>> JERRY FALWELL: Good morning! Welcome to all of our students and guests
locally. We are so excited about the convocation today. You know, I, David—that was quite an exciting
list of future speakers. You students are very fortunate to have the
caliber of speakers that we bring in every semester, and so congratulations on that list. You know, first, before I introduce our speaker,
I want to recognize Congressman Bob Goodlatte. He's—he's been our congressman here for
24 years, and his wife was Liberty's attorney back in the early ‘90s, and so we’re always
thrilled to have Congressman Goodlatte on campus. Today's speaker is someone who I, who I just
met at the debates in Longwood, and before that, I'd spoken to him on the phone and was
so impressed with him. And, you know, at that debate at Longwood
he just was so unflappable in the face of all the attacks, came across as a statesman,
and I was so proud of his performance that night. But Governor Mike Pence is a lifelong Hoosier
with legal small business and poli—policy experience. He was elected the 50th governor of the state
of Indiana in 2012 and inaugurated in 2013. Governor Pence is dedicated to continuing
Indiana on a pathway to success through fiscal responsibility, economic development, and
educational opportunity for every Hoosier child. Since taking office in 2013, Pence has achieved
the largest state tax cut in Indiana history while also lowering the business personal
property tax and corporate income tax to strengthen the state's competitive edge in attracting,
in attracting competitive jobs, new investment, and good paying jobs for Hoosiers. He has expanded school choice, increased educational
opportunity for families by signing into law the first state funding for Pre-K education
in Indiana and addressed Indiana's skills gap by making career and technical education
a priority in every Indiana high school. And because roads mean jobs, at the crossroad
at America and Indiana, under his leadership the state has invested more than 800 million
in new money for roads and bridges. During his tenure as governor, unemployment
in Indiana dropped from 8.4 percent to 4.8 percent with more people working today than
ever before in the state's history. The governor has worked with the Indiana general
assembly to craft an honestly balanced budget that maintains strong reserves for the state
and continues to generate a surplus. This financial discipline has helped Indiana
maintain its triple A credit rating and earn a global reputation as a great place to do
business. Prior to being elected governor, Pence represented
Indiana's 6th congressional district in Congress. He was first elected in the year of 2000,
and earned his sixth term in 2010. Pence brought his Hoosier sensibility to the
table and quickly developed a record of serving his constituents and championing fiscal responsibility,
smaller government, economic growth, skills, and values that he has brought with him to
the state government. A strong supporter of the military, Pence
has made a priority of reducing veteran unemployment, and while at congress he visited Hoosier soldiers
in Iraq and or Afghanistan every year since the hostilities began. Pence was born and raised in Columbus, Indiana,
graduated from Columbus North High School, went on to graduate from Hanover College in
1981, and earned his JD from Indiana University School of Law in 1986. Governor Pence and First Lady Karen Pence
have been married since 1985. Karen is with us today as well. They currently live in the governor's residence
in Indiana. They have three adult children: Michael, Charlotte,
and Audrey. Charlotte is also with us today. Charlotte and Karen would stand, or maybe
they're still in the back. But I want you to join me in welcoming governor
Mike Pence to Liberty University. >> MIKE PENCE: Hello Liberty! I am delighted to be with you with my wife,
Karen. This is a deeply humbling moment for us, and
would you join me in just thanking President Jerry Falwell Jr. for his extraordinary leadership,
his kindness, his friendship? I'm deeply humbled by that gracious introduction. Also great to hear there's some Hoosiers in
the room! Jerry and I have gotten to be friends over
the last year and I can tell you my respect for him is boundless, but he knows the introduction
I prefer is a little bit shorter. I'm a Christian, a conservative, and a Republican,
in that order. And I'm honored to be with all of you today,
to have the opportunity to share some things from my heart about the times in which we
live, about who I am, about what we're fighting for in these challenging days, and what I
believe each of us is called to do to respond in these moments. But first and foremost let me apologize for
being a little bit late. I was at breakfast this morning, and Senator
Tim Kaine called to interrupt me five times. Did you get that? Thanks. Thanks for getting that joke. I worked on that all night. But first let me share with you first and
foremost a little bit about who I am. I'm a small-town boy from Southern Indiana. I grew in a family—my grandfather immigrated
to this country. My mom and dad built everything that matters:
a family, a small business, and a good name. I was raised in a family where it was church
on Sunday morning and it was grace before dinner, but maybe like some of you, in the
course of my life as I grew up I chose a different path. I didn't see much relevance for the faith
that I had been raised in, and I struck out on my own—on my own steam, but then somewhere
along the way I began to meet people. And I was about your age when I was in college. They seemed to have something. I couldn't quite put my finger on it. I would later understand that it was what
I would just characterize as joy. There were people that I met who in good times
or in bad times they had some strength that I knew in my heart I was missing. I started attending a small Christian fellowship
group on the campus. And I won't say that it was because there
were a lot of attractive and available young ladies that went to the Christian fellowship
group, but there it is. And I heard some clapping for that. There may be some men in the room that can
relate. Is that all right? Anyway, I went to this, and I decided somewhere
along the way, my freshman year, I decided, you know what? Even though I walked away from faith in my
life I said, you know, I was going to go ahead and be Christian. And this friend of mine who actually now is
a pastor in Indianapolis of a church in our capital city, and still a close friend to
this day, who'd been talking to me about matters of faith. I remember stopping him one time. We'd had a few conversations about what the
Bible had to say, and I told him, I said— He wore this cross I was very impressed with,
and I told him I wanted to get that catalogue that he got the cross in. This was before the day that you could order
everything on your cellphone or iPhone. In fact, it was before cell phones, to be
quite honest with you. And I looked at him, and I'll never forget. We were in a fraternity in the cafeteria,
and I said, “Hey, be sure to get me that catalogue, because I want to, you know, I
want to get that cross. I'm going to start wearing a cross, because
I'm doing the Christian thing now”. And he looked at me, and he said words I'll
never forget. He said, "Mike you've got to wear it in your
heart before you wear it around your neck." And it stopped me dead in my tracks. You ever had that happen to you in your life,
where someone who knows you real well just calls you out? They can tell where you really are? He said, “You've got to wear it in your
heart before you wear it on your neck.” It would be a few weeks later—I was in Wilmore,
Kentucky at a Christian music festival. I listened to one sermon after another, and
it was in that weekend sitting in the pouring rain, late on a Saturday night that my heart
broke—not with guilt, but with gratitude that what had happened on the cross had certainly
happened for all the world, but I came to realize that what had happened on the cross
had happened in some small way for me. And I made a personal decision to put my faith
in Jesus Christ, and it's made all the difference. Well, I followed a calling into public service. I graduated from college, I'd be 29 years,
and the first time I'd run for public office it'd take me about 12 years to find my way
into the Congress of the United States. The dream of my life was to someday represent
my hometown in our nation's capital, and I had the great privilege to do that. I served with Bob Goodlatte who is really
one of the great conservative leaders in the United States of America, a man who stands
for the constitution of this country like no other. Bob, stand up take a bow, will you? You sure do deserve it. Congressman Bob Goodlatte everybody! I served you in the Congress of the United
States for 12 years, and the opportunity came to serve the state that I love as governor,
and I've been deeply humbled to be governor of the great state of Indiana over the last
four years. As President Falwell said, it's a state that
works. We demonstrate in Indiana you can cut taxes
and balance budgets. You can invest in roads and bridges, in education
and healthcare, and today we have more Hoosiers going to work in ever before in the 200-year
history in the state of Indiana. But then this opportunity came into our lives,
and it was extraordinary this summer when the phone rang. And, you know, to know the Pences is to know
a family. And we make decisions as a family. I walked out with her, but I'd appreciate
it if you'd give her a welcome. The second best decision I ever made in my
life was the day that I asked Karen Whitaker to become my wife. Would you join me in welcoming the first lady
of the state of Indiana, Karen Pence? The call came this summer. The call came this summer asking us if we
would consider being looked at for the position that we now enjoy, and I have to tell you
it's deeply humbling to me. I mean I dreamed someday of representing my
hometown in Washington D.C.—this grandson of an immigrant. I'm still getting over the fact that I've
been able to be governor of the state that I love, but I never, never imagined I'd be
standing before all of you, having been invited to run and serve as the next vice president
of the United States of America. It's deeply humbling. I'll never forget the night we got the call. We were told it might be coming so we huddled
with our kids. We talked through it; we prayed through as
a family, and we were ready for the call. And I'll never forgot when the phone rang,
11:00 at night at the governor's residence. I picked up the phone and I heard that familiar
voice, and he said, “Mike, it's going to be great.” And it has been! And I want to tell you, I joined this campaign
in a heartbeat, because our party has nominated a man for president who never quits, who never
backs down. He is a fighter. He is a winner, and I believe come November
the 8th that Donald Trump will be elected the 45th president of the United States, and
we will make America great again. You know he is someone who I truly do believe—and
I've said this many times, having gotten to know him when the Klieg lights are off and
the cameras are off. Donald, Donald Trump is someone who literally
embodies the spirit of America: strong, freedom loving, optimistic, and willing to fight every
day for what he believes in. You sure saw that on Sunday night when Donald
Trump won the debate hands down. And America also saw something else on Sunday
night. You know, it takes a big man to know when
you're wrong, to admit it, to express remorse and apologize, and Donald Trump did just that. You know, I was asked on a television program
the next morning how I, as a Christian, would move beyond those moments and accept an apology,
and I was happy to explain that to the television host. I said, you know, as a believer we're called
to aspire to live godly lives, but also we recognize that we all fall short. It's not about condoning what is said and
done. It's about believing in a grace and forgiveness. As Christians we are called to forgive—even
as we've been forgiven. Now I would submit to you last Sunday night
my running made showed humility. He showed what was in his heart to the American
people. And then he fought back and turned the focus
to the choice that we face, and it's a more dramatic choice than any time in any election
in my lifetime. It truly is. And that's what I want to speak to you about
today; the choice that we face and the duty that we have in the midst of this choice,
because I truly do believe that this election is not just a choice between two people. It's really a choice between two futures. And let me be clear, at the outset of this
convocation, for me, for my family, we choose a stronger America. We choose a more prosperous America. We choose an America that upholds our highest
constitutional traditions, and so we choose to stand with Donald Trump and every American
who believes we can make America great again. And it's a choice I want to say to each one
of you that I believe that men and women of faith cannot choose to stand idly by in this
great national debate. You know, during my years in congress I befriended
the late and great Chuck Colson. He would become not only my friend but a mentor
to me. Chuck Colson wrote an extraordinary book,
“Kingdoms in Conflict,” that I commend to your attention, but he essentially wrote
in his book that as believers we are commanded to be active participants in the governance
of our nation. As Colson wrote, Christians must not adopt
the quote, “simply passing through mindset when it comes to politics.” So how do we do that? Well, thankfully the good book has a lot to
say about it. We balance the pulpit with politics. First and foremost is that we're all called
to pray for our nation’s leaders—even those we disagree with, and we encourage you
to do that each and every day, particularly in the next four weeks. And then as people of faith we're also called
to respect the governing authorities that are placed over us, and we should do that
and respect the institution of our governance. But nowhere does it teach in the Bible that
we are to sit on the sidelines of history, and this is no time for the people of faith
to sit on the sidelines. In His famous “Evil Empire” speech in
Orlando, Florida president Ronald Reagan actually said in an address delivered to the National
Association of Evangelicals these words. He said, quote, "I urge you to beware the
temptation of pride, the temptation of blithely declaring yourselves above it all and label
both sides equally at fault." Close quote. Let me say that to you again. President Reagan warned in his day, a warning
that people of faith might do well to reflect on today, that we should beware the temptation
to blithely declare ourselves above it all and label both sides equally at fault. His admonition to the people of faith to avoid
the trap of inaction is as relevant today as it was then—maybe even more so. You know, we woke up this morning. In the news you might see, when you get back
to your dorm room, that our opponent’s campaign—a campaign whose candidate actually called millions
of Americas “a basket of deplorables,” irredeemable, and not American simply because
they stand with me and my running mate and believe that we can have a stronger, more
prosperous America that's grounded in our constitutional principles. And it was this morning that we learned from
another email released, if you haven't heard about it, that a campaign official in her
campaign back in 2011 actually said that conservatives chose the Catholic faith because they, quote,
"think it is the most socially acceptable, politically conservative religion." And she added in her email, "their rich friends
wouldn't understand if they became evangelicals." Its extraordinary. If only on behalf of her Catholic running
mate, Hillary Clinton should denounce those bigoted anti-Catholic, anti-Evangelical remarks,
and her campaign staff should apologize to people of faith and do it now. In this time of condescension and at times
overt hostility to people of faith, we fall into the temptation to recoil and retreat,
but the stakes are too high, and I would say as fellow Christian believers that we have
a different obligation. It would be the English Christian theologian,
John Stott who wrote memorably, quote, "Christian salt has no business to remain snugly in elegant
little ecclesiastic salt salters." He said, "when society goes bad one can hardly
blame society. The real question is where's the salt? When the annals of this time of American history
are written the question will be where were you? Where were we in the great battle for life,
and liberty, and freedom in America. What did you do? Not what did you think; what did we do? Not what did we think that placed us on the
right side of history. Men and women of faith, I will tell you this
is a time for action not essays, and we must roll our sleeves up and be prepared to fight
every day for what we believe in. Shortcomings are no excuse for inaction. If we were perfect, in a word, we wouldn't
need Jesus. But we're far from perfect; we do need Him. But God's love eclipses our failings and has
always renewed the strength of so many in this nation. This is a time I would submit to you for faith
and courage. C.S. Lewis said that courage is not simply
one of the virtues; it is the form of every virtue at the testing point. What I would submit to every one of you, and
any people of faith that might be looking on across this state and nation, that we are
at a testing point, that we are at a time in the life of our nation when those who cherish
faith, those who cherish freedom, those who cherish the sanctity of life, and all the
liberties enshrined in our constitution must be wary of being sidelined now. Those of a different agenda would hope that
apathy would reign supreme on election day, but they were disappointed in 1980, and they
are going to be disappointed again on November 8, 2016. Because this choice could not be more clear. The choice could not be clear. It is a choice in security and prosperity
and of the highest court in the land. And let me leave you with just a few thoughts
about the magnitude of that choice. First, in the matter of security. Seven and a half years of foreign policy directed
by Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton has weakened America's place in the world and emboldened
the enemies of freedom. Despite traveling millions of miles as our
Secretary of State, the world is more dangerous today than the day that Hillary Clinton and
Barack Obama took over guiding America's place in the world. Our allies are less secure. Our enemies are more emboldened. We see the rise of ISIS terrorism trampling
hard-won gains in Iraq. We see a wider Middle East literally spinning
out of control. We see Russia, the so called “reset with
Russia,” having collapsed into new Russian aggression, China building islands in the
South China Sea, and increasingly aggressive North Korea. In case after case we see evidence of that
great truth of history, that weakness arouses evil. And the truth is that Hillary Clinton and
Barack Obama's foreign policy of leading from behind, moving red lines, feigning “resets
with Russia,” the rise, rule, and reign of ISIS are all a testament to that truth
of history. The simple truth of the matter is we cannot
have four more years apologizing to our enemies and abandoning our friends. For the world to be safe, America needs to
be strong, and we need new and strong American leadership that reflects on the failings of
the recent past. And they're not failings of an administration. It's important to note that Hillary Clinton,
as secretary of state, initiated that disastrous agreement with the radical Mullahs in Iran. When Bob Goodlatte and I were working on the
initial economic sanctions against Iran, it was - we had one objective: that we would
have punitive economic sanctions, the toughest in American history on Iran, until they permanently
abandoned their nuclear ambitions. Under this administration, a deal was struck
where the radical Mullahs in Iran received $150 billion from the American people and
only a commitment to delay their nuclear ambitions. The leading state sponsor of terrorism in
the world is now, literally, on a pathway to obtaining a nuclear weapon. And worse of it all, on the very day that
four American hostages were released from Tehran, this administration, with the full
assent of Hillary Clinton and her running mate, delivered $400 million in cash on a
wooden pallet as a ransom payment to that terrorist-sponsoring regime. Let me make you a promise that when Donald
Trump becomes president of the United States we won't be paying ransom to terrorist sponsoring
states; they'll be paying us. They'll be paying a price if they threaten
or detain, or harm, the people of this nation. Also, it was Hillary Clinton, it was Hillary
Clinton who failed to renegotiate what's called a “status of forces agreement" in Iraq. You know, I remember those hard days from
Congress where we saw the American soldier fight through 2005, 2006, difficult days and
enormous sacrifice, because we had a president who would not give up, because we had soldiers
that would not relent, that the peace and stability of Iraq was secured by the end of
2008. The American soldier won—won stability and
won security in Iraq. But this administration squandered that by
pulling all the American forces out of Iraq at the end of 2012 they literally created
the vacuum in which ISIS was able to overrun vast areas that had been hard-won by the American
soldier. It was heartbreaking, heartbreaking to see
that that happen. Those of us who had not only cheered on our
war fighters, but also those who had stood quietly at the graveside with families of
our fallen. And lastly, it was Hillary Clinton and her
state department that left Americans in harm’s way in Benghazi. And after four Americans fell, Hillary Clinton
would tell the parents of those families of the fallen that it had to do with a filmmaker
in Florida. When a congressional investigation found out
that she knew full well it was, in her words, “a terrorist-style al-Qaeda attack.” Well, I want to tell you, when she went before
the senate she actually said, when she was confronted on the truth, she said, "What difference
at this point does it make?" Well, men and women, I want to tell you from
my heart, as the proud father of a United States Marine, anybody who said that, anybody
who did that should be disqualified from ever serving as Commander and Chief of the armed
forces of the United States of America. I said we cannot have four more years apologizing
to our enemies or abandoning our friends. The chief among those friends is the nation
I call our most cherished ally. I promise you, the day that Donald Trump and
I assume the office of president and vice president, if the world knows nothing else,
the world will know this: America stands with Israel. In these uncertain times on the world stage
the answer is American strength. President Ronald Reagan said that we would
achieve peace through strength, and in the days ahead I promise you a president Donald
Trump will lead on the world stage with American strength. We will rebuild our military. We will restore the arsenal of democracy. We will give our soldiers, sailors, airmen,
and marines the resources and the training they need to accomplish their mission, protect
our families, and come home safe to theirs. We will stand tall in the world again, and
America and the world will be safer as a result. It's not just about security. The choice in this election, men and women,
is also about prosperity. We stand in the midst of the weakest economic
recovery since the Great Depression. Millions more Americans today find themselves
living in poverty than the day that Barack Obama became president of the United States. We have the lowest labor participation rate
in this nation. I will tell you, I'm here with my daughter
Charlotte who just graduated from college. You know, we heard not long ago that Hillary
Clinton and her campaign actually demeaned her primary opponent's supporters, referring
to them as “college graduates who moved home to their parents' basements.” The truth is this an economy that's created
too few opportunities for the rising generation. Hillary Clinton's answer is more of the same. Not just the same, but more of the same – more
taxes, more regulation, more Obamacare, more of the war on coal, more of all the policies
that have been stifling the American economy. You know, they tell us this economy is the
best that we can do, but we know different. It's not the best that we can do; it's just
the best they can do. And when Donald Trump becomes president of
the United States of America, we're going to get this economy moving again. We're going to open doors of opportunities
and create jobs all across Virginia and all across the United States of America. We're going to do it the way President Ronald
Regan did it back in the 1980s, and, frankly, we're going to do it the way President John
F. Kennedy did it in the 1960s. Instead of raising taxes, as Hillary Clinton
plans—more than a trillion dollars in tax increases, Donald Trump and I are going to
work with this renewed Congress, this reelected Congress. We're going to cut taxes across the board
for working families, small businesses, and family farms. We're going to end death taxes once and for
all, and we're going to lower business taxes in America so businesses can create jobs here
in Virginia instead of shipping them overseas. And because regulations are stifling jobs
and American growth, we're going to have a moratorium on any new federal regulation on
day one of this administration, and Donald Trump will repeal every single Obama executive
order that is stifling jobs and opportunities all across this nation. And Donald Trump and I believe that trade
means jobs, but when Donald Trump becomes negotiator in chief, we're going to have trade
deals that put the American worker first. Trade is going to mean American jobs. We're going to renegotiate NAFTA. We're going to get out of the TPP, and we're
going to hold our trading partners accountable to the promises that they make to the American
people to support our prosperity and our opportunity. And on the first day of this administration
I promise you: the war on coal is going to come to a crashing halt. We're going to develop an all-of-the-above
energy strategy that develops all of the God-given resources of this land, and it will fuel an
American come-back with low-cost and diverse American energy. And probably the — and Bob, I don't want
to put this on you, but we do know that Congress convenes before the president is inaugurated,
so if you could go ahead and pass this bill and put it on the president elect's desk. We're going to repeal Obamacare lock, stock,
and barrel. Former president Bill Clinton finally said
something I can agree with. Did you hear about it? He actually called Obamacare, quote, "the
craziest thing in the world." You know, sometimes even with the Clintons
the truth happens. I mean, I remember when we were debating healthcare
reform the idea was to lower the cost of health insurance. All they did was grow the size of government. Premiums have gone up. Benefits have gone down, and we're going to
do better men and women. Under a Trump Pence administration, we're
going to work with this Congress. We're going to pass the kind of healthcare
reform that lowers the cost of health insurance, expands choice and opportunity, respects the
doctor patient relationship, and does it all on a foundation of free market economics and
freedom that will drive the American economy and meet our healthcare needs. So the choice in this election is dramatic. It's about the security of our nation. It's about the prosperity of this generation
and the next. But perhaps most significantly it has to do
with who we are as a people. You know it seems like there's no aspect of
our lives too small for this present administration to supervise. No provision of the Constitution too large
for them to ignore. While we talk about security, while we talk
about prosperity make no mistake about it. Life, and liberty, and the constitution itself
are on the ballot come November the 8th, and we need to think long and hard about that. You know, people who know me well know I'm
pro-life, and I don't apologize for it. I believe a society can be judged by how it
deals with its most vulnerable—the aged, the infirm, the disabled, and the unborn. I long to see the day that Roe V. Wade is
confined to the ash heap of history where it belongs, and we again embrace a culture
of life in America. And I promise you, different from the agenda
of our opposition— of abortion on demand, including partial-birth abortion and public
funding of abortion—Donald Trump and I will work to advance the sanctity of life in the
rule of law. We will sign a bill banning late-term abortion,
and we will uphold the historic Hyde Amendment to prevent the use of taxpayer dollars to
fund that which millions of Americans find to be morally objectionable. And Donald Trump and I believe that the largest
abortion provider in America should not be the largest recipient of federal funding under
Title X. A Trump Pence administration will defund Planned
Parenthood and redirect those dollars to women's healthcare that doesn't provide abortion services. We can make America great again by honoring
the sanctity of human life and supporting the health and well-being of women across
this country. Let me leave you with one more reminder if
I can. This rising generation, extraordinary men
and women here at Liberty University and the incredible faculty that serves you with such
distinction. Would you give them a round of applause? As we talk about security, as we talk about
prosperity, as we talk about the sanctity of life I want to remind all of you though,
that while we're going to be voting to elect a president for the next four years, come
November the 8th, that president will likely set the course and direction of the Supreme
Court of the United States for the next 40 years. We better think long and hard about that. If you cherish the constitution, the principles
of limited government that are enshrined there, you better think long and hard. Elect Hillary Clinton, you better get used
to be subject to more unelected judges using unaccountable power to make unconstitutional
actions. But elect Donald Trump as the next president
of the United States, and we will appoint justices to the Supreme Court, and every court
in the land, who will strictly uphold the constitution of the United States of America
and stand up for the God-given liberties that are enshrined there. So let me say for the sake of the rule of
law, for the sake of the sanctity of life, for the sake of the second amendment to the
Constitution of the United States, for the sake of all of our God-given liberties, we
must decide here and now, in the great Commonwealth of Virginia, that the next president to make
appointments to the Supreme court of the United States will be President Donald Trump. So these are challenging times, and I'm deeply
humbled at the opportunity to speak before you today. I truly am. I want to tell you, we said yes the night
that call came, because I think this country's in a lot of trouble. I walked away from a job that I love, and
the state that I love to step into this fight, because I think now is the time for all of
us to do all that we can, because that choice is so clear. And I'm really here today not really to give
a speech. I'm here to challenge you. I challenge you in what remains of this election
to take ownership of your own future. Take ownership for this moment, and understand
that there's no place for believers on the sidelines in a time like this. As Chuck Colson said—C.S. Lewis said, this
is time for courage. It's time to step forward. A friend of mine sent me an email just this
morning. He talked about a day when he was on a 25-foot
boat out in the middle of the Atlantic, and he was at the helm of that little sailing
boat. And the tempest was blowing right in his face,
and he wanted for all the world to turn the rudder and start to head back to shore, and
the skipper below shouted up to him: "Stay the course!" And it made all the difference, and he made
it home, because he didn't turn aside from the challenge. And I would submit to each and every one of
you, when you think about this choice and how dramatic it is, now's the time stay the
course, not to flinch in the face of harsh political winds. Not to step off on the sidelines, but rather
to become engaged. I was told just on the way out here that it's
only about half a mile to a little place where you can make some phone calls. You could figure out where to go knock on
some doors. I encourage you to find a way to do it if
you're so inclined. If what I've said to you today resonates with
your heart and with your mind, then go put it into practice. Because it's—we're talking about your future. And the choice is really—the choice is really
not between one party that will take you his far and another party that will just take
you that far. You know sometimes, I'll be honest with you,
I know it never happens in Virginia, but sometimes there's not a dime's worth of difference between
the people that are on the ballot, you know what I'm saying, right? I mean it seems like sometimes, well, it won't
really be very different who wins. This isn't such a time. I mean this election is a choice between whether
we're going to continue to go downhill to a weaker America at home and abroad, to a
struggling American economy that walks farther away from our most cherished constitutional
principles and ideals, or whether we are going to stop, and plant our feet, and march back
up the hill to a stronger America, a freer America, a more prosperous America built on
the foundation of our constitutional principles. That's the choice. It's up or down. And so I want to encourage you to take action,
to roll your sleeves up. And do one more thing if you will, and that
is—as so many of you in this room are inclined to do as Karen and I do on a regular basis. It's a good time to pray, bow the head, and
bend the knee. I believe in all my heart that the effective
prayer of a righteous person availeth much. And I also believe that what's been true for
millennia is still true today – that if His people who are called to His name will
humble themselves and pray, He'll do what He's always done, throughout our story in
history. He'll hear from heaven, and he'll heal this
land. One nation, under God, indivisible with liberty
and justice for all. So let's work like it all depended on us. And the Pences will be right there with you,
shoulder-to-shoulder; so will the Trumps. Let's pray, because it all depends on Him. Every person here has a role to play, a calling
to fulfill. As the great Charles Spurgeon reminded us,
"In the family register of glory, the small and great are written with the same pen." So now's the time to write your part in history. Ladies and gentlemen of Liberty University,
it's time to roll. We have jobs to create. We have security to restore. We have an economy to reignite. We have a nation to protect, we have a constitution
and a Supreme Court to preserve, schools to transform, and a culture of life to renew. In a word, we have a chance in less than four
weeks to make America great again when we make Donald Trump the 45th president of the
United of America. So Virginia, so Liberty University, let's
go get it done. Thank you very much. And God bless this great institution and all
of you who call it home. >> FALWELL: You're dismissed! If you want to meet Governor Pence, he'll
be down in front for a few minutes. We're so honored and privileged to have Governor
Pence here today, and that was an incredible speech. Give Him another hand, please. >> NASSER: If you'd like to meet the governor,
he's going to be up here for just a few minutes in the rope line. God bless you guys. We'll see you tonight at Campus Community. You're dismissed. Thank you.
