America "... is a choice land, ..." (1) It is a "... land of promise ..." (2) "... preserved for a righteous people." (3) The Lord has decreed that those who dwell thereon "... should serve him, the true and only God, or they should be swept off ..." (4)

The God of America has kept his promise. There is much that is right and good in this nation, but there is cause for serious concern. America is forgetting the God of her birth, (5) and that inevitably is a disastrous course!

I don’t know what to do about it. I don’t know how to fix all the ills of this nation. But my friends, I believe in the power of prayer. I know that God hears us. I believe as the apostle James said that "... The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." (6) This people and this nation could be wonderfully transformed in a short time if only we – if only we individually would humble ourselves, acknowledge our failings, and turn back to the God of this land. Therefore, in that spirit, I would like to share this inspired prayer offered on the 29th of June, 1997 by President Gordon B. Hinckley. He said:

"O God, our Eternal Father, Thou who presides over the nations and their people, we come unto Thee in prayer. We thank Thee for this great and sovereign nation of which we are citizens. Touch the minds of those of our Congress that they shall stand tall and independent in defense of the liberty of the people. Bless the Chief Executive. He is our President. Let thy Spirit move upon him to bring to pass those measures which will lift the burdens of government from the backs of the people and keep this nation, under God, a citadel of freedom standing as an example to all the world. Bless the Supreme Court of the United States, which in recent days has declared unconstitutional a measure designed to secure the religious liberty of the people of this nation. May a way be found under Thy divine inspiration to bring to pass another measure that will be sustained by the Court. May Thy peace rest upon this nation. May we as a people look to Thee and live. May the benevolent hand of the Almighty protect us from the evil forces of the world. May humanism and secularism bend to an increased acknowledgment of Thee as our Father and our God. May the Spirit of brotherhood spread throughout the land. As we pray to Thee we do so in our manner, and respect the prayers of others who speak after their manner, that Thou will [wilt] hear us all as we lift our voices in behalf of our nation. Almighty Father, hear us, guide us, protect us. Make us both strong and benevolent before the world. Forgive our erring ways. May we turn back to Thee in our search for wisdom, for guidance, for direction, we humbly ask in the name of Jesus Christ, amen." (7)

My friends, "America! America! May God shed His grace on thee."