For Part One, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five or Part Six, you know what to do. Click away!
Welcome back for Part Two of President Harold B. Lee's talk, "A Time of Decision", a talk about how disciples of Christ should attend themselves through political seasons. Honestly, it's all still pretty timely advice.
The next quote comes from an unknown president - can we figure out who this was? A challenge!
The Quote
"We related this story
to a president of the United States some years ago
and assured him that no matter what his name or his political party,
we too were frequently on our knees, praying God
that he and the leaders of this nation and of the world
would bring us through the crises of the present.
We were heartened by the president’s reply when he said,
“I think that every president of this country
during his term of office
has been frequently on his knees praying to Almighty God.”"
You know what?
I don't think we can find this quote, because it isn't actually a quote, but a personal story that happened when President Harold B. Lee was there.
But we can guess, can't we?
He said it was a president 'some years ago', so before 1972 - the last five presidents before that time were Nixon, Johnson, Kennedy, Eisenhower, and Truman. I wonder what each of these men felt about prayer?
And so, with some generous (and hopefully accurate) help from AI, here's what I found about what each president thought about prayer...
Harry S. Truman (33rd President, 1945–1953)
"At this moment, I have in my heart a prayer.
As I have assumed my heavy duties, I humbly pray, Almighty God,
in the words of King Solomon: 'Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart
to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad,
for who is able to judge this thy so great people?'
I ask only to be a good and faithful servant of my LORD and my people."
This was cool - maybe it Harry Truman that President Lee talked to? Could have been.
🙏 Dwight D. Eisenhower (34th President, 1953–1961)
“Personal prayer, it seems to me,
is one of the simplest necessities of life,
as basic to the individual as sunshine, food and water-
and at times, of course, more so.
By prayer I mean an effort to get in touch with the Infinite.
We know that our prayers are imperfect. Of course they are.
We are imperfect human beings.
A thousand experiences have convinced me beyond room of doubt
that prayer multiplies the strength of the individual
and brings within the scope of his capabilities almost any conceivable objective.”
This reflects Eisenhower’s belief that prayer strengthens individuals, even if not explicitly quoting God by name in the excerpt. It could have been Eisenhower that related the above quote to President Lee. I could see that too.
✝️ John F. Kennedy (35th President, 1961–1963)
Kennedy, as a Catholic, often included references to God in his public speeches. In his inaugural address he said:
“...whether you are citizens of America or citizens of the world,
ask of us here the same high standards of strength and sacrifice which we ask of you.
With a good conscience our only sure reward,
with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love,
asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth
God's work must truly be our own.”
This underscores his view that moral rights are rooted in divine authority, and his belief in prayer as well. Could it have been Kennedy? Maybe.
✝️ Lyndon B. Johnson (36th President, 1963–1969)
In his 1964 National Day of Prayer proclamation, Johnson invited citizens to pray, showing his view on prayer and God:
"Under our laws,
--every man has the right to pray;
--no man can be told how he must pray;
--each man prays as his own conscience dictates.
I call upon all of our citizens, therefore, to observe the National Day of Prayer
in accordance with our custom-each in his own way and in his own faith.
I urge that each of us turn to God on that day
--acknowledging that our country continues, as it was founded,
"with a firm reliance upon the protection of divine Providence";
--thanking Him for the blessings of mind and spirit
which He has heaped upon us in a land of vast bounty;
--begging His forgiveness for our shortcomings;
--asking for the patience, the wisdom, the understanding, and the courage we need
to carry on His work.”
Did Lyndon B. Johnson say the above quote? Maybe, possibly, not sure. I did like his wording here though.
🙏 Richard Nixon (37th President, 1969–1974)
In his 1969 National Day of Prayer proclamation, Nixon encouraged Americans to pray and seek God’s blessing for the nation:
“…it is fitting that we publicly demonstrate our faith in the power of prayer.”
This isn't a direct personal confession of prayer because a president is required by law to sign these Proclamations of National Prayer, and they probably didn't even write them themselves - but it did show he publicly affirmed the importance of prayer to the nation.
What's your final guess on who might be the one who provided President Lee with the above quote?
Our of all of them, I'm guessing Eisenhower myself. His remarks felt the most personally genuine, but I could be totally wrong.
