The Davis Education Foundation and Davis Reads Literary Committee recently hosted the inspiring author David McCullough. It was refreshing to hear a voice of wisdom and virtue rather than the political spewing between Salt Lake City's mayor and a few media pundits obfuscating the mind and heart of countless people. Regrettably, the next day's news, from every avenue of the local media, was a continuation of the war of words and a fixation on the sensational — particularly from individuals who feed their self-absorption with strife.

Mr. McCullough didn't claim to know the Constitution better than someone else. Rather, he showed that he loved the subject of history, the grandeur of our country and the love of virtue and wisdom, honesty and laudable ambition. He expressed his concern that history is fading in the minds and hearts of the people.

"Concerned too much about the future," he said about the general populace. It is "history that teaches us how to behave." He presented that "history is an exploration of character." Those who have lived and passed the sincere venerable life onto future generations are now being ignored by far too many of our day.

Former LDS President David O. McKay wisely pointed out: "The lives of men (and women) become signposts to us, pointing the way along roads that lead either to lives of usefulness and happiness or to lives of selfishness and misery. It is important then that we see, both in life and in books, the companionship of the best and noblest men and women."

In all honesty, I wish the Deseret Morning News would have allowed reporter Joseph Dougherty a full front-page piece on the McCullough event. McCullough's plea to teachers and parents to teach honesty and virtue is desperately needed. He stressed with deep conviction the section of the Massachusetts Constitution, written by John Adams:

"Wisdom and knowledge, as well as virtue, diffused generally among the body of the people being necessary for the preservation of their rights and liberties; and as these depend on spreading the opportunities and advantages of education in various parts of the country, and among different orders of people, it shall be the duty of legislators and magistrates in all future periods of this commonwealth to cherish the interests of literature and the sciences."

The words of this fine man and exemplary author need to reach the ears, hearts and minds of all Americans. He asked us to "bring back the dinner table, bring back dinner talk — bring back dinner!"

Good people are producing principled works favorable to the growth and development of the mind and heart. They are "signposts" leading as many as will wisely use their moral agency to a life of substance and purpose.

A hearty thank you to the Davis School District Reads Campaign for making our school district an environment of reading and encouraging a constructive reading program not only for students but for families.

Let us see and promote the best in life and books and allow all other shallow pursuits strangling the love of virtue to fall by the wayside.

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Ryan Jenkins lives in Layton and writes religious-based curriculum.