LDS Security Training Facility

I have a long standing relationship with a veteran member of LDS Church security. He and I served together under fire and in several training experiences. He is my Brother in almost every sense of the word. I’ve trusted him with my life and his life was entrusted by me. He has confided in me many aspects of his work but does not talk about operational and specifics of what they do. They are tasked with protecting the first presidency and the quorum of the 12. Their duties consist of executive protection, protecting church assets, and investigating threats to the church. The Church is pretty hushed on the fact that they have this type of security and I understand why. At least I think I understand. In January, there was a buzz all over the internet about how the Church was opening or building a state-of-the-art security training facility. This information was from contractors and sub-contractors who are building the facility. I don’t know what happened, but it seems the church either failed to include a confidentiality clause in their contract or the contractors failed to comply with that request. I saw a post by a sub-contractor where he rescinded his post about talking about this facility because he was asked to. He said he was not aware of any confidentiality asked for but he complied when asked.
April 4, 2019 The Salt Lake Tribune, Tony Semerad wrote an article confirming the rumor surrounding this training facility.
https://www.sltrib.com/news/2019/04/02/lds-church-planning-new/
This is an OK article. I usually find the Tribune a rag of a newspaper. They normally come down on the very critical side of the church. I find their reporting less than professional. But that’s just my opinion. Constructive criticism I have no problem with. But the Trib seems intent sometimes on making the church look bad or finding some “dirt” on them. I think journalism should be something mainstream media is not. Some blogs seem to have written disparaging articles ridiculing the church for building this type of training facility. They have it in mind that if you are emphasizing Christ, you would never have the need for a shooting range. The authors of this trash know nothing about the real world. They have sat in their comfortable homes and their safe neighborhoods wondering why the church does what it does. They need a dose of reality. I am highly critical of these type of people. Some of them think that evil can be fought by being good. I think that is true to a certain point. There comes a point when you have to be a person of action. Those who are critical of guns, security, defense, and defense training have never had the need for any of these things. I like this quote:
“We sleep soundly in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm.” Richard Grenier
They are under the impression that law enforcement will protect them or the military or something. Some of those critics are just a victim of ignorance, but some are critical of the church no matter what it does. I do admit that sometimes the church is a little politically correct for my taste, but that happens in a large organization so I don’t get all worked about it. It is also indicative of a Church trying to teach Christ.
There are lots of people out there that think that the church has to be transparent to the public or its members. It is not the U.S. government. I don’t think because I pay tithing that it entitles me to know every move the church makes. Tithing is not taxes. When it comes to security, it is never good to be in the forefront or open with what you do and how you do it. In the military it is called OPSEC or operational security.
The church has enemies out there. Those enemies look for any opportunity to make the church look bad or ways to destroy it. How the church handles its problems is really none of anyone’s business. They have legal problems from stupid members in positions of authority. Sometimes the problems are real, and others times they are an attack on the church. The investigation of these allegations are usually private but there are those that want them to be open. I say to these people “Tough!” Just because you are not aware of details and what is actually happening, except what you read or hear in the media or worse, the internet, doesn’t mean nothing is happening! Not everything may cross your desk, if you know what I mean!?
I’m glad the church takes serious its security. I wish the world and the members would take theirs as serious. There are serious threats to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and they must be mitigated. Some of these threats are physical threats. Those that believe otherwise are naïve at best, and stupid at worst.
Everyone is getting the idea that they are not as safe as they used to be. Almost every business and organization has security interests and people involved in security. Why would the church be any different? Sometimes I think the church is overly sensitive that if the members knew about their existence that it would scare them. I guess ignorance is bliss. I have never felt that way. I think the more knowledge and training one has, the better prepared they are when faced with evil. As I’ve said before I have faith in Christ and my Heavenly father. But I subscribe to this scripture:
“For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.” (2 Nephi 25:23; emphasis added)
We must work at doing what is good. We must keep commandments as explained in 1st Timothy.
1 Tim 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.
My opinion is that we should provide protection for our own, among other obligations.
“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.”
The Family: A Proclamation To The World
I call this the 3 P’s. Preside, Provide, and Protect.
In 1973 Larry Mullins had a secret calling. He was asked to develop a security program to protect the Prophet. He was instructed to tell no one except his wife. Decades later when President Hinckley's televised funeral brought the role of prophets' bodyguards into the public eye, Larry knew the time had finally come to tell his story.
This program brought church security agents to train with the Secret Service. Executive protection is unlike other forms of protection or police work. There are lots of specifics that go into protecting a principle that must be learned and practiced. Certain facilities are needed for this training and there are only so many places to do this. Years ago when I was a military small arms instructor we trained some local law enforcement and some federal agents too. Why? Because we had the instructors and the facilities. There are more of them out there now but all security and law enforcement rely on these instructors and facilities to train and keep up these skills. Shooting all by itself is a perishable skill. Leave alone protecting a principle, clearing rooms, etc. If a facility is booked and it is needed now, how does an organization deal with that inconvenience and lapse in training? They develop their own programs and facilities. So the church doing this makes perfect sense.
I hope that it works out for them and I’m sure it will. At just the hint of the idea of training themselves the church received all kinds of backlash and critical complaining. So I can understand trying to contain and keep this information confidential. Critics want to jump on it, and members are surprised by it. But the church keeps rolling on!
Semper Paratus
Check 6
Burn