Happy Father’s Day! I hope all you Father’s out there know your importance in your family and your responsibility. It’s wonderful being a Father!
Once more I’d like to talk with you about one responsibility. That is, to defend your Family.
In First Timothy in the New Testament it gives us a little insight.
1 Timothy 5:8
“But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.”
From modern Prophets we read in The Family: A Proclamation to the World:
“By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families.”
Joseph Smith said:
“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 the right to forbid it, should the last extreme arrive, but I anticipate no such extreme, but caution is the parent of safety.”
Doctrine and Covenants 134:11 puts it this way:
“...we believe that all men are justified in defending themselves, their friends, and property, and the government, from the unlawful assaults and encroachments of all persons in times of exigency, where immediate appeal cannot be made to the laws, and relief afforded.”
Clearly, Fathers are supposed to care for and be prepared to protect our families. How do we do this? First, pray for guidance and counsel with your spouse.
Second, a plan. Do you have a security plan for your home and family? As presiding authority you should lead the way in having a plan. Some families have code words so that the wrong person won’t take their children. Some families ensure their house is secured, mail and newspapers are gathered, and timers on lights are in place when they leave on vacation. All of these, and more, are a family security plan.
Third, training. Do your kids know how to call 911? Does your family know what to do in case of fire? Has your family had basic first aid training? All of this and more is available and should be taught, and practiced. Occasionally, for Family Home Evening, review this training and your family plans.
Let me share with you what we have done for many years. We have a family security plan. We have code words and even a code for events that may happen at my work. I work on a federal installation and we often play games (exercise they call it). Well I don’t have the time and the freedom to share what is happening with my wife. So we have devised a code so I can tell her in a brief text, what is going on. If there is a real world event going on, I fear the government will not tell the public until they have to. I want that time for my family to prepare, so we’ve devised a code.
Obviously, I believe in personal security. I think every Mother and Father should be trained and should carry a gun. I know many do not agree with that. Self defense can take many forms. For our last Family Home Evening, we had a small training class on pepper spray, and how to use it effectively. This is a less than lethal weapon that I feel my children can use. I usually give them a pepper spray key ring when they start to drive, along with our training, and caution about this weapon. Most of our kids have started to drive after they have turned 17. Each child is different, and we know that this practice may not be for every of our teenagers.
All of my family knows how to safely handle and shoot a gun. The other day my teenaged son had a little squirt gun he was running around the house with. You know the kind, yellow clear plastic? As we walked by each other in the hallway, I noticed his finger on the squirt guns trigger. I reminded him about trigger discipline. We laughed, but he took his finger off the trigger and put it where it belongs! I take my kids shooting often enough that they understand the seriousness of a real gun. (See blog Kids and Guns: A Good Combination? 4/1/2014)
We have a checklist when we leave our house unattended for an extended period of time. We obviously lock everything up, but there should be more on your checklist. (See blog Home Security While You Are Away 5/29/2014).
There is much to do to keep your family safe and secure. Start now. Talk with your spouse and write down a plan (A goal not written is only a wish!). Review that plan often, because it will probably change, and with your kids.
I am a weapons guy. One of my rules is “Never leave home without a knife, or a gun.” Knives, guns, defensive batons, stun guns, pepper spray, and hand to hand combat tactics are what I use to protect my family. We also “fortify” our home with locks, hidden weapons, plans, and codes.
Don’t let your family be unprotected. Remember, when seconds count, the police are minutes away.
Happy Father’s Day Fathers!
Semper Paratus
Burn
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