My brother and I used to play a game as we traveled with our family on trips all over the United States. We practiced naming all of the states and their state capitals. (I grew up believing that my brother was a savant because he was so smart.) We actually got pretty good at reciting all of those states and capitals, and went on to other very random informational games like the multiplication tables. But my favorite was the states/capitals game. It made me feel like I really knew America.
My parents wanted us to get to know American History. One way we did this was to travel around sight seeing lots of historical places. My mother would find books at the library about the historic places she wanted us to visit. She would read to us all about the famous people who influenced the history of those places. (I still don't know how she could read to us in the car without getting car sick.)
My parents wanted us to get to know American History. One way we did this was to travel around sight seeing lots of historical places. My mother would find books at the library about the historic places she wanted us to visit. She would read to us all about the famous people who influenced the history of those places. (I still don't know how she could read to us in the car without getting car sick.)
Mount Vernon
Some of the people and places we studied about were George Washington and Thomas Jefferson and their estates at Mount Vernon and Monticello; Daniel Boone and places he explored in Kentucky; Sam Houston and the last battlefields for Texan independence; Davy Crocket and the Alamo, and there were so many others. In fact, my mother couldn't pass historical markers by the side of the road without stopping.
Mesa Verde We also learned about pre-historical sites such as the ruins of the mound builders in Ohio and the ancient cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde. We loved learning about our Pioneer heritage. We visited LDS Church History sites in New York, Ohio, Illinois, and Utah.
I was often surprised at school when we studied about events in American History and I was the only kid in class that had visited those places. I felt grounded and so grateful to be an American. I also learned that I have a great, great (many times great) grandmother who was of the First Nations, the people who greeted the Pilgrims when they came to America. I have always felt ownership of this land! This is my America.
I was often surprised at school when we studied about events in American History and I was the only kid in class that had visited those places. I felt grounded and so grateful to be an American. I also learned that I have a great, great (many times great) grandmother who was of the First Nations, the people who greeted the Pilgrims when they came to America. I have always felt ownership of this land! This is my America.
The Book of Mormon writers saw this land in vision. They prophesied about our day. They said that this would be a choice land preserved by the hand of the Lord for a special reason. This was the land where His Church would be restored and grow until it could be taken to all parts of the world, to gather in the dispersed of Israel. It is up to us to protect this land by living God's commands.
Here is a song to help commemorate the 250th Anniversary of the founding of the United States of America.
"My Promised Land" SATB and Piano
Here is a song to help commemorate the 250th Anniversary of the founding of the United States of America.
"My Promised Land" SATB and Piano
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