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50 years ago
President David O. McKay, speaking at a building dedication, said: "The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the perfect law of freedom. We do not wish to supplant any government, but we wish to have it in our homes, in our hearts, and to teach it to our children as the best, most glorious thing in all the world. I know it is! Do you not feel it? You know it!"
His words were recorded in the March 28, 1953, Church News from the dedicatory session for the Laurelcrest-Beacon wards meetinghouse in Salt Lake City.
President McKay continued: "There are four fundamental institutions upon which our success and happiness depend. First, the home; second, the Church; third, the school; and fourth, the government." He then spoke about each one of those institutions at length.
The article added: "President McKay classed freedom as the most precious gift of life, next to life itself. He declared freedom was craved by every human being, even dictators, for themselves."
As he commented about the new meetinghouse, according to the article, "President McKay explained that freedom in America, permitted first the privilege of organizing the Church; that it makes no question of the form of worship; and does not specify the kind of building to be erected; nor prohibits the freedom of men and women to contribute their labor."
