SEMPER FIDELIS, ALWAYS FAITHFUL

On Sunday, Elder Bednar came and spoke at our Stake Conference. Ben got to speak also and this is his talk

Brothers and Sisters, I am so grateful for the opportunity I have today to be able to speak to you all. I am Ben Dawson. My friends call me Ben, the kids on my soccer team calls me coach, my 4 kids call me Daddy or Dad, my wife calls me sweetheart and wonderful, and my Marines, they call me Staff Sergeant.

As a Marine I have gone many places and done many things. There have been many occasions when I have needed to protect myself. In the Marine Corps we wear eye protection, ear protection, and body armor. We wear helmets to protect our heads and boots to protect our feet. We even get shots and take medications to protect us from chemical agents and disease. You could say that we try to be as protected as possible both inside and out. Without this protection our missions may not get accomplished.

As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints I have a different brand of protection. I have made covenants in the temple and by keeping those covenants I am protecting myself spiritually as well as physically. I strive to live according to the gospel standards and principals that have been given to me, and like the spiritual “armor of God” spoken about in D&C 27, I know that if I will cherish and honor my covenants I will be protected from the evils of the world.

Before one of my deployments President Reese came to my house and gave me a blessing. In his blessing he said that if I would uphold the promises that I made in the Temple I would be blessed and protected by Guardian Angels.

In Iraq I was involved in 3 roadside bombings which left my vehicles and fellow Marines damaged and hurt. Now some might say that it was luck that I was not injured, but I know that because I had been keeping my Temple covenants I was physically protected.

Deployments are long. I spend months away from family, friends and sometimes church meetings. I am often surrounded by people who do not have the same standards that I do. I am so grateful for the daily reminder that I wear under my uniform, of the temple covenants that I have made.

There is a motto in the Marine Corps that we live by, it is a Latin phrase that I try to follow everyday. The phrase is “Semper Fidelis” which means, “Always Faithful.” I have taken an oath to be “Always Faithful” to our country, our Marine Corps, and to my brothers in arms. Without this oath, or covenant, it would be easier for me to lose sight of my goals, possibly jeopardizing a mission and the safety of my men.

As a member of the church I have also made covenants to be “Semper Fidelis” or “Always Faithful”. I will keep those sacred covenants that I have made in the temple. It will take honor, courage, and commitment but in the end I will be blessed with the needed protection that has kept me safe in times of peril on and off the battlefield as well as bring me happiness.

I know that Temples are the houses of our loving Heavenly Father. I know that if we will keep the commandments and live by the covenants that we make in Temples we will be truly blessed and protected. I will continually strive to live “Semper Fidelis” to all of the covenants I have made in the Temple. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.