I pose the question in the wake of the gun-generated slaughter in Las Vegas, Nevada, as reported in this recent CNN update:
“At about 10:08 p.m. local time Sunday, the Route 91 Harvest Festival, a country music concert, was interrupted by the sound of gunfire, witnesses said. . . .
“Police said the gunman fired on the crowd of about 22,000 people from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel, several hundred feet southwest of the concert grounds.
“Country music singer Jason Aldean was performing when the gunshots began, according to witnesses' cell phone video.
“’The gunshots lasted for 10 to 15 minutes. ‘It didn't stop,’ said witness Rachel de Kerf. . . .
“Authorities identified the shooter as 64-year-old Stephen Paddock of Mesquite, Nevada. . . .
“After taking gunfire from him, police backed off and waited for SWAT to respond. A security guard was shot in the leg. Police said officers ‘breached the hotel room’ where the shooter was located and ‘found the suspect dead.’ Authorities believe he killed himself.j
“Police said they believe Paddock acted alone.
“Paddock was a retired accountant, divorced with no known children.
“Police served a search warrant on Paddock's home Monday morning. Authorities found at least 19 firearms, explosives, several thousand rounds of ammunition and some electronic devices. . . . Several pounds of ammonium nitrate, a material used to make explosives, was found in Paddock's car, according to [Clark County sheriff Joseph] Lombardo. 23 weapons were found in the hotel room, including a handgun and multiple rifles. Some had scopes on them. . . .
“Eric Paddock said his brother [Stephen Paddock] had never shown violent tendencies, and had no affiliations with any terror or hate group. Paddock says he's still in the dark on why his brother would do this.
“The FBI confirmed that Stephen Paddock's father was a convicted bank robber who was previously on the FBI's most wanted list, from June 10, 1969, until May 5, 1977. Eric Paddock said his father died a few years ago.
“The shooter had been at the Mandalay Bay hotel since September 28, authorities said. Hotel employees had been in his room prior to the shooting and did not notice anything amiss, according to Lombardo. Police cannot confirm if Paddock requested the room from where he fired the shots. It was a suite with two rooms. . . .
“At least 59 dead and more than 500 people [were] taken to area hospitals, authorities said. With hundreds still hospitalized, officials fear the death toll will rise. They implored the community to donate blood, and throngs of donors have since lined up outside Las Vegas blood banks. This is the deadliest shooting in modern US history. The 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida, previously was the deadliest, with 49 killed.
“Sonny Melton, a registered nurse from Paris, Tennessee, was among those shot and killed, according to his place of employment, the Henry County Medical Center. His wife, Heather Melton, an orthopedic surgeon, survived the shooting. Other victims include a police records technician, a special education teacher, and a school office manager.Sunrise Hospital, the closest hospital to the Strip, has treated 180 patients. Of those, 14 patients have died. University Medical Center of Southern Nevada received 104 patients. Twelve were in critical condition as of Monday morning. Dr. Jay Coates tells CNN, ‘We had as many as eight operating rooms running at the same time.’ . . .
“The FBI says they have determined no connection with an international terrorist group. . . . Authorities say they are not calling this terrorism at this time. ‘We have to establish what his motivation was first,’ said . . . Lombardo, when asked why this event has not been labeled domestic terrorism.
“The shooter had bought multiple firearms, several in California, a law enforcement official told CNN. So far, investigators believe the firearms were purchased legally. The suspicion, based on initial reports, is that any of the rifles used were altered in order to function as an automatic weapon, said the official. Among the weapons found so far: a .223-caliber and a .308-caliber. . ..
“Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval signed a declaration of Emergency for Clark County which allows state agencies to supplement local efforts. The Department of Homeland Security said there is no credible threat involving other public venues, but security could increase.
“President Donald Trump described the shooting as an ‘act of pure evil’ and said he will visit Las Vegas on Wednesday to meet with families of the victims. Trump and first lady Melania Trump led a moment of silence for Las Vegas from the White House on Monday afternoon. The Orlando Police Department, which investigated the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting, tweeted its condolences to those affected by the Las Vegas shooting.”
(“Las Vegas Shooting: What We Know,” by CNN staff, 3 October 2017,
http://www.cnn.com/2017/10/02/us/las-vegas-shooting-what-we-know/index.html)
_____
--Drawing the Line
This horrendous massacre--one that has historically been part and parcel of America's unending orgy with guns--prompted me to draw the following cartoon:
http://www.gocomics.com/stevebensonIt can't help but remind me of this song by ZZ Top, "Gun Love":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRrTCIJqm5E&list=RDzRrTCIJqm5E&t=3_____
--What We Know about the Gutless Mormon Church: It Has No Meaningful Official Position on Gun Control
A local Salt Lake City reader of the "Salt Lake Tribune” made the following observations on the LDS Church's blatant hypocrisy when it comes to governmental gun regulation:
"Major institutions in this highly-religious nation have failed to produce the moral society free of gun violence that every other advanced nation enjoys. Easy access to handguns and assault weapons creates a dangerous environment for everyone, including gun owners.
"Worse, this decadence continues to grow, taking the lives of innocent people.
"Unlike Catholic, Episcopalian and other Protestant faiths that endorse gun control, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints remains silent, resulting in a moral vacuum in the local culture. Liquor, tobacco, pornography and gambling addictions are condemned, while gun addiction is cynically indulged.
"The LDS Church should be listed with other morally-tarnished organizations like the Republican Party, the National Rifle Association and the Utah Legislature. Respectable citizens and institutions need to band together and demand intelligent, well-crafted gun control laws Allowing the obtuse NRA leadership to control gun policy is like insisting alcoholics write liquor laws.
"The Mormon culture has been poisoned by a rabid gun-addicted minority that insists guns are necessary for daily living. Church leaders need to establish a moral code that defines a morally defensible use of firearms."
("LDS and Gun Morality,” by Ron Molen, letter to the editor, "Opinions,” “Salt Lake Tribune," 6 January 2013,
http://archive.sltrib.com/article.php?id=55564344&itype=CMSID)
___
--Stormin' Mormons Defending' God, Guns and Their Gung-Ho Gospel of an Armed-to-the-Teeth "Prince of Peace"
In behalf of your compassionate Christ, answer this, Mormons:
https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&channel=iphone_bm&biw=375&bih=559&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=V4jTWZ6PKIfajwPk8KfYBA&q=Jesus+with+assault+rifle&oq=Jesus+with+assault+rifle&gs_l=mobile-gws-img.12..0.4750.10529.0.11113.24.18.0.0.0.0.193.2283.1j16.17.0....0...1.1.64.mobile-gws-img..13.9.1173...0i67k1j0i30k1.0.-ojh0McgZXg#imgrc=Eq45vMDeEtX4GM:
Having a hard time coming up with an answer? Try this:
http://religionnews.com/2014/03/26/jesus-said-buy-assault-rifle/Actually, LDS Church defenders are quick to respond to critics of their church’s weak-kneed, political positioning on guns.
Wrote one incensed Mormon marauder to “The Salt Lake Tribune”:
"A heads-up to [those] who [have] argued that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 'remains silent' about guns, resulting in a moral vacuum’ . . . ’
"The LDS Church has a clear and unequivocal policy about unlawful violence, gun or no gun that, if violated, will immediately put the offender's Church membership in jeopardy and, in that process, the Church cooperates fully with law enforcement.
"That is especially true with regard to domestic violence, where the majority of gun offenses occur. As a result of the Church's Scouting affiliation, young men are carefully taught the proper use, care and respect for firearms, resulting in a lifetime of responsible recreation."
("LDS Stand on Guns," by Richard Davis, letter to the editor, i "Opinions," "Salt Lake Tribune," 10 January 2013,
http://archive.sltrib.com/article.php?id=55597774&itype=CMSID_____
--The Mormon Church Has Fallen Back on Guns, Not on God, for Its Ultimate Protection
Hugh Nibley agrees. In his essay, "We Will Still Weep for Zion," this top-notch scholar of Mormonism (at least by its notoriously loose standards), declared that those who fall for the safety-in-guns line have fallen away from the teachings of Jesus.
Opined Hugh the Humongous (invoking then-Mormon Church president Spencer W. Kimball as his authoritative source):
“If we ask what improvement has been made up to the present, there is no better standard to judge by than that given by President Spencer W. Kimball in a solemn and inspired message to the Church on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the nation. [His] address gives us a picture of the Church, the nation and, indeed, the world that is a miracle of clarity and condensation, placing the physician's finger with unerring accuracy on the really important issues.
“First, by way of introduction, a general observation [as made by Kimball]:
“’When I review the performance of this people in comparison with what is expected, I am appalled and frightened.’
Nibble observed by way of inserted response “
“[NOT a particularly cheerful or even optimistic message. What is it that so frightens and appalls the prophet?”
Nibble mentions this one, among others: “Trusting in military security and lethal weaponry.”
(Further quoting Kimball): "We commit vast resources to the fabrication of gods of stone and steel—ships, planes, missiles, fortifications—and depend on them for protection and deliverance. When threatened, we become anti-enemy instead of pro-kingdom of God; we train a man in the art of war and call him a patriot, thus, in the manner of Satan's counterfeit of true patriotism, perverting the Savior's teaching. . . . What are we to fear when the Lord is with us? Can we not take the Lord at his word and exercise a particle of faith in him? . . . We must leave off the worship of modern-day idols and a reliance on the 'arm of flesh,' for the Lord has said to all the world in our day, 'I will not spare any that remain in Babylon' [D&C 64:24].'"
("Gun Rights/Gun Control and the Church'S View." by “Saints Alive,” at "Mormon Dialogue and Discussion Board,“ December 2012,
http://www.mormondialogue.org/topic/59629-gun-rights-gun-control-and-the-churchs-view/; for the complete text of Hugh Nibley’s essay quoted above, see also, Nibley, “We Will Still Weep for Zion” [in Nibley’s “Approaching Zion,” Chapter 12 [Deseret Books, FARMS, 1989],
https://publications.mi.byu.edu/fullscreen/?pub=1114&index=14)
_____
--Wait; Even a Living “Fossil [Apostle” of the Lord Has Told Mormons to Collect the Stuff of Food, Not the Stuff of Firearms in Preparation for the Coming (not Gunning) of the Dreadful Day of the Lord
Yea, verily, this from an in-the-apostles’-pocket Mormon-friendly website:
“LDS apostle Dallin H. Oaks cautioned Mormons against joining or supporting ‘right-wing groups who mistakenly apply prophecies about the last days to promote efforts to form paramilitary or other organizations.’
“Such groups could ‘undermine the authority of public officials,’ Oaks said Sunday at a regional Mormon conference broadcast from the Marriott Center on Brigham Young University’s Provo campus.”
(“LDS Apostle [Dallin Oaks] Tells Mormons: Stock Up on Food, not Ammo,” at "LDS Living,”
http://www.ldsliving.com/LDS-apostle-tells-Mormons-Stock-up-on-food-not-ammo-/s/70200)
When it comes to preparing for the return of the LDS Lord, here’s the text of “The Salt Lake Tribune’s” hot-off-the-press revelation--sourced from Oaks’ discourse--courtesy of the mainstream media to the give-said-the-little-stream Mormons:
“Latter-day Saints should not ‘substitute [their] own organizations for the political and military authorities put in place by constitutional government and processes,’ the apostle said.
“After all, the LDS Church's food-storage program is about amassing a year's supply of food and water, Oaks reminded the thousands watching in the giant arena, not ‘arms and ammunition.’”
(“LDS Apostle Tells Mormons: Stock Up on Food, Not Ammo,” by Peggy Fletcher Stack, “The Salt Lake Tribune,” 17 September 2012,
http://archive.sltrib.com/story.php?ref=/sltrib/blogsfaithblog/54913284-180/apostle-lds-oaks-conference.html.csp)
Oaks’ anti-gun gospel prompted this tongue-in-chamber response from the “Trib’s” Robert “the Revolver” Kirby:
“Mormon food storage is back in the news again, but this time with a caveat. We've been counseled by a Church leader NOT to store ammunition.
“Instead, we're to focus on food and other emergency essentials such as water, medical supplies, Church publications on CD, Rolaids, etc. for the tough times ahead.
“Such preparation is not unusual given that most faiths believe the world is going to end horribly at some point, with a stretch of increasing horribleness leading up to it.
“No one knows exactly when all this will start or how long it will last, but it makes sense to prepare for it. If you're going to be left behind in the Rapture, you might as well have snacks. There's really no point in being damned AND hungry.
“But the ammunition thing came as a surprise. It's the first time in our history that 800,000 rounds of belted armor-piercing 7.62x51mm NATO have been mentioned in a Church discourse.
“OK, it wasn't mentioned specifically. But it was there in spirit. I know because I've been a Mormon my entire life. Also, my wife now has a reason for me to get rid of it.
“Great. Just when you think you have everything figured out, along comes an ecclesiastical leader who ruins everything. No ammunition effectively undermines my entire food storage program.
Over the years I steadfastly maintained a balanced emergency storage program. It was a well-thought-out plan of just how much ammunition it would take me to get whatever food was in your basement.
“It gets worse. As if the counsel against ammo storage wasn't restrictive enough, we were also told not to support or form right-wing paramilitary groups in preparation for the end of the world.
“This is downright odd given our history. Mormons once had a standing army (Nauvoo Legion) and we fought the federal government (Babylon) to a draw (Mormon War). There was no ‘para’ about any of that. Unless of course you count the Danites.
“But counsel is counsel. Not only will the ammo have to go, but so will the Noble Urban Troopers of Zion (NUTZ). We'll have to disband just when things are starting to get interesting (Mormon in the White House).
“Pity. After two years of recruiting, we were all the way up to seven . . . [As for the two non-Mormons then in the NUTZ], we [had] planned on them bursting into flames at the first sign of the Lord's coming anyway.
“Still, now that NUTZ is finished, I have no idea who the church will have saving the Constitution when it's hanging by a thread, or shooting looters for the Lord come the end times.
“That's OK. Honestly, I never understood the survivalist desire to survive a world meltdown. I mean I'm going die soon enough as it is. Why spend the last few years eating expired tuna fish through a gas mask? Rather be dead.
“On the other hand, I wouldn't want my kids and grandkids to starve to death or get marched off as slave labor.
“OK, I'll keep all of the food AND the ammo. It won't be the first time I haven't gone along with the entire program.”
(“Kirby: As for Me and My House, We're Keeping the Ammo,” by Robert Kirby, “The Salt Lake Tribune,” 21 September 2012, original emphasis in Kirby’s column,
http://archive.sltrib.com/article.php?id=54935952&itype=CMSID)
_____
--If Mormons Don’t Accept Their Apostle Oakster the Hoaxter’s Anti-Gun Gospel, Why Then Reject the Words of Anti-Gun Mormon Apostate Ed Firmage?
I guess the Gospel is only believable if you’re a faithfully-dumb Mormon.
The de-converterd Firmage--a harsh and outspoken critic of LDS Church--begs to differ with Mormon defenders of get-‘em-while-you-can guns, gruesome guts and godly glory.
He does so by laying the blame at the fragile feet of Elohim:
"[This] isn't just a matter of banning guns on its properties or speaking out like any self-respecting church does about the evils of violence . . . . It's about taking a stand against a culture of gun worship and wacko uber-conservatism that is rampant in Utah.
"And it's rampant because of the Church's past history of allowing itself to be used by conservative nut jobs like Ezra Taft Benson and its present pattern of total self-identification with the Right (e.g., 11 of 15 of its top executives being registered Republicans without a single Democrat in the bunch).
"The result is a culture of simmering sedition. Gun rights isn't about legitimate self-defense or recreation; it's about stockpiling weapons in the event the people have to overthrow their government by force.
"Instead of taking on this conservative anti-gospel which is at total odds with the Christianity they pretend to espouse, Mormon leadership is silent. Silent on this issue and on a host of other politicized, but not really political, issues. What people want to see and hear is PROPHETIC [original emphasis] leadership that speaks truth to power, power which in the case of the NRA and the Republican Party is just plain psychotic. But all the Church cares to talk about is masturbation and gay marriage--utter non-issues except for the sexually repressed.'"
(Ed Firmage,Jr., letter to the editor, "LDS Stand on Guns,"
"The Salt Lake Tribune," under "User Comments," 10 January 2013,
http://archive.sltrib.com/article.php?id=55597774&itype=CMSID)
_____
--Still, the Bleat Goes On with a Mormon Call to Arms: Forget the Ammonites! Horde the Ammo!
To be sure, there are plenty of namby-pamby Mormons who want It both ways when it comes to Guns and God. Some luke-warm/Cool-Hand-Luke Mormons give lip service to what they grudgingly mumble is Jesus's position of non-violence—one which they even seemingly want to admit is one that Christian denominations have declared to be essentially pro-Jesus.
In other words, Mormon pro-gunners say they respect their Church’s position re on gun ownership as if it’s actually in violation of Jesus's command to pick peace over violence.
But not so fast. They really don’t believe that at all.
_____
--In the End, Meandering Mormons Choose the End of Their Guns Over the Word of Their Gods
A good example of this latter-day squishiness for their Son-of-a-Gun-of-God Savior is found in an article published by "The Millennial Star," 17 January 2016, wherein the author ends up arguing for a Mormon Church gung-ho position on guns, offering up the following Gumby goop for wimping out in his love of the Lord:
"All over the Internet has been talk of gun control and the current President’s executive order to extend background checks for those selling firearms. He and his supporters believe that too many guns have created a deadly culture of violence.
"Counter arguments have sprung up that all the crimes used to back laws for more gun restrictions would not have been avoided. No lives would have been saved by background checks because criminals don’t follow the laws anyway. The other concern is that making it harder to obtain and carry guns puts handicaps self-defense and puts innocent lives at risk. Many believe the underlying problems of mental illness and unchecked illegal immigration are ignored or worse. Mormon scripture and history contains evidence that blocking people from having weapons is a death sentence when up against the hearts of murderers.
"History has examples of government or hostile forces restricting or taking guns away from people and then attacking them.
“The Ottoman Empire in 1911 passed a law banning guns, and within a few years started what is known as the Armenian Holocaust with 1.2 million deaths. Armenian soldiers fighting for the same side as the Ottomans in WWI were disarmed and killed after placed in labor camps.
"Of course, Nazi Germany is the most famous example with a law in 1938 banning all guns for Jews while deregulating for almost everyone else. He also stated in 1942:
‘“The most foolish mistake we could possibly make would be to allow the subject races to possess arms. History shows that all conquerors who have allowed their subject races to carry arms have prepared their own downfall by so doing. Indeed, I would go so far as to say that the supply of arms to the underdogs is a sine qua non for the overthrow of any sovereignty.'
"("Hitler’s Table-Talk at the Fuhrer’s Headquarters 1941-1942," by Henry Picker, ed., [Athenaum-Verlag: Bonn, Termany], 1951).
"In other words, he [Hitler] taught those with the guns controlled those who didn’t have them.
"The American frontier proved this many times with the U.S Government treatment of Indians. Most of the military raids were to disarm the Native Americans and drive them from their homelands or outright kill them. Custard’s last stand represents what happens when armed resistance is possible against a hostile force. In the end, one battle didn’t matter against the tide of Western American history, but that day would have seen an Indian massacre instead.
"As a matter of consideration, the true Gospel is one of peace and avoidance of violence. Jesus Christ who came to offer Salvation to humanity is known as 'The Prince of Peace' (Isa. 9:6) preaching love. His greatest sermon proclaims, 'Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God' (Matt. 5:9). The faithful are required to 'Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you,' (Matt. 5:44) because it's easy to love those who already show love. It is much harder to do the same for people that are seen as in opposition. One of the stated reasons for the Great Flood was the constant violence (Gen. 6:11) that filled the Earth.
"Modern prophets closer to our own time were no less expressive for the need for peace as a part of faith.
“Perhaps the strongest statement on this subject came from [then-LDS Church] President Spencer W. Kimball in his June 1976 'Ensign' article on other gods we cling to today.” [Note: For the record, Kimball called them “false gods.” See Kimball, “The False Gods We Worship,” “First Presidency Message,” “Ensign,” June 1976,
https://www.lds.org/ensign/1976/06/the-false-gods-we-worship?lang=eng).
Quoting Kimball:
"'We are a war-like people, easily distracted from our assignment of preparing for the coming of the Lord. When enemies rise up, we commit vast resources to the fabrication of gods of stone and steel—ships, planes, missiles, fortifications—and depend on them for protection and deliverance. When threatened, we become anti-enemy instead of pro-kingdom of God; we train a man in the art of war and call him a patriot, thus, in the manner of Satan’s counterfeit of true patriotism, perverting the Savior’s teaching . . . What are we to fear when the Lord is with us? Can we not take the Lord at his word and exercise a particle of faith in him? Our assignment is affirmative: to forsake the things of the world as ends in themselves; to leave off idolatry and press forward in faith; to carry the gospel to our enemies, that they might no longer be our enemies.'”
This present-day Mormon apologist for Gun Profits over God’s Prophets isn't finished:
"Despite calls for peace as an ideal to strive to achieve, such a position is not always attainable. The Lord has at times commanded a more vigorous approach to the enemies of Israel. Rules for war in Deuteronomy 20 [note: Mosaic laws that Jesus declared to have personally overturned] set differences between some groups encountered and other more spiritually dangerous foes. The soldiers of Israel must proclaim peace to a city and accept their surrender without incident, but free to attack if peace overtures are rejected:
"'But thou shalt utterly destroy them; namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee: That they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so should ye sin against the Lord your God' (Deut. 20:17-18). When Israel was more of a nation, God sent them out as warriors to possess the lands He promised to the patriarchs.
"Jesus, during his ministry, might have had a much more peaceful response to enemies of any kind, but he wasn’t ignorant of conflict. He knew that the Gospel of peace he proclaimed would have the seeds of division:
“’The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law’ (Luke 12:53). During the final Passover meal, he told the Apostles the days of going to preach without preparation were soon to be over. They were to take with them (Luke 22:36) money, a “scrip” or personal belongings, and other items. Among the list was to be a sword, purchased by trading in clothing if necessary to acquire. Most likely this was for self-protection against thieves while traveling on preaching missions. The mention of bringing a sword was misconstrued by the Apostles (Luke 22:38) who no doubt thought Jesus was contemplating an insurrection. He quickly cut them off from pursuing that notion.
"'The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law' (Luke 12:53).
"During the final Passover meal, he told the Apostles the days of going to preach without preparation were soon to be over. They were to take with them (Luke 22:36) money, a 'scrip' or personal belongings, and other items. Among the list was to be a sword, purchased by trading in clothing if necessary to acquire. Most likely, this was for self-protection against thieves while traveling on preaching missions. The mention of bringing a sword was misconstrued by the Apostles (Luke 22:38) who, no doubt, thought Jesus was contemplating an insurrection. He quickly cut them off from pursuing that notion.
"Until Christ comes the second time when the wolf and lion sits next to the lamb and calf (Isa. 11:6), those who pursue peace will have to do so at a price.
"For Mormons, the best example of pacifists are Anti-Lehi-Nephites (see Alma 23-24), who are a group of Lamanites converted to the Gospel through missionary work of Ammon and his brothers. As part of their conversion, they covenanted to not take up arms for any reason to fight at any time. To signify their peaceful intentions, all weapons they owned were buried in the ground. Instead of defending themselves, many were martyred when their enemies attacked them.
"'Other Lamanites converted after watching the massacres without resistance. They were spared the first time, but later attackers were more ferocious and hardened against them. Remaining where they were and pacifist would end in their destruction if they didn’t take some kind of action.
"'On the other hand, taking up arms would have ended in spiritual destruction. They couldn’t stay a peaceful people on their own without help.
"Through revelation and consultation, the 'Ammonites' (Alma 27) pleaded for the Nephites to allow them to live among them. Taking pity on them, they set aside the land Jershon for the Ammonites to settle.
"Even then, the Ammonites were at the mercy of hate-filled enemies who would do whatever it took to kill them all, along with the Nephites. They decided:
"'And now behold, this will we do unto our brethren, that they may inherit the land Jershon; and we will guard them from their enemies with our armies, on condition that they will give us a portion of their substance to assist us that we may maintain our armies' (Alma 27:24).
"There was no other choice but for one group to take up arms to protect another group who refused to protect themselves. Peace-loving pacifists, the Ammonites didn’t take issue with both allowing the Nephites to defend them or ask for material support. For those who spiritually feel they cannot own weapons, they must be open to the possibility that others must take do so on their behalf and support them in this action.
"Giving up weapons to gain peace is not always about receiving the same in return. More than likely doing this is less about resolving differences than submission to a stronger adversary. Right after the Hauns Mill Massacre of Oct. 30, 1838, Joseph Smith saw no alternative other than suing for peace and trying to negotiate. Instead of negotiations, he and the Mormons were given ultimatums:
"'Seeing no alternative, Joseph acceded to Lucas’s terms. The Mormons were to give up their arms and leave the state. Those accused of crimes were to be surrendered and tried. Mormon property in Missouri was to be confiscated to reimburse the Davies citizens whose houses had been burned. The Mormons were to give up everything except their lives . . . With 2,500 Missouri militia men camped outside of Far West, he had no stomach for battle. The Mormons were to give up their Zion . . .
"'On November 1, Far West surrendered. The soldiers searched the city for firearms, threatening and ridiculing the Saints. A few days later, a force dispatched to Adam-ondi-Ahman accepted the surrender of the Mormon leaders, who followed Joseph’s instructions not to resist. The Mormon men came one by one to a table where they signed away their property to the state of Missouri while militia men stood by and struck anyone who protested. By this time the Mormons were willing to go. . . .'
"(Richard L. Bushman, "Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling," p. 367).
"There was not peace after giving up arms. It might have protected against the total extermination of Mormons in a battle, but unprovoked attacks and assaults on women and children continued with little resistance. The heavily armed and large number of military and mob eventually evicted a minority at will.
"Years later, a group of Mormons would return the favor, although without any of the glory of victory. During the height of tension between Mormons and the U.S. pre-Civil War government, a 'Gentile' wagon train of emigrants were crossing southern Utah. The Mormons refused to sell them any supplies in accordance with Brigham Young’s orders to not give the enemy any more advantage. This angered the emigrants who needed supplies to carry on their way. Both distrusted each other and made accusations of abuse and worse. Mormons and Indians attacked on Sept. 7, 1857, but only supplies were taken because of the robust defenses. That was enough to dishearten the emigrants who agreed to terms supplied by the same Mormons who attacked them with a larger Indian presence earlier. They were approached with a white flag and safe passage to Cedar City:
"'. . . Telling them they needed to take precautions to avoid instigating another Indian attack, Lee required the emigrants to surrender their weapons and exit the meadows according to his precise instructions. The wounded and small children would travel first in wagons, the older children and women would then proceed next, and the men would bring up the rear in a single-file line flanked by armed members of the militia. Despite their misgivings, the hungry, thirsty, and nearly hopeless emigrants accepted Lee’s terms.'
"(John G. Turner, "Brigham Young: Pioneer Prophet," p. 278).
"As history records, the men were shot point blank and died. The rest of the emigrants, save about 17 very young children, were butchered. Why they decided to give the weapons away knowing the possible consequences is not easy to determine. They might have decided showing deference in hopes of relief was the gamble they had to take.
"It remains a terrible stain on Mormon history that could have had less impact if the men retained their weapons for self-defense. History might have recorded it as just another skirmish in the Utah War instead of a blight tragedy. Giving up arms was a death sentence.
"Followers of Jesus Christ are required to 'renounce war and proclaim peace' ("Doctrine and Covenants" 98:16) to become Saints worthy of His name. This should be the default position in any potential conflict.
"However, the mortal world is full of evil and those who wish to cause harm. No amount of pleading for mercy will deter those whose hearts are hard enough to not listen.
"The Lord stated:
“'Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves' (Matt. 10:16).
"We should always be diligent in resolving conflicts and finding a peaceful solution to problems. That isn’t always possible, especially when there is only enough time to take action to protect self and family. Never give away the right to own weapons without accepting the negative consequences. The same can be said about using weapons. A blanket ban or making it hard to acquire guns, as history provides evidence, does not necessarily make the world safer. It mostly identifies who has power and who doesn’t."
("The Mormon Case Against Gun Control," by "jetboy," in "The Millennial Star," 17 January 2016,
https://www.millennialstar.org/the-mormon-case-against-gun-control/)
Not so fast on the draw there, pardner.
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--Holding Your LDS Hair-Trigger Horses: Even Some Mormons Who Are Actually Employed by the Mormon Church are Pro-Gun Control
LDS interviewer Christopher D. Cunningham (who happens to be content director of the Mormon Church's official lds.net site), acknowledges how U.S. Mormons are politically inclined to take a position against their own Church when it comes to gun control.
For Cunningham, this defiance of Mormon deity is disturbing:
" . . . It saddens me to see how politicized tragedies have become. It feels to me like we used to come together as a country. But recently, politicians started to humiliate those who asked for 'thoughts and prayers' following a mass shooting.
"As a result, everyone now feels pressure to politicize these shootings. Of course, not everyone prefers to talk about gun control, so th[ese] moment[s] of national mourning ha[ve] instead descended into a series of fights about domestic terrorism, LGBT+ rights, immigration, radical Islam and, of course, gun control too. Unfortunately, this feels inevitable. Our culture has become so tied to the news cycle. . ..
"I’m actually surprised by the number of [LDS] members I meet who seem ready to take up arms and frame their gun ownership as a last line of defense for liberty. Of course, I also live in Texas, so the members I talk to are often from Texas, and that’s significantly influencing their political feelings, too."
Cunningham then observes how wishy-washy the Mormon Church has become on the issue of gun control, compared to the much firmer and clearer stances it takes on other politically hot-buttoned issues:
"[As] to the role the [Mormon] Church plays in this [gun] debate[,] [w]hile the Church remains politically neutral, they do take positions on many hot-button topics such as immigration, marriage, and abortion. But definitely not anything about gun control. . . .
"The Anti-Nephi-Lehites are definitely an interesting story in this debate. I had a chance to interview Jeremiah Stoddard, a Mormon pacifist, a few years back. He believed that LDS doctrine accommodated pacifism very well. In fact, he pointed to the Book of Mormon as a major example. I tried to counter with how many war heroes were there. But with how the Book of Mormon turned out, he believed that their war-like behavior should be seen as a major problem, not a feature. Really made me think."
Cunningham then returns to how the Mormon Church (and its members politicize gun-control issues along party lines:
"American Mormons are overwhelming Republican. And the Republican party tends to oppose more gun restrictions. Now Mormons are clearly happy to break from Republican orthodoxy when the Church does speak, such as on immigration, but . . . I thought it was interesting when I was looking for folks to do this chat with me in the [Mormon Church’s] LDS.net offices, nobody really wanted to label themselves pro or con on gun control. There was actually a remarkable amount of nuance. . . . But still, I thought it was interesting that, unlike an issue like abortion where members wouldn’t have a problem labeling themselves pro-life, on this [gun=control issue people really wanted to avoid a label.
("Inside the Mormon Debate on Gun Control,"
by Christopher D. Cunningham and Linds, at "Mormon Hub, 21 June 2016,
https://mormonhub.com/blog/life/mormon-culture/inside-the-mormon-debate-on-gun-control/)
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--Looking for a Convenient Out: Ignoring Their “Living Prophets” and Finding No Support for Their Gun-Nut Views in the Bible, Man-the-Munitions Mormons Frantically Turn to the Book of Mormon for a Permissible Path to Disobedience.
As one desperate Latter-day-about-to-Faint Saint writes:
“The New Testament does not present any examples of “ ‘righteous’ uses of weaponry. To the contrary, in the one instance where someone did use a weapon in a seemingly righteous cause (Peter), Jesus rebuked him, saying: ‘Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.’ (Matt. 26:52.)
“Some Christian denominations--Quakers, for example--have cited this scripture for the proposition that Christ disapproves of using violence, even for self-defense.
“Others cite the fact that Peter carried a sword as proof that even an Apostle of the Lord can own and carry a weapon. They explain that Christ rebuked Peter for trying to stop them from taking Jesus into captivity, not because there is anything inherently wrong with owning or using a weapon, but because Christ’s death was something that had to happen.
“Early Mormon history provides some interesting examples.
“Although Joseph Smith originally restrained the Saints from using violence in self-defense, he rescinded that counsel when the persecutions became more severe (“The Words of Joseph Smith,” p. 225).
“The Nauvoo Legion, with General Joseph Smith at its head, along with legendary gun-toters like Porter Rockwell and the Danites, demonstrate that early Mormons became theologically comfortable with wielding guns in their defense.
“Joseph Smith even taught that it was sometimes necessary for men to take up arms because of their religious obligation to defend their families:
“’It may be that the Saints will have to beat their ploughs into swords, for it will not do for men to sit down patiently and see their children destroyed (“History of the Church,” Vol. 6, p. 365).’
“’There is one principle which is eternal; it is the duty of all men to protect their lives and the lives of the household, whenever necessity requires, and no power has a right to forbid it, should the last” (“ibid., Vol. 6, p. 605).
“Or my personal favorite quote by Joseph Smith on the subject:
“’Peace be still, bury the hatchet and the sword, the sound of war is dreadful in my ear. [But] any man who will not fight for his wife and children is a coward and a bastard.’
“(“An American Prophet’s Record: The Diaries and Journals of Joseph Smith,” p. 298).
“However, I know some Latter-day Saints who feel that gun ownership is just for the kooky fringe, and others see owning guns for self-defense as a lack of true faith. A friend of mine once said during an Elder’s Quorum lesson:
“‘If you have true faith in God, that He will protect you, then you don’t even need to lock your doors at night. I trust that the Holy Spirit will protect my home.’ On one occasion when a ward member brought up gun ownership in connection with emergency preparedness, another ward member bristled at the idea and said: ‘I’d rather let someone kill me and my family and steal our food storage.’
“So, what about you? Where do you stand on the whole gun issue? Are you one of them ‘praise-the-Lord-and-pass-the-ammunition’ types, or are you part of the ‘you’ll-shoot-your-eye=out’ chorus? Do you prefer to rely on Messrs. Smith & Wesson or the Sword of your Faith to protect your family in an emergency situation? And have you seen any evidence of a run on gun shops going on in your neck of the woods, or is all this just crazy talk?”
“(“Got Guns?” by “Andrew,” “Mormon Matters,” 25 November 2008,
http://www.mormonmatters.org/2008/11/25/got-guns/)
**********
Conclusion: So, What About the Wobbly Ways of Wandering Mormon Gun Glorifiers?
Here’s their “Gospel"--one that amounts to paying lip service to their Lord:
PAY at the Gun Shop.
LAY at the Gun Range.
BAIL from God’s Prophet.
And now, brothers and sisters, please open to our closing hymn:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-TC2xTCb_GUEdited 8 time(s). Last edit at 10/03/2017 12:37PM by steve benson.