03 Jul Faith, Freedom, and the Call to Serve
This week our nation pauses to celebrate not only Independence Day but a milestone 250 years in the making. It is a fitting moment to reflect on the freedoms we sometimes take for granted—and on the quiet responsibility that comes with them.
For Latter-day Saint women, gratitude for religious freedom is more than a sentiment. It is a call. The blessings of self-government were never meant to be enjoyed from the sidelines. They were meant to be tended, defended, and passed forward. And that work belongs to all of us.
The Constitution Belongs to Everyone
Sometimes we imagine that shaping public life is the domain of experts—lawyers, scholars, career politicians. Camille N. Johnson, Relief Society General President, gently corrects that assumption:
“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.” — Camille N. Johnson, Relief Society General President
In other words, you do not need a law degree to make a difference. You need a willing heart and a sense of stewardship for the community you already love.
A Voice in the Choices That Shape Our Lives
President Dallin H. Oaks taught that participation is not optional for a healthy society. In his 2021 message, “Defending Our Divinely Inspired Constitution,” he was direct about what is at stake when good people stay silent:
“It is wrong for citizens to have no voice in the selection of their rulers or the making of their laws.” — Dallin H. Oaks, “Defending Our Divinely Inspired Constitution,” 2021
He also named, plainly, the many ways members can lend that voice—including one that Project Elect exists to support:
“Political influence is exercised by running for office (which we encourage), by voting, by financial support, by membership and service in political parties, and by ongoing communications to officials, parties, and candidates.” — Dallin H. Oaks, “Defending Our Divinely Inspired Constitution,” 2021
Read that phrase again: “running for office (which we encourage).” The invitation is explicit. For a faithful woman weighing whether the public square is a place she belongs, those three words offer real reassurance.
Freedom Is Sustained by Ordinary People
Deidre Henderson, Lieutenant Governor of Utah, has spent her career in public service, and her encouragement is refreshingly grounded. When we wonder whether our single contribution could possibly matter, she answers:
“One person can and does make a difference.” — Deidre Henderson, Lieutenant Governor of Utah
A nation’s freedom is not preserved by a handful of famous figures. It is preserved by school board members who show up prepared, by city council members who listen carefully, by neighbors who run for office because they care about the place their children are growing up. Two hundred fifty years of self-government rest on exactly that kind of quiet, faithful participation.
Turning Gratitude Into Action
This Fourth of July, as the fireworks fade, consider what gratitude might ask of you. Perhaps it is attending a local meeting you have always skipped. Perhaps it is learning how a school board or city council actually works. Perhaps it is finally taking seriously a nudge you have felt for years—that you have something to offer your community.
Faithful women belong in the public square. The Constitution’s protections were secured so that people of every religious persuasion could bring their whole selves—including their faith—to the work of building a good society. That includes you.
If this week’s celebration has stirred something in you, don’t let it pass. Visit projectelectwomen.org to learn how to get involved, connect with women who have already stepped forward, and take your first step toward serving your community. Freedom is a gift. Serving is how we say thank you.
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