'Be a Light to the Nations': Trail Life USA Teaches Biblical Values of Founding Fathers

In honor of President's Day, this week the faith-based scouting group Trail Life USA encouraged troops to acknowledge all of America's presidents in gratitude for their service to the country. 

Boys learned about the biblical values of our Founding Fathers to help direct them as they strive to achieve goals, experience adventure, and contribute to their community.

Trail Life CEO Mark Hancock noted that the boys are asked to respect America's heritage throughout the year. He says it is also important they know that the presidents understood the importance of challenge and adventure, which is part of becoming godly men of character. 

Hancock explained that "Theodore Roosevelt rightly noted, 'The same qualities that mean success or failure to the nation as a whole, mean success or failure in men and boys individually.'"

He added, "It is imperative that boys know and read America's founding documents—the Bible, the Declaration of Independence, the preamble to the Constitution, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. These texts provide guidance for molding the sort of men who will continue to lead our country with courage and character. Founding Fathers like George Washington, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson enshrined in our Constitution biblical principles of freedom, equality, fairness, opportunity, and human dignity that are endowed by the Creator."

In Trail Life USA, boys earn badges such as "Citizenship" and "Our Flag," which were developed using biblical truths. They vote on leaders for their troops and plan their programs.

The organization is designed to engage boys with the same principles that governed the Founding Fathers, while they are inspired to achieve success.

Hancock shared a statement from James Madison about the laws of God on which the Constitution is founded on.

"James Madison wrote, 'We have staked the whole future of American civilization not on the power of government, far from it. We have staked the whole of our political institutions upon the capacity of mankind for self-government, upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves according to the commandments of God. The future and success of America is not in this Constitution, but in the laws of God upon which this Constitution is founded.' These are the principles we must teach our boys," Hancock asserted.

He concluded by pointing out the group's mission: to guide generations of courageous young men to honor God and lead with integrity.

"Let us strive to engage, to inspire, to appreciate, to guide and to ground boys in the truth—that they may grow to become men of character and conviction who will stand for truth, preserve liberty, and continue by faith to raise the banner of freedom and be a light to the nations," Hancock said.

Trail LIfe USA has nearly 900 troops in every state with more than 37,000 members. To find out more, click here.

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