JFK on the Mormons

Over at Straight and Narrow Blog, Jettboy posted the entire text of a speech JFK gave in Salt Lake City on September 26, 1963, in the Tabernacle. The photo I posted appears to be from that very event: President Kennedy in the center, LDS President David O. McKay on the left, and Utah Senator Frank Moss on the right.

Kennedy opened his speech with this compliment:

Of all the stories of American pioneers and settlers, none is more inspiring than the Mormon trail. The qualities of the founders of this community are the qualities that we seek in America, the qualities which we like to feel this country has, courage, patience, faith, self-reliance, perseverance, and, above all, an unflagging determination to see the right prevail.

And he ended it on this pleasant note:

Therefore, I think this country will continue its commitments to support the world of freedom, for as we discharge that commitment we are heeding the command which Brigham Young heard from the Lord more than a century ago, the command he conveyed to his followers, "Go as pioneers . . . to a land of peace."

It's worth reading the entire speech. I'll encourage you to comment at Jettboy's blog by leaving comments off on this post.