Lives Given for Life and Freedom

As I read through Elder Dale G. Renlund's April 2020 talk, I came across this quote that seems especially appropriate right now. Referring to the gifts that come to us through the sacrifice of others, Elder Renlund said,

Every time we use, benefit from, or even think of these gifts, we ought to consider the sacrifice, generosity, and compassion of the givers. Reverence for the givers does more than just make us grateful. Reflecting on Their gifts can and should transform us.

At this moment, Elder Renlund was specifically talking about our Heavenly Father and our Savior, Jesus Christ, and he had just finished telling the story of a man who got a life-saving heart-transplant as a result of the death of a beloved family member, but I think the same principle can apply to fallen soldiers as well. In all these cases, the deaths of some made possible the lives of others, and those whose lives were saved should ensure that their lives are also changed for the better.

Those soldiers died for our freedom, and Jesus died for our freedom from sin. In both of these cases, we should fight to maintain our freedom, because we're as good as dead without it. I hope we appreciate the freedom They died to give us, and even more importantly, I hope we maintain it.

Many people died to give us the lives and freedoms we enjoy. Let's do our best to make sure they didn't die in vain.