By Senator John D. Johnson

Sunday morning I had the privilege of attending one of the most stirring services I’ve experienced in recent memory—a patriotic celebration at Faith Baptist Church in Layton, centered on the timeless truth from Proverbs 14:34:

“Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.”

I was joined by over twenty fellow legislators, local elected officials, and longtime friends, including Utah House Speaker Mike Schultz and Senate President Stuart Adams. What we experienced wasn’t merely a ceremonial nod to the Fourth of July—it was a clarion call to recommit ourselves, both individually and nationally, to the moral foundations that once made America exceptional.

PoliticIt Radio – Let Rightness Rise

From the opening chords of The Star-Spangled Banner to the closing prayer for wisdom and repentance, the service—led by Chuck Beickel—was a reminder that liberty without virtue is license, and freedom without faith is fragile.

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A Gathering of Gratitude: Honoring Those Who Serve

The sanctuary was full—vibrant with red, white, and blue. Before the sermon, the congregation rose in unity to sing not only the national anthem, but also patriotic hymns like The Battle Hymn of the Republic. These weren’t just songs; they were declarations of gratitude and resolve.

We paused to honor members of the United States Armed Forces—both veterans and active duty. Their presence brought a deeply personal tone to the celebration. These were not distant abstractions. They were neighbors, family members, constituents—living witnesses to the cost of liberty.

Pastor Beickel also recognized elected officials and candidates in attendance, giving each a moment to stand and introduce themselves. In a time of polarization and institutional distrust, this simple gesture spoke volumes: the health of our republic depends on moral leadership—and moral leadership starts at the community level.

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The Message: The Moral Backbone of a Nation

Pastor Beickel began his sermon by drawing us into Proverbs 14:34—not as a vague ideal, but as a piercing diagnosis of our national condition.

“Righteousness exalteth a nation…”

Righteousness, he explained, isn’t perfection. It’s the conscious choice to do what is right, as defined by God. And that collective striving—imperfect as it may be—is what once elevated America from a fledgling colony to a global beacon.

“…but sin is a reproach to any people.”

That reproach, he warned, is not theoretical. It is unfolding. It manifests in the breakdown of the family, the erosion of truth, and the abandonment of shared moral anchors.

I sat in the pew reflecting on how often we in government attempt to legislate around these issues—spending billions trying to fix problems that often stem from spiritual neglect rather than policy failure. Pastor Beickel’s message made one thing clear: we will not out-legislate the moral law of God.

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Dispelling the Myths: The Faith of the Founders

One of the most powerful parts of the sermon was a direct challenge to the modern narrative that seeks to erase or downplay the spiritual convictions of America’s Founding Fathers.

Pastor Beickel acknowledged that Jefferson and Franklin are often cited as the most “secular” of the Founders, yet even they understood the Bible’s indispensable role in civic virtue and liberty. He quoted them and others:

• Thomas Jefferson: “The Bible is the cornerstone of liberty.”
• George Washington: “It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible.”
• Noah Webster: “The Bible must be considered the great source of all truth by which men are to be guided.”
• Patrick Henry: “This great nation was founded not on religion, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
• James Madison: “We have staked the future of our political institutions upon the capacity of mankind to govern ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God.”

He also shared that the first English Bible printed in America was authorized by Congress in 1782—explicitly for use in schools. And that most early American universities, including Harvard, Yale, and Princeton, were founded as Christian institutions, with ministers as presidents and scripture as curriculum.

This was not revisionist history—it was forgotten history, restored.

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God’s Providence in American History

Pastor Beickel then shifted to a series of powerful vignettes from our nation’s founding. As he told them, the congregation was silent—aware that these weren’t just stories; they were reminders of God’s providence in shaping our nation.

• George Washington’s survival in the French and Indian War despite having two horses shot from beneath him and multiple bullet holes in his coat—without a single wound.
• The miraculous fog during the Battle of Long Island in 1776 that concealed Washington’s retreating army, allowing thousands to escape a British trap.
• The daring Christmas night crossing of the Delaware, when Washington’s forces surprised the Hessians at Trenton, reversing the tide of a losing war.
• The precise timing of the French fleet’s arrival at Yorktown in 1781, cutting off British retreat and bringing the Revolution to a victorious close.

These weren’t coincidences. They were acts of divine orchestration—a reminder that while human courage matters, divine favor makes the difference.

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Democracy vs. Republic: The Founders’ Design

The next section of Pastor Beickel’s sermon hit especially close to home for me, given my role in the Utah Senate. He clarified a vital distinction: America is not a democracy. It is a constitutional republic.

He quoted John Adams, who warned:

“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

Pure democracy, the Founders knew, leads to instability, mob rule, and eventually tyranny. A republic, by contrast, safeguards liberty through law, representation, and virtue. And it is our duty, Pastor Beickel reminded us, to preserve that structure—not just in theory, but through participation.

He specifically praised Utah’s caucus system, encouraging all present to engage in it—not for self-promotion, but as a way to hold candidates accountable based on character, not just campaign coffers. Politics, he said, must be re-rooted in principle.

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A National Call to Repentance: 2 Chronicles 7:14

The heart of the message was not political—it was spiritual.

Pastor Beickel quoted 2 Chronicles 7:14 as both an invitation and a warning:

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways…”

It does not say if Washington humbles itself. It says “if my people.” The burden begins with the church.

He urged all of us—citizens, parents, pastors, and yes, legislators—to repent of compromise, recommit to righteousness, and pray for the healing of our land.

He concluded with an invitation to receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, reminding all that spiritual liberty is the foundation of all other liberties. Without Christ, we are not free—only unmoored.

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Conclusion: Restoring the Soul of the Nation

As the final prayer was offered and the congregation stood in unity, I looked around and saw veterans with tears in their eyes, young children holding tiny flags, and civic leaders bowing their heads.

I was deeply moved—and convicted.

We often talk about the future of America in legislative terms: budgets, bills, policies. And yes, those matter. But this service reminded me that a nation does not rise or fall by economics alone. It rises or falls on its moral foundations.

We must once again be a people who cherish righteousness more than rhetoric, and virtue more than victory. It starts not in the Capitol building—but in the heart. Not in federal programs—but in faithful families. Not by rewriting history—but by remembering it rightly.

“Righteousness exalteth a nation…”

May we be the generation that remembers—and returns.

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A powerful reflection on Faith Baptist Layton’s patriotic service, biblical foundations of American liberty, and a call to moral renewal from Senator John D. Johnson.

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