Legacy

On August 21, I was able to witness the culmination of over a decade and 1000's of hours of my Dad's hard work. My Dad is the best of both worlds: a dreamer and a doer. People who can both dream big and work hard can do amazing things!

Being inspired by the sacrifices our ancestors made to establish this country and make it great, specifically the troops of the Mormon Battalion, he set out to enshrine their efforts, pay tribute to their legacy, and most importantly remind us of our obligations to them and their efforts today. He started with the no-small-task of constructing two bronze sculptures with 5 people in each. He named the first "Duty Calls" and the second "Duty Triumphs." The first depicts a man being called by Brigham Young to join the Mormon Battalion and embracing the family he is about to leave behind: a wife, little girl and baby boy. The second depicts the ragged, half starved, but proud troops as they finish their 2,000 mile march (the longest single military march in US history!) from Iowa to San Diego, CA.

But he didn't stop there--like I said, my Dad dreams big. He set out on a long and time-consuming journey of his own that culminated in the same pair of sculptures being unveiled in Heritage Park (the "This is the Place Monument" Park), but this time twice life-size!



The ceremony was perfect. It was well attended and well covered by the media. There was a choir and orchestra, inspiring speeches, and Elder Ballard gave a dedicatory prayer on the monument. (And paid tribute to all my Dad's work, see above!) Congratulations and thank you for the legacy and reminder of our legacy, Dad AND Mom!

In his speech, after telling of the extreme hardships suffered by the troops and their families (when they ran out of food, their own body mass became the calories that carried them forward; at the end the day's march the more fit troops would go back to collect the ones who had fallen from exhaustion and bring them in to camp in time to start the new day and same cycle all over again), my Dad reminded us all of one very vital fact; it is the reason we make pain staking efforts to remember and honor the great people and events of the past. He reminded us that our ancestor's literal blood, sweat and tears went into giving us the freedoms we enjoy today and that we are in danger of losing that freedom merely by being casual. Think about that. I hope it stirs and moves in you your duty to future generations like it did me.

And with that I want to remind everyone that November 2nd is only weeks away and that while I assume you are all planning on making it to the polls, there is still time to get active in the many close and key races taking place across the country. Remember all the times we have complained about our government not listening to us? Now is the time to put our money and time where our mouths are, a time when we have the power to impact our future in a real way. Some key dead-heat races (Rasmussen categorizes their outcome as a "Toss Up") that you may want to think about becoming involved in, especially if it's your state, include:

Harry Reid vs. Sharron Angle (NV, Senate)
Barbara Boxer vs. Carly Fiornia (CA, Senate)

(these first two are my pet races as they are awesome, conservative women (a group currently underrepresented in Congress but showing juggernaut possibilities in the future) running against extremely liberal incumbents)

Michael Bennet vs. Ken Buck (CO, Senate)
Alexi Giannoulias vs. Mark Kirk (IL, Senate)
Dino Rossi vs. Patty Murray (WA, Senate)

Of course remember to pay close attention to the races that are happening in your area! Make sure you research candidates! Remember that this country cannot continue prosperously as it has and continue its divine purpose without virtuous leaders representing us.