The Information Age is great ain't it? I never heard of Vera Lynn until Elder Cook told the story about how he was named. So I go to YouTube and search for Vera Lynn and find some really neat, goose-bump-creating videos of her songs.
Here is "The White Cliffs of Dover" playing in the background to Spitfires flying.
Here is a video of her singing "When The Lights Go On Again"
Watching these videos helped me appreciate Elder Cook's talk a bit more. In fact, I got a lump in my throat and tears welled in my eyes listening to "When the Lights Go On Again" ... I think it is fitting to watch these videos on a day we celebrate our brave veterans and remember their sacrifices.
Elder Cook's talk was excellent. It could be summarized with an often-heard quote "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." I did a little research on this - although the quote is attributed to Edmund Burke, he never said it (see here). But the idea is still relevant.
We as LDS are to actively stand up and defend what is good and wholsome. We are to actively practice our religious freedoms. There are unabashed forces acting in this world for both good and evil. We must engage.
I really thought this quote from Elder Cook was spot on; "Let me be clear that all voices need to be heard in the public square. Neither religious nor secular voices should be silenced. Furthermore, we should not expect that because some of our views emanate from religious principals, they will automatically be accepted or given preferential status. But is is also clear such views and values are entitled to be reviewed on their merits."
I firmly believe that when both good and evil cases are presented, the good will win out. I agree with Elder Cook's sentiment that most people believe in God and support moral values. The rub is that we need to actively participate and defend our principals ... by living them and speaking up for them.