A Rising Sun

A generous donor provided a trip to Philadelphia for all of the BYU Barlow Center interns on September 10-11. We stayed the night at an army barrack at Valley Forge where we got a visit by General Washington himself. The next day in Philadelphia, we saw the crack in the Liberty Bell, got a tour by John Adams of Independence Hall, read Benjamin Franklin’s epitaph, learned about Betsy Ross…oh, and ate a Philly Cheesesteak sandwich. Apparently, Cheese Whiz is the favorite condiment of the locals. Who knew?

I was really affected by this trip to Philadelphia. It was incredibly inspiring to see the halls where a divine hand met prepared minds to form the American constitution. I love the comment that Benjamin Franklin made as he bent to sign the Constitution. He said that he had been observing the sun carved into the back of George Washington’s chair during the proceedings of the Convention. He remarked that painters often find it difficult to distinguish between a rising and a setting sun in their work. He had wondered to himself amid the debate of the Convention if a sun was rising or setting on their newly formed nation. He said, “now at length I have the happiness to know that it is a rising and not a setting sun." I believe that it is still rising.

I am including here the epitaph that Benjamin Franklin wrote in his mid-twenties. Although he never intended to put it on his grave, it hangs next to his headstone in Philadelphia.

The Body of
B. Franklin
Printer;
Like the Cover of an old Book,
Its Contents torn out,
And stript of its Lettering and Gilding,
Lies here, Food for Worms.
But the Work shall not be whlly lost:
For it will, as he believ'd, appear once more,
In a new & more perfect Edition,
Corrected and Amended
By the Author.