I look back at 9-11 and sometimes wonder why we want to honor a disaster.  Why do we want to give credit to the power and damage the terrorists caused Americans that day? I have three sons and the fear of having to send them to war terrifies me. When they were born I thought "What is your destiny? Will it be one of growing up in a wonderful world of peace, going to school and getting a job, raising a family, and living to an old age? Will it be one full of challenge, unrest, and war?" I ask myself the question, "What is the destiny of America and what part will we play in it?"

I was at work at Mountainland Dept. of Aging in Orem, Utah. When the attack came they turned on the TV and we watched the event unfold with, tears, fear, wonderment, disbelief and whatever other emotion you could probably imagine. Being raised in an environment of mostly  peace, the threat of war was an abstract concept and one that I thought we would never have to face. My first thoughts went to my family. I wanted to be with them, and not at work. I wanted to know what future they now faced and could I deal with it.

The destiny of America is set and is under the direction of our Father in Heaven. This land will always be kept free for his divine purposes. We as a people may lose the rights we now have because of our pride, greed, and apathy, but whatever people possess this land in righteousness will see the hand of God unfold and his purposes known to all. When I see the American Flag and what this kind of disaster does to people in America, my heart swells with pride. For one brief moment in history, we saw people of all kinds, colors, and religions come together. It did not matter what political position they held, where they came from, or how wealthy they were. We  focused on strength and unity; we as a people were strong and united in a way that we had forgotten and the world had never seen.

How has this affected me? I hate having to go through all of the clearances at the airports. I do not want to live my life in fear or hate anyone and I do not want to lose my freedom. So I guess the answer to my question as to why we honor disasters is that we don't honor the disaster but we honor all those Americans that helped all of us see, in a real way, what America has that no other country has or can understand-- a deep rooted value of freedom and a love of family and of mankind. It has pulled me closer to my Heavenly Father as I watch the prophecies fulfilled in preparation for the second coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ. I realize that the time is close at hand and that we all must be humbled and have a generation raised with  the values and moral integrity to keep us free. I have so much to be grateful for. I know who I am, a child of God. I know that my destiny is to live with Him through eternity if I want it. This land, America, will allow all of us, God's children, to reach our destiny if we keep our heads held high, our standards and moral conduct in place, and come together as people with one purpose--freedom for all.