OREM — Music and inspirational messages filled the McKay Events Center Sunday night during the patriotic service of America's Freedom Festival at Provo.

The service, held each year during the Utah Valley-based celebration of Independence Day, paid tribute to the men and women who fought and continue to fight for the cause of freedom. Those who attended were given a look at the history of America's freedom.

U.S. Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, the keynote speaker, recounted a brief history of the Founding Fathers and their dedication to freedom.

Through the work of men like Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and many others, a war for emancipation was won, a constitution written and a country united. However, all of that took time, Bennett reminded those in attendance.

"They had won their freedom," Bennett said of those early patriots, "only to discover that they weren't through. Winning the freedom is essential but . . . winning the freedom is the easy part. Next comes ordering the freedom and making it work."

After much debate, a guiding document — the U.S. Constitution — was accepted.

Then, Bennett said, came the most difficult step in the process: keeping freedom alive.

Through the leadership of men like George Washington, the country started on a path that would lead the country to where it is today.

But the road is not without difficulties, he said.

"Freedom is not free; freedom is not tidy," Bennett said. "Winning the freedom is difficult, ordering the freedom is difficult and keeping the freedom is more difficult still."

Bennett's message was also echoed by other participants of the program.

"Liberty does not come free," said Stephen Richards, a senior from American Fork High School and winner of the festival's speech contest. "Now, in our troubled world, we must always remember those who have fought for and who do fight for freedom and justice around the world."

The Saltaires Show Chorus and Freedom Festival Concert Band performed the songs of each branch of the military, earning a standing ovation.

"I think it's just one of the wonderful ways that we can all get together and celebrate," said Beth Black, president of this year's festival. As president, her job involves overseeing the patriotic service. "Any effort we have exerted is for the purpose of uniting the hearts of the citizens within our reach," she said.

Muhammad Yunus, a recipient of the Freedom Award — an award given to those working to increase freedom in their sphere of influence — also talked about his feelings of financial freedom.

Yunus is the founder of the Grameen bank, a financial institution in Bangladesh that loans money to poor villagers, allowing them to pull themselves out of poverty.

Yunus said that each person has unlimited potential, but when society refuses to give them the opportunity by denying them opportunity, they cannot explore that potential. His remarks were punctuated with applause which became thunderous as he closed with the remarks:

"We want to put poverty in the museums, not in human society. If anybody would like to know about poverty, they have to go the museum to find out what it used to be."

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