Saints at War

Family and friends of Army Capt. Cory J. Jenkins, a 2003 graduate of BYU, are paying tribute to the 30-year-old physician assistant who was killed in Afghanistan earlier this week.

“Cory was very much a people person,” said his father, Stanley Jenkins, of Mesa, Ariz.

The Pentagon said Cory Jenkins died Tuesday in southern Afghanistan of wounds suffered when the vehicle he and three other soldiers were riding in hit an improvised explosive device. Jenkins was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, at Fort Lewis, Wash.

Army Capt. Cory J. Jenkins holds his daughter, Reagan. The physician assistant was killed in Afghanistan Tuesday. Provided by Jeremy Jenkins

He leaves behind a wife, Brooke, and 2-month-old daughter, Reagan. Jenkins was able to spend a month with his daughter before he was deployed to Afghanistan five weeks ago, his father said.

Cory Jenkins and his family were living in Steilacoom, Wash., near Fort Lewis, where he was a Scoutmaster in his LDS Church ward before his deployment, his father said. The soldier was an active member of the LDS Church and had served a mission to Russia.

He graduated from BYU with a bachelor’s degree in conservation biology, said BYU spokeswoman Carri Jenkins. He also graduated from A.T. Still University’s physician-assistant program, according to The Associated Press.

Jenkins is the third former BYU student to die in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan:

• Navy Lt. Nathan White was killed in Iraq April 2, 2003, when his F/A-18 Hornet was shot down by an American Patriot missile

• Army Capt. Bill Jacobsen Jr. died Dec. 21, 2004, when an insurgent detonated a bomb in an Army mess tent in Mosul, Iraq

Stanley Jenkins said his son was interested in medical service and felt the military was the best way to get the training he needed.

“He wanted to do what doctors do, but he wanted have a family life, as well,” the father said. “He had no regrets with anything he did. He loved being in the military and serving with the men in the military.”

Funeral services are pending but will probably be held sometime next week in Mesa.

Strike up the band, fire up the grill, and get to your favorite fireworks show. This month American Latter-day Saints will join the rest of the nation in celebrating the birth of the United States.  For the past fifteen years, I have been involved in collecting stories of Church members who have served in the military.

Latter-day Saints have a long history of patriotism to their individual countries, including the United States. Sentiments of loyalty to the principles of the U.S. Constitution were espoused by Joseph Smith himself. He said, “I am the greatest advocate of the Constitution of the United States there is on the earth. In my feelings I am always ready to die for the protection of the weak and oppressed in their just rights. The only fault I find with the Constitution is, it is not broad enough to cover the whole ground” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, comp. Joseph Fielding Smith [SLC: Deseret Book, 1976], 326). The Prophet’s perception of the Constitution’s need to be broader is insightful when one considers that he died well before the addition of such crucial constitutional additions as the civil rights amendments (thirteen, fourteen, and fifteen) and the nineteenth amendment, which extended the right to vote to women.

Today, American Latter-day Saints are as red, white, and blue as ever. Brigham Young University’s hometown of Provo boasts one of this nation’s biggest Fourth of July celebrations—the Freedom Festival. Of course, the influence of the Church stretches across the earth, which prompts us to consider some important questions—for example, what does patriotism mean in view of the global church? Certainly, we are obliged to maintain a proper perspective on patriotism. We celebrate because this is the land of our fathers and the land for our children. We embrace all that is good about our country and hope to make a difference in matters of freedom both at home and abroad. We espouse the principles of liberty and equality anywhere they are under attack.

Several decades ago, at the time of the bicentennial of the founding of America, President Spencer W. Kimball spoke of the militant tendencies of modern mankind: “We are a warlike people, easily distracted from our assignment of preparing for the coming of the Lord. When enemies rise up, we commit vast resources to the fabrication of gods of stone and steel—ships, planes, missiles, fortifications—and depend on them for protection and deliverance. When threatened, we become antienemy instead of pro-kingdom of God; we train a man in the art of war and call him a patriot, thus, in the manner of Satan’s counterfeit of true patriotism, perverting the Savior’s teaching” (”The False Gods We Worship,” Ensign, June 1976).

Elder Dallin H. Oaks also warned of other risks of overzealous patriots when he said, “Love of country is surely a strength, but carried to excess it can become the cause of spiritual downfall. There are some citizens whose patriotism is so intense and so all-consuming that it seems to override every other responsibility, including family and Church” (”Our Strengths Can Become Our Downfall,” Ensign, October 1994, 17).

Such teachings remind us of the need to refine our patriotism to ensure it is genuine and within the Lord’s bounds. True patriotism brings honor upon any nation in which freedom and liberty are embraced. Such liberties are needed in order for the kingdom of God to flourish among the Lord’s people. There is much to be celebrated about our blessed country and other countries that strive for freedom. Let the fireworks begin!

Church services for the LDS military group in Iraq include two one-hour meetings a day, writes U.S. Marine Corps 1st Lt. Eric Russell.

1st Lt. Eric Russell, U.S. Marine Corps

“Each meeting is structured like a sacrament meeting all the way up until after sacrament, when we turn to lessons instead of talks,” added Russell, of Lee’s Summit, Mo., who is an assistant group leader.

About 20 attend the early afternoon session and 10 to 15 attend the evening session.

But even then, they wear their uniforms to church and bring their weapons — as they do everywhere, he added.

Russell is one of the many members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who is on active duty overseas. Some meet in groups as does Russell, and others have had missionary experiences as they live the gospel while serving their country. Some are on their first deployments and others have been overseas several times. They include soldiers, sailors, engineers, medics and gunners.

In celebration of Independence Day, Mormon Times readers are sharing information about their loved ones on active duty overseas.

See story here

World War II veteran and Medal of Honor recipient George Wahlen passed away after a long and difficult battle with cancer, leaving behind his wife, five children, 27 grandchildren and 42 great-grandchildren.

Wahlen, a native of Ogden, is most noted for his valor in battle at Iwo Jima, for which he was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Harry S. Truman in 1945.

Medal of Honor recipient George Wahlen

Serving as a medic, Wahlen refused evacuation after an explosion shot shrapnel into his eye, blinding him temporarily. He continued to carry out his duties amid heavy fire, hauling a Marine on his back and tending to 14 casualties.

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Bagram Military Branch Members, Interdenominational Chapel, Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan. Taken November 16, 2008.

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints continue to enjoy the blessings of the gospel while serving in Afghanistan. There are more than 400 members serving in Afghanistan at more than 40 locations. While they comprise only a single district, Latter-day Saint expatriates can be found in virtually all corners of the nation.

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Brigham Young University professors Robert Freeman and Dennis Wright have been honored by the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge with the George Washington Honor Medal for their research on service in wartime by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in a ceremony Wednesday, Feb. 18.

Dr. Freeman and Dr. Wright, recipients of the George Washington Honor Medal on February 18, 2009.

Since 2000, Freeman and Wright have documented stories of Latter-day Saint veterans from various wars in the 20th century, collecting more than 3,000 firsthand accounts. In addition, several books and documentaries have resulted from their research. Many of the accounts of these veterans are now housed in the L. Tom Perry Special Collections at BYU.

Through their research, Freeman and Wright gained insights into the impact of challenges of war on religious faith.

“Because our research includes the evaluation of spiritual perspectives in the wartime experiences of soldiers, it is unusual and sometimes sensitive,” Freeman said. “War presents a challenging context in which to understand the faith aspect of an individual’s life.”

The Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge commends the efforts of individuals and entities across America who provide leadership in preserving the legacy of freedom in America. Previous award recipients include the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.