Honoring Those Who Uphold the Rule of
Law
Utah Peace officer Association Fallen
Officer Memorial
Utah State Capitol Rotunda
President Boyd K. Packer
President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
6 May 2004
“Watchman, What of the Night”
The
title for an address is the last thing written.
This one time, however, it came first: “Watchman, what of the night?” taken
from the writing of the prophet Isaiah in the Old Testament.
In
the early days watchmen announced the hour of the day, sometimes adding, “All
is well.” Once, with the day far spent,
came the cry, “Watchman, what of the night? … what of the night?” (Isaiah 21:11).
Can
you imagine the dusk settling over the state of Utah – followed, as it always
is, by darkness over counties, town, and homes – without peace officers
present? Imagine darkness falling
without police, sheriffs, troopers, marshals, deputies, dispatchers, security
officers. Be very thankful we only
imagine this.
We
meet to honor those peace officers who have given their lives to protect us.
Utah
has a foundation upon which public safety and law enforcement were built. The first settlers carried with them a
declaration of belief about peace and protection. It was written in Kirtland, Ohio, in 1835. It was carried with them when they were
driven from Missouri and Nauvoo and then across the plains into this valley.
This
document, was written nearly 170 years ago, became Utah’s pattern of government
for law and public safety.
I
will quote from this little-known declaration and interpret it in a few places
to remind us of our responsibility to support the men and women who watch over
us both day and night.
Each
paragraph begins “We believe.”
“We
believe that governments were instituted of God for the benefit of man; and
that he holds men accountable for their acts in relation to them, both in
making laws and administering them, for the good and safety of society:
(Doctrine and Covenants 134:1).
Notice
the words good and laws and safety.
“We
believe that no government can exist in peace, except such laws are framed and
held inviolate as will secure to each individual the free exercise of
conscience, the right and control of property, and the protection of life.”
(Doctrine and Covenants 134:2).
Did
you note protection of life and property? That is what our peace officer do.
“We
believe that all governments necessarily require civil officers and magistrates
to enforce the laws of the same; and that such as will administer the law in equity and justice should be sought for and
upheld by the voice of the people.”
(Doctrine and Covenants 134:3; emphasis added).
I
repeat, “…Should be sought for and upheld by the voice of the people. Every citizen has a responsibility. Who would dare disparage our peace officers
or tarnish their image?
“We
believe that all men are bound to sustain and uphold the respective governments
in which they reside, while protected
in their inherent and inalienable rights by the laws of such government; and
that sedition and rebellion are unbecoming every citizen thus protected, and should be punished
accordingly; and that all governments have a right to enact such laws as . . .
are best calculated to secure the public interest.” (Doctrine and Covenants
134:5; emphasis added).
Notice
the word protected is used twice,
with laws and to secure public interest.
“We
believe that every man should be honored in his station, rulers and
magistrates. …” (And we should add here: “peace officer, detectives, patrolmen,
chiefs, constables, investigators, traffic officers, vice officers.” All of them are to be “honored in (their)
station.”)
To
continue quoting: “…(They) being placed for the protection of the innocent and
the punishment of the guilty; and that to the laws all men show respect and
deference, as without them peace and harmony would be supplanted by anarchy and
terror.” (Doctrine and Covenants 134:6).
Theodore
Roosevelt said; “No man is above the law and no man is below it; nor do we ask
any man’s permission when we require him to obey it. Obedience to the law is demanded as a right;
not asked as a favor.” (Congressional
Record, December 7 1903).
Again
from this declaration; “We believe that
the commission of crime should be punished according to the nature of the
offense; that murder, treason, robbery, theft and the breach of the general
peace, in all respect, should be punished according to their criminality and
their tendency to evil among men, by the laws of that government in which the
offense is committed; and for the public peace and tranquility all
men should step forward and use the ability in bringing offenders against
good laws to punishment.” (Doctrine and
Covenants 134:8; emphasis added).
That
means you and me and everybody else.
“We
believe that men should appeal to the civil law for redress of all wrongs and
grievances, where personal abuse is inflicted or the right of property or
character infringed, where such laws exist as will protect the same; but we
believe that all men are justified in defending themselves, their friends, and
property, and the government, from the unlawful assaults and encroachments of
all persons.” (Doctrine and Covenants
134:11).
Those
beliefs, written nearly 170 years ago, were and are the foundation of our
government and public safety.
We
expect a lot from our peace officers.
They are to protect us by force of arms, if necessary. We expect them, as well, to save lives, act
as paramedics, stop bleeding or start breathing, deliver babies, be counselors,
settle domestic disputes, move obstacles from roadways, find lost children, rescue
hikers and skiers, be calm and wise and be brave, even inspired beyond normal
human expectations.
All
of these things are expected as well, of our firefighters, who are frequently
in danger.
Our
officers are sent out to associate with the worst, the very dredges, the
brutal, the demented, and the dangerous in our society.
When
there is an accident or injury, we depend on them to help.
If
we leave our peace offices or our firefighters with less than the best in
transportation, communication, and equipment, we endanger ourselves. Our police officers must be well equipped.
I
once served on a city council with the responsibility for budgeting. I learned that there are many agencies
clamoring for their part, always a greater part, of the budget. There is never quite enough to go around.
If
we do not provide our public safety officers adequate support and training
facilities, jails to hold offenders, and everything else necessary for the, the
costs will cycle back to us in the destruction of life and property and in the
loss of jails and rehabilitation of offenders.
Then all of the social ills increase rapidly. We need judges who will treat fairly our
officers and will respect them.
Do
not forget the sacrifice of their families.
Our officers must provide food, clothing, shelter, and education for
their families. They deserve comforts
and conveniences for their own homes.
They deserve adequate salaries, generous benefits, and a retirement worthy
of what they gave during their service.
If
you as a public official are thinking about cutting the budget for public
safety, be very very careful indeed.
Two
experiences and lessons I have learned:
Some
years ago I receive a call from a highway patrolman whose first question was,
“Do you own a green station wagon?” I
did. He said, “There has been an
accident, and your son wants to talk to you.”
My
first question to my son was, “Are you hurt?”
He
said, “Not seriously.”
I
am not sure I asked about damage to the car.
I think I did not. I said, “We’ll
be there as soon as possible.” I then
said, “Let me talk to the patrolman. I
want to thank him.”
I
thanked him for the care he was giving to our son. To my surprise, he thanked me and said, “The
first thing your son said to me was “I want to talk to my dad.” The officer added, “You don’t find much of that. Ours is not always an easy job – often
thankless.” There was a lesson for me in
that.
Another
lesson: Some years ago in Sao Paulo, Brazil,
we were returning late from a social in a very heavy traffic. As we went around a traffic circle, a truck
came from the right and crashed into the back door of our car. We were quite shaken up. The car was inoperative. I was a bit dazed.
I
noticed a car stop, and six very rough-looking men ran toward us. I thought, “We are going to be wrecked and
robbed in the same night!” But that did
not happen.
One
of them stopped traffic, and the others, by brute force, moved our car out of
the traffic lane to safety. These
though-looking men then jumped in their car, waved, and drove away. They did not look like members of the “Sao
Paulo Support Your Sheriff Society.” But they exemplified what all of us should
do.
If
we have no police force, or if they are not well trained and equipped or not
sustained or respected, we will live in constant fear for ourselves, our
families, and our property.
To
appreciate what these men and women do, in your mind suspend them so they
cannot operate. You will soon gain a
respect for them. No society can
prosper, or even survive, without law enforcement – police and firefighters.
Today
we honor Rodney Badger – pioneer and deputy sheriff of Salt Lake County. He had been a captain in the Nauvoo Legion
and was the first Utah law officer to lose his life in the line of duty.
In
1853 he was sent by Brigham Young to aid immigrants fording the Weber River –
an ice-cold, raging torrent. A
California family tried to cross in a light wagon but were swept away. Deputy Badger managed to save four of the
children and mother before he disappeared from sight. He was 30 years old and left his wife and
five young children.
Today
the name of Deputy Jeremiah K. Johnson of Emery County is added to the roll of
honor. He was returning to check out
after a 12-hour patrol in the town of Green River. His car crossed the median and was stuck by a
semi-trailer truck. He, too, was 30
years old and left behind a wife and three young children.
It
is in our interest that we honor them and honor their families.
From
the first peace officer who died in the line of duty 151 years ago, to the last
name we add to the roll of honor today, there have been 112 officers who have
lost their lives. That is a remarkable record and a tribute to the ability and
dedication of our peace officers. We do
not want to lose a single one of them but the price for peace and safety must
be paid. We honor their families who
carry this burden.
The
danger they face is not the whole of it.
There is the search and rescue, sometimes reward with unspeakable joy
and sometimes with grief and disappointment.
The terrible, sometimes revolting things they must deal with at crimes
scenes or at the scenes of accidents are not easy to get out of their
minds. There is the blood and grief and
the pain and tragedy, sometimes involving little children. They spare us from all of that.
Now
back to where we began to the question. “Watchman, what of the night? … what of the night?” (Isaiah 21:11).
I
speak now of another kind of darkness that settles about us, a darkness not
caused by the rotation of the earth but one that is invisible to the eye. Evidences of it can found in every newspaper,
every day. It is the darkness that comes
into the minds of men and fosters complicity, wickedness, and crime – sometimes
unspeakable and brutal.
That
statement of belief we read requires that every man and every woman who serves
us should be “honored in their station”
(Doctrine and Covenants 134:6) and should be adequately trained and
equipped and supported. When they are as
they should be, the darkness of either kind will hold little danger for our
homes and our families.
I
close with an alert – a warning. That invisible
kind of darkness settles every more heavily.
The word terror, not used much
in the past, is now an unwelcome presence.
We
cannot leave our peace officers unrewarded or weakened or disregarded or
dishonored. They and their families
deserve our support and encouragement and respect and our appreciation. I invoke the blessings of the Lord upon them
in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
