. If we only think of ourselves, our perspective is limited and there is no way we can accomplish all that we were meant to, but as we think of others, our vision becomes broader and we can do so much more. If we are to solve our problems, we must put aside the thoughts with which they were created and instead come up with new ones, thoughts that will make us, and those around us, better than before.

Yours truly,

Publius

Benjamin Franklin declared, “Where liberty dwells, there is my country.”

242 years ago, fifty six men signed the Declaration of Independence in order to finally free themselves from the tyranny that had been reigning over them. However, this was not always their first choice, and many were hesitant to do so. Most of those men did not want to be independent from Great Britain, but it was the only option if they wanted to restore liberty to the thirteen colonies and just like Benjamin Franklin, they considered liberty to be one of the most important things they could posses. Today, we celebrate the amazing bravery, wisdom, and courage each of our founding fathers demonstrated. They sacrificed their time, money, and even their lives in order to ensure our freedom. So many of the things we praise them for were so difficult for them to accomplish and we need to recognize just how much they gave so that we would know the blessing of liberty. Independence Day is not only a day for us to celebrate our Independence, but for us to remember why we have it and how much was sacrificed in order for us to be obtain that independence and liberty. As we remember these things, I hope we can all be reminded that we have a duty to restore that same liberty they fought to restore. The amount of virtue each of those men possessed is nearly impossible to live up to. They were selfless, brave, and kind, but as we look to them, I hope we can all try to become like them. Brigham Young taught that, “true independence and freedom can only exist in doing what is right.” If we all do what is right, we can become just as virtuous as those men and women and accomplish just as much. This Independence Day, remember the love of liberty, the dedication to their country, and the concern for their posterity each of those men and women possessed. Remember their sacrifices for liberty and that we must work and sacrifice too if we are to restore it again.

Yours truly,

Publius