Editor’s note: “The Spoken Word” is shared by Derrick Porter each Sunday during the weekly Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square broadcast. This week, guest narrator NFL coach Andy Reid will present “The Spoken Word.” This will be given Sunday, July 5, 2026. This week is No. 5,051 of the broadcast.
This week, The “Music & the Spoken Word” will be presented at 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. There will be pre-show interviews with 9:10 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. with Reid and by Thurl Bailey, a former NBA player and greeter for “Music & the Spoken Word.” The 9:10 a.m. pre-show and the 9:30 a.m. broadcast will be available on the Tabernacle Choir’s YouTube channel.
Please note: Reservations are now needed to attend “Music & the Spoken Word” in the Salt Lake Tabernacle. Find out more about how to make reservations here.
Reservations are no longer available for the July 5 broadcast and standby lines will be available for both performances. Due to construction on Temple Square, there will not be an overflow viewing area. See thetabernaclechoir.org/america250 for more on the July 5 broadcast.
I’m Andy Reid, head football coach of the Kansas City Chiefs. For years, I’ve admired The Tabernacle Choir and its weekly program, “Music & the Spoken Word.” I’m honored to be part of this broadcast as we reflect on 250 years of America — a country I’m proud to call home.
Today, we celebrate that milestone. For two and a half centuries, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution have guided this nation. They set our ideals and gave us a game plan to keep moving toward what the Constitution calls a “more perfect union.”
As I’ve thought about that phrase, I’ve felt deep gratitude for those who’ve sacrificed to help this nation become “more.” Our Founding Fathers knew it wouldn’t be easy, but they believed that if we stayed united, we’d keep moving forward.
Whether on the football field, in our communities or in our homes, progress can at times feel like an uphill climb. But I’ve learned that when people come together for a common goal — when they respect and support one another — progress happens. That’s what a team does. It works to get better every single day.
America was founded on the truth that “all [people] are created equal ... [and] are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights,” ... among [them] “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” (see the Declaration of Independence).
These truths have guided our nation through challenge after challenge. They help us make better decisions — and correct our mistakes. Even in difficult times, they remind us to keep going. To keep building. To keep improving.
As the Constitution was signed, Benjamin Franklin looked at a sun painted on the back of George Washington’s chair. He said he had often wondered if it was rising or setting. But in that moment, he said, “[Now I] know it is a rising and not a setting Sun.” (See James Madison’s Notes of the Constitutional Convention, Sept. 17, 1787,” consource.org.)
For 250 years, that sun has continued to rise on this land. And I believe it will for generations to come.
We can all do our part. We can help build a “more perfect union” — a nation “under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all” (see the U.S. Pledge of Allegiance).
Tuning in …
The “Music & the Spoken Word” broadcast is available on KSL-TV, KSL News Radio 1160AM/102.7FM, KSL.com, BYUtv, BYUradio, Dish and DirecTV, SiriusXM (Ch. 143), tabernaclechoir.org, youtube.com/TheTabernacleChoir and Amazon Alexa (must enable skill). The program is aired live on Sundays at 9:30 a.m. Mountain Time on these outlets. This week’s full episode will also be available on C-SPAN, News Nation and NBC stations in Salt Lake City; Boston, Massachusetts; Washington, D.C.; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Kansas City, Missouri. Look up broadcast information by state and city at musicandthespokenword.com/viewers-listeners/airing-schedules.
