We are commanded to protect our families. In a telestial world, that is a sad reality for us to deal with.
Alma 43:47
And again, the Lord has said that: Ye shall defend your families even unto bloodshed. Therefore for this cause were the Nephites contending with the Lamanites, to defend themselves, and their families, and their lands, their country, and their rights, and their religion.
Here is an opinion I gave on LDSFF on the matter:
T____, I hope you are not offended when I say that it is naive to believe that guns will not be necessary in a telestial world whose leaders reign with blood and horror on the face of this earth. ONCE we are in holy Zion, then we will have no need for them, for we shall be terrible as an army with banners. Until we get to that point, he/she who is without some form of protection will be sorely in want. I would defer to the book, Visions of Glory and say no more. If you choose not to defend your family as God has commanded (other than with the butcher knife), that is your prerogative - as you have agency in everything.
After Zion, comes the great model of peace and safety - where a cloud by day and a pillar by night is our defense.
Doctrine and Covenants 45:
67 And the glory of the Lord shall be there, and the terror of the Lord also shall be there, insomuch that the wicked will not come unto it, and it shall be called Zion.
68 And it shall come to pass among the wicked, that every man that will not take his sword against his neighbor must needs flee unto Zion for safety.
We should never DESIRE to harm another (although I have to say I would love a few people to try and pick a fight with me so I could do us all a favor..... IF we seek to do violence, we are no better than the wicked and will be swept away with them. My goal is to stay out of the way and let the wicked kill the wicked. If I get caught up in it, I plan to use full force; with the Book of Mormon as my ideal and how-to manual. At the very least, I shall hide behind it in my defense during the judgment if I have to justify use of force against another of God's children in defense of those over whom I have stewardship.
Interesting how you posted so much on the book Visions of Glory, yet failed to see what Spencer described in so much detail. The Zion he described did not need guns. They used priesthood and were protected by the power of God.
ReplyDeleteGuns are an extension of the arm of flesh. While God has permitted men to defend themselves via these means in the past, Zion represents a divine order and departure from the world. Telestial means will not be used to create a celestial society.