“If we were base enough to desire it, it is now too late to retire from the contest. There is no retreat but in submission and slavery! Our chains are forged! Their clanking may be heard on the plains of Boston! The war is inevitable and let it come! I repeat it, sir, let it come. It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace—but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!”
— Patrick Henry, Speech to the Second Virginia Convention, March 23, 1775, St. John's Church, Richmond, Virginia
Patrick Henry’s dedication to liberty was not limited to one moment or one speech. Consider these additional words of his:
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“The liberties of a people never were, nor ever will be, secure, when the transactions of their rulers may be concealed from them.”
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“[Our Constitution] is an instrument for the people to restrain the government.”
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“It is when a people forget God, that tyrants forge their chains.”
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“My most cherished possession I wish I could leave you is my faith in Jesus Christ. For with Him and nothing else, you can be happy; but without Him and with all else, you'll never be happy.”
I share these not just to honor Patrick Henry, but to highlight a truth often forgotten: many of our founding fathers saw the revolutionary cause as a stand with God—against tyranny, against the myth of divinely ordained monarchs, and for the divine gift of human liberty.
Patrick Henry was not alone.
John Adams wrote in a letter to Zabdiel Adams in 1776:
“Statesmen, my dear Sir, may plan and speculate for liberty, but it is religion and morality alone which can establish the principles upon which freedom can securely stand.”
C.S. Lewis, in The Weight of Glory, reflected:
“The man who surrenders himself to the military life does not do so for the sake of hardship and discipline. He does it for the freedom of others.”
The prophet Isaiah declared:
“Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees … to turn aside the needy from judgment, and to take away the right from the poor …”
(Isaiah 10:1–2)
And in modern revelation, the Lord proclaimed:
“According to the laws and constitution … I established the Constitution of this land, by the hands of wise men whom I raised up unto this very purpose.”
(Doctrine and Covenants 101:77–80)
Conclusion
As we honor those who gave their lives in the defense of liberty, let us remember that true freedom is never merely a political ideal—it is a moral and spiritual calling. Patrick Henry’s bold cry for liberty echoes through the ages not as a moment of rebellion, but as a stand for divine principles rooted in truth and righteousness.
Our founding fathers, like Henry and Adams, understood that without faith, virtue, and accountability to God, liberty cannot endure. As C.S. Lewis reminds us, the sacrifices made by those in uniform are not for glory or power, but for the freedom and dignity of others—a profoundly Christlike act.
The scriptures remind us that God is not indifferent to the cause of the oppressed nor to the founding of nations. As revealed in Isaiah and affirmed in modern revelation, He raises up leaders and inspires laws to protect the rights of all His children.
On this Memorial Day, may we be among those who would stand—with faith in Christ, with courage to defend truth, and with gratitude for those who gave everything so that we might live free. And let us remember: liberty is not only something we receive, but something we must preserve—by living righteously, standing courageously, and walking humbly with our God.
