Posted by Brooke Buys for MormonNewsroom.org
Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints offered the morning prayer in the United States Senate. Customarily every Senate session begins with prayer, dating back to the Senate’s beginnings in the late 1700s. Usually, the Senate chaplain offers the prayer, but Congress often invites guest chaplains from various faiths to pray.
Elder Christofferson prayed for the members of the Senate to use wisdom in all matters they deal with. He asked God to “honor their desire to contribute to the well-being of the people of this nation, and indeed those of all nations who may be influenced for good by their decisions.”
He also acknowledged the 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, noting that “[we] remember with soberness and humility the sacrifice of so many who have offered their lives to preserve our liberty. We pray that Thou wilt bless their descendants and sustain the vital institutions of our government that this precious liberty may be preserved through the generations to come.”
The tradition of prayer in the U.S. Senate goes back to Benjamin Franklin’s 1787 recommendation to the Continental Congress that because “God Governs in the affairs of men” there ought to be “prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessings on our deliberations, be held in this Assembly every morning before we proceed to business, and that one or more of the Clergy of this City be requested to officiate.”
Aleah is a graduate of Southern Virginia University, where she studied English, Creative Writing, and Dance. She now works full time as a marketing and product manager, writer, and editor. She currently hosts the podcast “Single to the Glory” about singlehood in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Aleah served a mission in California and loves baking, Lang Leav poetry, Gaynor Minden pointe shoes, and Bollywood movies.
