by Nathan Winters, Wyoming Family Alliance President & CEO
If you have watched me speak from my office, you may have noticed a 3-foot replica of a statue behind me. It is a model of the 81-foot-tall National Monument to the Forefathers in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
I didn’t know much about it until several years back when I came across an excellent documentary called “Monumental,” produced by Kirk Cameron, which I highly recommend you add to your must-watch list this Thanksgiving.
After God, in His timing, brought it to my attention, this monument became a very dear symbol and reminder to me of why I do what I do and why Wyoming Family Alliance exists.
The monument is more than a statue; it was designed from the beginning to be a blueprint for liberty and a guide for how Christians can celebrate Thanksgiving.
In 1820, as Americans celebrated the 200th anniversary of the Pilgrims’ arrival, civic leaders began calling for a visible reminder of the Pilgrims’ faith and sacrifice. The cornerstone of the monument was laid in 1859, but the Civil War delayed progress. Finally, in 1889, nearly 270 years after the Pilgrims landed, the National Monument to the Forefathers was dedicated “by a grateful people in remembrance of their labors, sacrifices, and sufferings for the cause of civil and religious liberty.” Every element of this monument was designed to convey a core truth about American identity.
FAITH
At the top of the monument stands Faith, the central symbolic figure from which the other principles flow. Her feet rest on a replica of Plymouth Rock. She holds a Bible in one hand while the other points toward heaven, and a star on her forehead symbolizes wisdom from above. In this, we see a clear message: faith in God, revealed in His Word, is supreme. From this foundation, all the other principles represented on the monument—Morality, Law, Education, and Liberty—find their source.
That’s where Thanksgiving begins, not only being grateful for things, but being grateful to Someone. Scripture calls us to “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving… Be thankful to Him, and bless His name” (Psalm 100:4).
This monument reminds us that the first act of Thanksgiving is worship: trusting God’s providence, just as the Pilgrims did, even through the hardships of that first terrible winter.
Below Faith sit four smaller statues, each portraying a principle the Pilgrims believed was essential for future generations.
MORALITY
First, we see Morality. With her eyes turned inward, she represents the conscience shaped by God’s Word. Beside her stand Prophet and Evangelist, reminding us that truth comes through the faithful, unhindered proclamation of Scripture.
LAW
Next comes Law, holding a scroll and flanked by Justice and Mercy. Beneath him is a scene of the Pilgrims’ peace treaty with Massasoit, a reminder of their belief that because all people are made in God’s image, all are equal under the law.
As we celebrate Thanksgiving, Law teaches us to:
- Thank God for the gift of ordered liberty rather than anarchy,
- Thank Him for just laws that protect the weak and restrain evil,
- And pray that our nation’s laws would truly reflect His righteousness.
EDUCATION
As we continue around the monument, we find Education. She holds an open book, with Youth and Wisdom at her side. The Pilgrims believed children must learn to read so they could read the Bible.
Beneath Education is a carving of the Mayflower Compact, a written agreement of self-government under God. Truth was to be taught and then applied in public life.
At Thanksgiving, Education calls us to be grateful for:
- Parents and pastors who teach God’s Word,
- Schools, homeschools, and churches that still uphold truth,
- And the privilege of handing Biblical truth to our children and grandchildren.
LIBERTY
Last, we come to Liberty, a strong, battle-ready figure with broken chains at his feet. On one side, Tyranny is being overthrown; on the other, Peace is established. Freedom must be defended, but its goal is not chaos; it is ordered peace under God.
At Thanksgiving, these carved figures and the principles they represent remind us to thank God that all our freedoms come from God, not government. Our gratitude should move us to protect those freedoms, not take them for granted.
Around the base of the monument are the names of the Mayflower passengers and words from Governor William Bradford, who wrote that from “small beginnings” God caused “greater things” to grow.
That is exactly what this monument shows:
- Faith – We thank God Himself for salvation and providence.
- Morality and Law – We thank Him for His Word and for just order in society.
- Education – We thank Him that we can teach His truth to the next generation.
- Liberty – We thank Him for the freedom to worship, to speak, and to live as His people.
This year, as you bow your head at Thanksgiving, picture that granite figure of Faith, Bible in hand, pointing toward heaven over Plymouth.
Let her remind you that Thanksgiving is not just a holiday—it is an act of worship.
“Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.” — Psalm 106:1
