By Julie Johansen
On Thursday, Aug. 31, Governor Spencer Cox declared September as American Founders and Constitution Month in Utah. Following this declaration, the Huntington Glee Club and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Huntington Utah Stake presented a Celebration of the Constitution of the United States of America. This celebration was held on Constitution Day, Sept. 17, 237 years since its writing on Sept. 17, 1787. The program of song and prose was held at the Huntington Stake Center.
Kendall Mortensen led the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance and Stake President John Nielson welcomed everyone to the program. Following the invocation offering by Lond Wakefield, the choir sang “America the Beautiful.” Doug Mecham then spoke about “The Need for a Constitution.” He spoke about the Declaration of Independence coming first and then a decade later, the Constitution was signed. “Your Land and My Land” was then performed by the Glee Club.
Mecham’s next commentary was entitled, “Who Were these Wise Men?” He directed his remarks to the signers and designers of Constitution and their guided direction. The Glee Club then presented “God Bless America” and “My Country Tis of Thee.”
In “”A Living Document,” Mecham related the importance of the Constitution then and now. “This is My Country” introduced the closing commentary entitled “What is Our Responsibility?” The congregation then all sang “The Star Spangled Banner.” The benediction was offered by Brent Cook.
The program tied together Governor Cox’s earlier comment, “The Constitution takes the Declaration of Independence and embodies it in a practical way to govern our country.”