9/11

There are always going to be those days forever etched in your memory. These days might be the day you got your driver’s license, your first kiss, your wedding, or maybe even the birth of your child. It may be the day you moved away to college, the day your grandpa died, or the day your best friend moved away. One of those days forever engraved in my memory is September 11, 2001. I woke up like any other day, got ready for school, and sat on my parent’s bed waiting for a ride. As I sat there watching the news I remember watching video of the first World Trade Center burning. And sure enough I witnessed on tape as the second plane and its passengers met its fate. Being only eleven years old and growing up in a small Utah community it never alarmed me that my freedom was at stake. It never occurred to me that there were other countries who hated the USA. It never dawned on me that years down the road some of my closest friends would be sent overseas fighting because of this tragic event.

As the 10 year anniversary came upon me, I can’t help but think and reflect on how much our country has grown and how much opposition it has had to face. Every day I go to school and study America and its politics. I have learned why other nationalities would choose to target to America; what we possess that others crave; and why this really is the greatest country in the world. I have gained respect for the men and women fighting for my freedom. I have greater appreciation for the country I live in and the opportunities it offers me.

As I reflect on that tragic day 10 years ago I think of a quote given by President Thomas S. Monson. It says…

“Tragedies are not merely opportunities to give Him [God] a fleeting thought, or for momentary insight to His plan for our happiness. Destruction allows us to rebuild our lives in the way He teaches us, and to become something different than we were.”

September 11th could be the worst terrorist attack and tragedy I witness in my lifetime. I don't believe it happened in vain though. God has a master plan. I believe this was part of it. There are continuous lessons and opportunities we must take from tragedy. The biggest lesson I have learned is that we cannot turn to God only in times of trial and tragedy. We need to show him the same consistency and faithfulness that he endlessly shows us. We need him in times of peace as well as in disaster.