John Adams

“To be good, and to do good,

is all we have to do.” — John Adams

I’ve always looked at the American Founding Fathers with a lot of respect, but I also have often fallen into the common trap of thinking of them as George Washington, Tomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin.  There were fifty-six signers of the Declaration of Independence.  There were thirty-nine signers of the U.S. Constitution.  Both of those documents were inspired documents, and there was a lot of inspiration and many miracles that went into them both, contributing to and guiding the creation of the United States of America, which has thenceforth been a blessing for so many people.  I figured 2026, the 250th anniversary of America’s birth, would be great time to get to know some of the other Founding Fathers a little better.

 
John Adams by David McCullough (ISBN: 0-684-81363-7) provides a deep and broad look at the second president and a man who is often credited as being the voice of independence.  The book starts just a little before John Adams was born, telling the reader about his parents and lineage before getting into the details of the future president’s life.  McCullough tells the Founder’s life story in great detail, in part because Adams left extensive diaries and letters to draw from.  One learns about his schooling, his law practice, his family life, his farm in Massachusetts, and his ascendency onto the national stage, where he flourished.  One learns about his shortcomings as well, including a propensity to get down on himself, a willingness to let others’ opinions of him matter (vanity), and a sometimes quick temper.  Once Adams makes to Philadelphia to advocate for independence, the book goes into great detail, explaining his thinking and his actions and then follows his career.  He was a diplomat, helping Benjamin Franklin in France and forging his own path in the Netherlands, where he, on his own, secured loans to help the American cause as the Revolutionary War dragged on.  He was the new country’s first ambassador to England and then the country’s first vice president.  In all of his positions, he advocated for what he thought was right.  He didn’t back down and wasn’t afraid to take a little heat sometimes.  The book paints him as a man of strong moral convictions based on a faith in God.  During his time as president, he successfully kept America out of a war with France, which greatly helped America, a weak and fledgling nation, find its wings.

I thought the book was masterfully written, which is not a surprise, considering it’s written by the author of another great work, 1776.  I got to know John Adams quite well over the course of the book.  His letters and diaries are woven tightly into explanatory prose.  The book was well balanced, noting where Adams had personal and professional shortcomings or hiccoughs.  Like most of us, life tended to knock off a few of the rough edges, and he grew and improved throughout his life.  I was impressed by his strong sense of morality and how that guided him in all that he did.  His role in America’s early years was grand, and he liked to think of himself as grand, but also realized that he was happiest when surrounded by a few good books and the daily labor of running a farm.  He made the most of the opportunities presented to him, sacrificed time, money, and even his family for the callings he had, and left the world a better place.

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Franklin & Washington

The Founders (I’m old enough that it was the Founding Fathers) of America were some amazing people.  Stories of Benjamin Franklin, inventor, diplomat, statesman, and printer were a staple of what was taught as history when I was a kid.  It was great stuff and inspired me to read his Autobiography as a teenager, and that was a great read, too.  Franklin embodied much about the nascent country: innovation, progress, a desire for liberty, and the ability to chart one’s own course.  Washington’s life was also the stuff of legend.  Surveying sounds boring as a career, but in the Revolutionary era, it was outdoorsmanship at its finest, supplemented by frontier action.  Washington added to his status by being a competent military leader, fearless under fire.  Finally, he was the country’s first and probably greatest president, in large part because he was a reluctant leader (those are typically the best kind).

Franklin & Washington: The Founding Partnership by Edward J. Larson (ISBN: 978-0-06-288016-1) takes an often detailed look at how Benjamin Franklin and George Washington worked toward common goals during the Revolutionary era, often working in concert to attain the desired outcome of a free United States.  Larson provides an overview of each man’s life, which establishes that even before they knew each other, they had much in common.  They were colonists, their early fortunes were tied to the western frontiers of their respective colonies, and they were involved in military and political matters.  While their person routes to success were different, with Franklin rising to wealth and fame via hard work, ingenuity, and learning and exploiting the political scene, Washington had a slightly easier route that involved coming into land and marrying into a wealthy family.  Ultimately, though, he, too, was a self-made man, parlaying his surveying and military skills into productive aspects of management and leadership, letting him be a successful estate owner and businessman with a strong ability to find workable compromises in otherwise explosive situations.  Once both were convinced that British rule was not the way to go for the colonies, they poured their hearts and souls into independence.  They believed strongly in liberty, and put their money where their mouths were, sacrificing time, money, and more to the cause of liberty.  Franklin spent years abroad; Washington spent years leading the Continental Army.  Once independence had been secured, both turned their attention to helping the thirteen colonies unify, something both strongly believed in.  This was more time and sacrifice.  They were leaders at the Constitutional Convention.  Their styles there sometimes differed, but they worked toward a common goal of a unified country with a federal government strong enough to keep the states in check at times.  Larson also spends a significant amount of time talking about one of the biggest differences between the two, which was their outlook on slavery.  While they started life someone on the same footing there, Franklin slowly evolved to eventually come to an abolitionist viewpoint.  Washington never moved from his position as a slave holder, although he was willing to go along with the anti-slavery clauses in the Constitution.

The book was mostly interesting, and I found the comparison between the two storied leaders to be an interesting approach to studying the Revolutionary era.  Even though their stories are well known, the biographical section was good and had some details that were at least new to me.  The author claimed Franklin to be a deist, which is the popular thing to do, and while the first Franklin quote he used to prove that could possibly support that assumption, I thought the next three God-related quotes from Franklin were much more supportive of his believing in God.  The author didn’t really touch on Washington’s religiosity (a good thing, too, considering that George Washington’s Sacred Fire thoroughly destroys any argument to the contrary on that score), which I found a little disappointing.  If they really thought so differently about God, it could’ve been a good point about how  men of differing fundamental beliefs still found common ground and worked together, a very appropriate lesson for today.  If their beliefs were closer in nature, it could’ve been another point where these great men saw eye to eye.  The slavery discussion had its interesting moments, but was too much. The point was made early in the book that these two didn’t see eye to eye on this issue, but then the reader had to read fifty pages about it.  There was also a rather accusatory approach to Washington’s views (“views” being a stretch as one really only reads about his actions and not what he said about it, which, as I have read in other places, were conflicted), seemingly pointing out that Franklin came to the abolitionist side, so automatically Washington should’ve, too.  In any case, the historian is not supposed to judge the actions of yesteryear’s figures by today’s standards.  All modern readers know slavery is wrong, and the Constitution they helped create set up a system that allowed for the abolition of slavery to happen much faster than many would’ve preferred, so the focus should’ve been, again, on how the two managed to work together and have strong respect for each other until their dying days despite this.  Both of these problems seemed like missed opportunities by the author in what was otherwise a good book about two great men.

   

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Irena’s Children

As a kid, World War II fascinated me, but that was mostly because of the aircraft.  I was not drawn as strongly to tanks, ships, or even the history, although I had a grandfather who fought with the U.S. Army in the Pacific and two grandparents who lived through the war as children in Germany.  It was the airplanes that held my attention as a kid, and I drew, painted, and read about them a lot.  I don’t remember exactly when, but sometime during my elementary school years, an exhibit on Anne Frank came to Salt Lake City, and I had the chance to see it.  That opened a whole new world to me: one of the resistance and the underground, a world where people had to risk their lives simply to do what was right.  That seemed very interesting to me then and has continued to be very interesting throughout my life.

It seems there are many stories to be told about those who did what they could to fight against the Nazis from inside, and Irena’s Children: The Extraordinary Story of the Woman Who Saved 2,500 Children from the Warsaw Ghetto by Tilar J. Mazzeo (ISBN: 978-1-4767-7851-8) tells quite an incredible story.  The book chronicles the World War II experience of Irena Sendler, a Polish Catholic who repeatedly risked her life to save Jewish children from the Holocaust.  Over the course of the war, Irena Sendler was able to aid in the escape of at least 2,500 (while she and others did their best to keep records, most of those records were ultimately lost and their reconstruction was admittedly incomplete) Jewish children from the Warsaw ghetto and into ethnically Polish homes and orphanges, where they were usually able to escape detection.  It was rarely a simple process, and included the stuff of thrillers and spy movies: escapes through the sewers, disguise, assumed identities, forged documents, illegal networks, and contacts in high places.  Irena didn’t do the work on her own (something she was always very quick to point out), and around her there was a large network of people that included teenagers that were willing to serve as sewer guides, nurses and doctors who helped with false papers, social welfare workers (Irena’s profession) who used their contacts and access to help, friends, and scores of people along the way such as neighbors and business owners that turned their heads the other way when they needed to, even if they couldn’t do more.  At one point, Irena was arrested and tortured by the Gestapo, and then she was the one being rescued.  The story is full of adventure and danger.  The author also spent a fair amount of time discussing Irena’s love life an seemed to make a lot of effort to fill the reader in on those who played the largest roles in Irena’s network of anti-Nazi collaborators.

The book was definitely an interesting one and told, as the tag line on the cover says, a “story of courage.”  What was particularly impressive (as is often the case with such stories), was that it didn’t seem that Irena had to summon much courage to do what she did, and neither did those around her.  They simply acted based on what they knew was the right thing to do.  Considering the millions of Jews killed during the Holocaust, the nagging question is always whether or not it was worth it.  Irena herself was scarred for life thanks to Gestapo torture.  She was more haunted, though, by the constant second-guessing that she did herself about whether or not she could’ve done more.  I am reminded of the story of a kid tossing drying star fish back into the ocean who is asked by someone else, “Why do you do this?  There are thousands of starfish on the beach; you can’t possibly help them all.” The response comes after throwing one more back in the water, “I made a differenc to that one.”  The book spent what I thought was too much time discussing Irena’s somewhat conflicted love life, including her love for one of the Jews she worked with in the underground (she divorced her first husband to marry her Jewish lover, Adam, then, divorced him, and after his death, remarried her first husband, so it was complicated, as they say), and I thought it often strayed from the story to provide too many details about those around Irena.  They were also couragous and worthy of having their stories told, but I would’ve appreciated a tighter focus, especially as the author seemed to enjoy noting at every possible chance that most of Irena’s circle (herself included), were socialists and came from somewhere on the left side of the political spectrum (mentioning this once would’ve been sufficient).  Given those criticisms, though, the story really was one of courageously making a difference and is a story well worth reading.  As a kid, it was easy to imagine myself in the resistance.  As an adult, I better understand those who struggled to make the right choices.  Stories like this are great because they inspire us to more easily make those correct choices and help others, even if we only make “a differenc to that one.”

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Unbroken

World War II has always fascinated me.  This is likely related to two things.  One is familial involvement.  One grandpa was a soldier in the war.  The other set of grandparents were children in Germany.  The other thing is that I loved drawing aircraft as a kid, and the bombers of World War II figured prominently in my usual repertoire.  What I didn’t necessarily understand as a kid is the large part that prison camps played in the war.  From the little reading that I have done and the little that I know, there are atrocious things that happened in the war’s prison camps, but I have heard more than a few stories of people rising above the horror and rising above the temptation to give up or to forever hate those who have treated them so evilly.  These stories are an interesting and often inspiring piece of history.

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand (ISBN: 978-0-679-60375-7) is just such a story about overcoming trials.  Like so many stories of resilience in the face of overwhelming odds, the story starts with humble origins.  Louis Zamperini was the son of Italian immigrants struggling to make ends meet along with most other Depression-era Americans.  A caring older brother discovered the track and invited Louie along, later serving as an unofficial coach, and Louie became as star, eventually qualifying for the Olympics, running a race (5,000 meters) he didn’t usually do.  He competed admirably in Berlin, finishing eighth against some of the world’s greatest runners.  His running career, though, was cut short by the onset of war, and he served as a bombardier.  That, too, was cut short because his plane went down during a rescue mission, and he was captured by the Japanese after some time floating in a raft at sea.  Floating around for weeks was already an amazing act of survival and resilience, but the worst was yet to come.  Zamperini then spent more than two years in various Japanese prison camps undergoing brutal treatment.  He and others kept their wits about them by resolving to beat the system and not give in to their captors and abusers.  Some made it, some did not.  There were some funny stories along the way, but most of it was monotony, drudgery, and pain.  Eventually, Zamperini and the others that survived were done with the horrors of the camps because the war ended.  Unfortunately, for many, that was not the concrete ending they would’ve preferred.  The horrors lived on in many of the former POWs’ minds, causing more than one to turn to alcohol, destructive behaviors, and even suicide to end the pain.  Zamperini’s story included a lot of post-war alcoholism, but he eventually quit that thanks to a conversion to evangelical Christianity, in part because of him remembering some promises he made to God while floating aimlessly on the Pacific Ocean in the first few days after his plane went down.  Zamperini used this redeeming experience in his life to later inspire and help others as well as come to terms with and even forgive his war-time tormentors.

I thought the book was good.  It was an inspiring story and it included some interesting information on the war.  It is best classified as a biography of Zamperini, not a history book.  There are many aspects of the book that were worth remembering, including the hard work and dedication the subject put into his running, his service in the military, and then his life after the war.  There were so many times he could’ve given up and probably justifiably so, but he didn’t.  He used the overwhelmingly negative experiences to make himself better, which is something worth emulation.  As noted above, this was a trait that was fairly common in his generation and one that is definitely missing in many today.  I was intrigued to read that faith and religion played such a large role in his post-war healing.  Such an aspect to story was not surprising, though, since a trust in the atonement of Christ is the surest way to redemption.  Finally, I would be lying if I didn’t note that I liked the stories about the running, which included some thoughts about Zamperini being one of the contenders for breaking the 4-minute mile barrier, and the Olympics in pre-war Germany, which are a subject of interest in and of themselves.

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The Contract

I’ve been a BYU basketball fan as long as I can remember.  When I was a kid, the season was a little shorter and there were hardly any games on TV.  Most of my early memories of BYU basketball were generated by listening to the radio.  Paul James, whom my dad seemed to really dislike, was the play-by-play guy.  In my early teenage years, guys like Gary Trost and Russell Larson were among my basketball idols.  While a student at BYU, I attended a number of games in the Marriott Center and loved watching future NBA player Travis Hansen who brought some athleticism and passion to BYU’s team, something that, admittedly, it sometimes lacks.  Jimmer Fredette, though, was a whole different level, even though I remember the first time I saw him on the court thinking, “Oh boy, another wimpy white guy that will bring nothing but embarrassment to BYU basketball.”

The Contract: The Journey of Jimmer Fredette from the Playground to the Pros by Pat Forde (ISBN: 978-1-60907-140-0) is essentially the story of how Fredette overcame naysayers like myself throughout his life and achieved one of the lofty goals he has set for himself in his life by making it from a backwater in New York to the NBA.  The book draws its name from the highly publicized contract that Fredette signed with his older brother, TJ, pledging that he would do whatever it took to get to the NBA.  Fredette had a supportive family, and the book chronicles bouncing balls in the house and a makeshift full court in the back yard that was the place the neighborhood kids wanted to be.  Most of all, though, he had TJ there to support him and serve as an unofficial coach and trainer throughout his formative years.  The book actually spends a significant number of pages discussing TJ because of his large role in Fredette’s progress both as a basketball player and person.  The book chronicles Fredette’s rise through high school and college, where he proved me and about a few million other people wrong by sweeping national player-of-the-year awards his senior year and being the tenth pick in the NBA draft.

The book ends with that accomplishment, and those who have followed the Jimmer’s career since then know that it simmered and then went out as far as the NBA is concerned, but why is a bit of a debatable subject.  The more important thing from the book are the lessons of hard work and dedication.  I also believe there’s one more lesson to be learned, and it’s one reason, I think, anyway, why Fredette was popular and remains so even though his NBA career never really took off: humility.  Fredette, like most elite athletes, is a driven, competitive person.  You have to be to get to that level.  One reason I never excelled at athletics when I was young was that, while competitive, I was never driven and never put in the hard work.  It’s nice to read a book sometimes that reinforces the concept of hard work.  The stories of the drills concocted by TJ for Jimmer or hard hours put in out in the makeshift gym in the garage can be turned into life lessons.  I enjoyed the lessons and had fun reading about Jimmer’s younger years.  I thought the book was long on TJ, although I understand his role and (again) know that Jimmer is humble and willing to give credit for his success to others, where it’s due.  I also might have liked a little more substance on the high school and college years.  For fans, it’s a must-read book; for the more casual observer, it might seem a little on the dry side.

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Hero of Hacksaw Ridge

I didn’t know much about “conscientious objectors” before hearing about this book (and the related movie).  I think the term was abused during the Vietnam era when many people did all they could to not serve in the military, but I honestly know very little.  That's what made reading this book so interesting — a way to learn more about this, especially what it originally meant and how someone made it work for them and ultimately was of great service to his fellow countrymen.  As someone who is active in one's church, the religious aspect of the story was also compelling, as such things seem to make the stories seem more relevant.

Hero of Hacksaw Ridge: The Gripping True Story That Inspired the Movie (ISBN: 978-1-629131-54-2) by Booton Herndon is an abridged version of the story of Desmond Doss, a medic who served in the U.S. Army during World War II and saw action in the Pacific theater as the army advanced on various Japanese positions.  What makes the story unusual is that he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor and not once during his training or active duty did he use arms since he was a Seventh-day Adventist and believed it was wrong to bear arms.  The story chronicles his time in the military from his joining to his discharge after being wounded in action in Japan.  Doss is unwaveringly strong in his religious convictions, including an extremely temperate and patient attitude with those around him.  He displays great faith in standing up for his beliefs when those around him threaten him and ridicule him at every opportunity.  He doesn't hold a grudge when it comes time to perform his duty, and more than once wile fighting in the Pacific, he helps and saves the lives of others, usually at great risk to himself.  The story ends with what truly are “gripping” details of battles on Okinawa where he saved likely around 100 lives while himself being injured.  He is then awarded the much-deserved medal and is able to return to civilian life.  The book also includes a post-script with information about Adventist beliefs (many are similar to those held by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints).

I found the short book to be extremely interesting and often an exciting read.  The persecution he experienced, especially during training was disheartening, and I consider myself lucky to have never experienced anything like that.  I always envision myself being strong like he was, and pray for that to be true.  The combat scenes were intense, but well-written and not too graphic.  There was also a lesson to be learned in the combat scenes because by then, his fellow soldiers knew Doss and respected him, in part because he was uncompromising his his duty, both to God and his country.  He was no longer ridiculed, but respected.  As is usually the case, sticking to one’s beliefs results in respect in the long run.  It was also refreshing to see a person who was able to understand how he could serve the country without compromising his beliefs.  One has a clear duty to one's nation, and it's too bad that so many peoople don't understand that today.

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When Character Was King

Technically, since he was president until 1981, Jimmy Carter was the first president in my life, but I was too little to know anything about him, so Ronald Reagan, who served from 1981 to 1989, is the president who I think of first when I think of the first U.S. president during my lifetime.  Reagan is famous for a number of things, all of which those who like to politicize everything argue about.  One is economic policy, which I don't think I'd ever heard about or even thought about as a kid.  Another was foreign policy, and even as a kid, I was pretty attuned to this.  Russia and her satellite states broadcast an ideology of oppression, were a clear and present nuclear threat, and fought wars and proxy wars to spread misery and oppression.  In a way, it had a personal connection.  I was well aware of my German heritage and was always fascinated by Germany.  Germany, of course, was separated by a wall, and not a wall of defense, but one meant to prevent people from leaving, from seeking a better life or from the "pursuit of happiness."  Reagan, famously, called on Russian leader Mikhail Gorbachev, to "tear down [the] wall!"  Even as a young kid, I understood that Reagan was a man of principles and a man who knew how to lead.

In When Character Was King: A Story of Ronald Reagan by Peggy Noonan (ISBN: 978-0-14-200168-4), the former Reagan staffer (speechwriter), journalist, and columnist gives her take on the fortieth president.  The story starts when Reagan was a kid and ends as he succumbs to the Alzheimer's and the ailments of time.  One learns where he got his worldview from and how his early life influenced where he got.  Reagan's father, I learned, was an alcoholic, but he still imbued his son with principles that served him well in seeing the greatness in all people and in upholding America's tradition of equality.  Reagan's mother was a strongly and actively Christian woman, which also became a major part of his character.  He believed in God and believed God wanted to be part of people's lives.  One reads about Reagan's involvement in Hollywood.  He was arguably an up-and-coming star, but never went big time because he got involved in the actors' union and the more political side of things.  His political career was dogged by accusations of being just an actor, and acting likely helped him as he campaigned, but his real talent was likely in speechmaking to begin with.  The book recounts Reagan's entry into politics.  He was not, it seems, overly ambitious, but saw his involvement as a chance to help people, and that's where character came in.  Reagan had standards and stuck to them, providing for people a stable and strong standard behind which they could rally.  He was unabashedly religious, had no tolerance for racism, and knew that there was a distinct difference between democratic forms of government with capitalistic and those of the "evil empire," the Soviet Union.  Principles made it so Reagan, with an unwavering rear guard in his wife, Nancy, could set goals — goals based on character and principles — and achieve them, improving lives around him in the process.

I really didn't know what to think about the book before reading it, but I did somewhat doubt the decision to pick it up since I figured a weightier biography of one of America's all-time great presidents might've been in order before this shorter one that could really only promise an overview of the many things Reagan undertook and accomplished.  I learned some things about the man and his life, though, and was happy with the depth of the information about the bigger events in his life.  I thought Noonan did an admirable job with what might be called the backstory to Reagan's political career, which is really where his character was formed — in his childhood, in college, and as an actor and union activist.  I think she made a good argument for the role that character played in what Reagan was able to accomplish, whether it was overcoming political defeat, recovering strongly from being shot, or helping bring about the demise of Soviet Communism.  Overall, the book was an enjoyable read and really only solidified my view of Reagan as one of the all-time great presidents.  There were things I liked about the Bushes, but the book's title says it all about Reagan and that era, because it wasn't principles in certain times, as I feel it was with the Bushes, but princpled, strong leadership all the time.  It also made me want to learn more, so I will, someday, find my way into a weightier, more academic biography of this great man.

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To the Rescue

I have always looked up to Church leaders as good examples, and the prophets in particular.  Since President Kimball died when I was only 5 years old, I only vaguely remember him.  I remember President Benson better, in large part because of his lifelong commitment to Scouting, and he was the prophet while I was heavily involved in Scouts.  I remember President Hunter mostly because the Bountiful Temple was dedicated while he was the prophet, and I participated in that temple’s open house and dedication.  President Hinckley is probably the first prophet I remember because of the things he taught.  He is also the first one that I looked to as a role model.  He was a very positive person and chose to see the bright side of life, no matter the situation.  Before President Monson was even the president of the Church, I saw him as a role model.  His many stories, most of them based on his personal experiences, showed that he had developed many of the character traits that truly good people possess.  Over and over again, I found myself listening and thinking that I should, somehow, implement what he was talking about in my own life.

To the Rescue: The Biography of Thomas S. Monson by Heidi S. Swinton (ISBN: 978-1-60641-898-7) chronicles the amazing life of service that President Monson has led from an early age through the present day.  The timeline for the biography is straight forward, starting with his early childhood and ending with his time as the leader of the Church.  He learned from parents and family around him in what was, at the time, a typical childhood.  It follows him through high school, a mission, early marriage, employment, and a variety of Church callings.  Along the way, there are many familiar stories, but there are sometimes some additional details that weren’t always part of the many sermons President Monson has given.  There were also some additional stories.  It was interesting to read about President Monson’s family a little bit and about his professional experienes.  There was a lot of time spent on President Monson’s service as an apostle in what was then East Germany.  The Church history aspect was interesting, as it was with some of the other episodes from his life, but they often seemed more like pioneer stories because of the great faith shown and the hardships endured.  What was consistent no matter what part of his life was being discussed was the dedication he showed to serving others, whether that be in his family or those around him.  President Monson was never too busy to help someone out, talk to them, visit them, give them a blessing, or share time and possessions with them.  It becomes abundantly clear as the life of this man is chronicled that he understands very well that Heavenly Father is serious when He says that the worth of souls is great in His sight.  President Monson has cultivated that genuine love and concern that is a trait of our divine Father and made it a part of his own personality. 

I never really doubted I would find the book interesting, but I think that I underestimated the power behind the stories.  There is sense of warmth and comfort in the stories from home, whether they be from his childhood or when he was a father.  The stories of service, love, and compassion are often familiar, but never dull.  In fact, they’re just the opposite.  They are inspiring and teach true principles.  I don’t necesssarily remember the details of who, when, or how, but a desire to be more in tune with the Spirit and more ready to help others is clearly left in your mind and heart after reading even a few pages.  Really, you can’t ask much more out of a book.  Thomas S. Monson has led and continues to lead an extraordinary life of service.  It is one worthy of emulation and one about which reading is well worth one’s time.

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George Washington's Sacred Fire

In about first grade or so, every kid in America learns that George Washington was the first president of the United States of America, is on the $1.00 bill and the quarter, and "could never tell a lie."  Later, by about fifth grade or so, most American kids are being told by the same schools that George Washington was a backwards slave owning white man that was something or other called a deist, which is typically presented to mean something akin to atheist, and that the cherry tree story was a lie.  I guess it is always somewhat inconsistent to make broad generalizations, but for the 90–100 kids in fifth grade at the same school I was in for fifth grade, the above story is true, and I can't help but assume it holds for many, many others.  That early attempt at indoctrination didn't totally grab hold of me, and I always thought George Washington most definitely deserved his place on Mt. Rushmore as one of the greatest presidents in American history.  For me, he was a man most daring and intrepid as he led the troops across the Delaware River to surprise the British-allied Hessian forces in New Jersey.  He was also an incredibly humble and grounded man who should figure larger in our modern-day politicians' worldviews: he refused to become king and wanted nothing more than to return to his family and estate at Mt. Vernon.  Finally, Washington was a great spiritual leader.  His prayer at Valley Forge was always truly inspiring and reminded me of great leaders in ancient times such as Helaman and Captain Moroni.

In his very thoroughly researched work, George Washington's Sacred Fire (ISBN: 978-0-9786052-6-8), Peter A. Lillback (with Jerry Newcombe), attacks the revisionist history of my fifth grade class.  The book is a very careful examination of the case that has been made and widely accepted regarding Washington's deism.  Lillback explains the arguments that writers, including a Paul Boller that seems to have written the standard in Washington religion-related books up to this point, have used to cast our founding father as a deist.  He then picks those arguments apart one by one.  He does this largely based on Washington's own words.  He claims that this concept has received the short end of the stick throughout time.  One prominent example is that it is often claimed Washington never or almost never used the name of Deity.  Lillback found, after carefully combing through everything Washington ever wrote, that he not only used the name of Jesus Christ, he used hundreds upon hundreds of other names and titles for God, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.  Similar research and proof were conducted and presented regarding other arguments against Washington being a Christian including topics as varied as communion, service attendance, other religiously-motivated behavior, knowledge of the Bible, and library holdings (Washington collected, signed, and sometimes commented on religious books, including compendiums of sermons).  Lillback carefully establishes that Washington communed, attended services and participated in his church community, knew the Bible inside and out, owned many Christian books (and no deist ones), and, arguably most importantly, lived a Christian life.  That final bit is important, because even though Lillback amply proves through Washington's own words (the main text of the book is over 700 pages; the appendices, including hundreds of excerpts from Washington's written prayers or communications where he indicates he is praying, are a couple hundred more), one must always remember with Washington, it was "deeds, not words."

I enjoyed the book immensely.  (As a short aside before explaining that in a little more detail, the book didn't always flow as easily as I might've liked, there were a distracting number of typos, and there were a couple sections that seemed slightly redundant.)  I think I would've enjoyed even if it had not satisfied me with regard to Washington's Christianity.  First, truly understanding the beliefs and positions of the founding fathers helps us think about and understand the way we should look at government today.  Government based on Christian principles and executed to encourage not just a Christian lifestyle, but a fully Christian life and faith, is quite a bit different from what many claim the founders wanted and what the government should be doing.  Second, the man was simply amazing!  He was one of the rare men who practice what they preach, and of said preaching do very little.  While Lillback admits that the cherry tree story is hard to verify (he, though, does not discount it completely), Washington did not lie.  Washington was the humble man I learned about in kindergarten.  He was a great general, a wonderful statesman, and a moral giant.  I found myself over and over noting how important it was to be more like Washington in my everyday life.  He was known to have a terrible temper, but very few people knew that because of his incredible self-control.  That talent was present in other aspects of his personality, too.  Washington understood morality and its bearing on the kind of people and the kind of society we create.  Washington always strove to forgive and to improve himself so he, too, could be forgiven.  Most often, he succeeded.  He was thrifty and abhorred debt.  He was fair, positive, and worked hard to bring others up.  He was a man of prayer who knew where to look for answers he couldn't find on his own.  He knew Whom to thank for any and all answers.  While the book set out to explain Washington's Christianity and succeeded, it also ended up inspiring.

This work, including all text, photographs, and other original work, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives 3.0 License and is copyrighted © MMXI John Pruess.