America’s National Hymns testify to our God given, God sustained and God blessed country—established for Individual Sovereignty.

(I featured America’s National Anthem earlier this month; followed it with a repost: The Eternal Meaning of Independence Day feature of the Anthem’s 4^th verse sung spontaneously by a retired Marine.)

This day we honor America with America the Beautiful.
It was written by Katharine Lee Bates in 1893. In 1910 it was set to the music written in 1882 by Samuel Ward for a hymn, O Mother Dear Jerusalem. (Ward died in 1902.) Before the moving and spectacular videos below, soak in these four verses:

O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!

America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

O beautiful for pilgrim feet
Whose stern impassioned stress
A thoroughfare of freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America!
God mend thine every flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law

O beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife.
Who more than self their country loved
And mercy more than life!
America! America!
May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness
And every gain divine!

O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

My favorite presentation of America the Beautiful is this one with Ray Charles leading with verse three and finishing with Verse one.

This inspiring and moving presentation is all four verses performed by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. The video was made by an incredibly gifted artist and uploaded by PATRIOTWRITR. The video demonstrates Patriotwritr and the artist are Patriots.