Let me say on the outset of this article that I support, sustain, and appreciate the leaders of my Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I follow counsel from living Prophets and Apostles. I feel the same way about my local leaders.
So why am I writing an article that seems to go against the Church’s policy of no “lethal weapons on church property” unless you are a (law enforcement officer) LEO? Nothing against LEO’s, but I’ve trained them. Some of them have a hard time finding their way around a shooting range. Yet they can carry on Church property. The first thing this policy does is make Church property soft targets. This puts my family at risk. Then to top it off, and trying to make someone feel good, they employ the “Run, Hide, Fight” training to survive an active shooter event. All of this adds up to cowering in the corner and saying, “please don’t hurt me”. If you’ve read my blog posts, you would know that is not me. All of the above, in my opinion, equals a politically correct response. Maybe it's a liability issue?
In April 2021 Conference Apostle Dallin H Oaks said this about the Constitution of the United States.
“In these remarks I do not speak for any political party or other group. I speak for the United States Constitution, which I have studied for more than 60 years. I speak from my experience as a law clerk to the chief justice of the United States Supreme Court. I speak from my 15 years as a professor of law and my 3½ years as a justice on the Utah Supreme Court. Most important, I speak from 37 years as an Apostle of Jesus Christ, responsible to study the meaning of the divinely inspired United States Constitution to the work of His restored Church.”
“The United States Constitution is unique because God revealed that He “established” it “for the rights and protection of all flesh”.
The Constitution is divinely inspired. Even the 2nd Amendment. Unless you’re on Church property. On Church property I have to Run or hide but not fight with a lethal weapon. I guess I have to throw a Kleenex box at someone trying to kill me.
This is where I toot my own horn. I have grown up around guns and hunting. I have been trained by the U.S. military. I have some experience with combat. I am a certified, trained small arms instructor for the U.S. Air Force, and the U.S. Army. I have trained and qualified 100’s of Soldiers, Airmen, Pilots, and Officers in Pistol, Rifle, and automatic weapons. I have trained agents from the FBI, DEA, CBP, Customs, Border Patrol, local Sherrif’s office, and local PD. I am a certified concealed carry instructor for my state. I also maintain Concealed Carry licenses from 2 states. I am a credentialed Range Safety Officer for the NRA. I am also a credentialed NRA Instructor in Certified Pistol, Certified Rifle, and Personal Protection in the Home. I also was a competitor in the now disbanded American Tactical Shooters Association. Plus, I go to the range once or twice a week. I have experience with guns. But I can’t carry at Church.
I don’t understand how the Church can say the Constitution is inspired but no one but LEO’s can have a gun on Church property. How can the woke members in the Church office building reconcile with the second amendment? I agree that we should be a peacemaking people. I, myself, do not condone violence. But when violence and evil come calling, I hope the Church leadership is not depending on Law Enforcement to protect us. Don’t get me wrong. We have the best, bravest, best trained, and dedicated law enforcement in the world. But they cannot be everywhere all the time! I want to protect my family if the run, hide fails. I would beseech the leadership to talk with the Church security people. I would hope that they can see that asking members to not be armed on Church property is a very bad decision. I know there have been accidents. But the actual attacks and the threat that is out there should overshadow their fear someone will get hurt in a firearm accident. I can guarantee that the chances of someone getting shot from someone actually trying to shoot people are much higher than an accident.
After saying all this I will answer your question. Yes, I am always armed on Church property. I do not recommend anyone else to do this, even though I do break this policy. I wrestled with this when it came to pass in 2019. I have been carrying in church since 1983. I considered stopping and complying. But I then thought about if I could live with myself if some nut bag came into my place of worship and started to shoot and I was not armed. I have a hard enough time living with myself having been in combat with brothers that did not make it. I would be over the edge if I could have done something when the threat appeared but was not equipped with the tools of defense. I don’t know if that is justification or rationalization or what. But that is my decision. My wife used to teach early morning Seminary in our building. She is trained and licensed. If she still taught Seminary, I would probably tell her to be armed. She was armed when she taught but the policy at that time was different.
The Church needs to decide if the 2nd amendment applies to the divinity of the Constitution or not. Do we as members believe the Constitution or not? As members we believe in agency unless it comes to the 2nd amendment. Do we believe that these rights come from God or not? Do we follow the world in defense of our families? I don’t know if liability will ever change this policy, but I will remind everyone of my opinion when someone goes in and shoots up a chapel.
Elder Oaks said: “I testify of the divinely inspired Constitution of the United States and pray that we who recognize the Divine Being who inspired it will always uphold and defend its great principles.” Even those principles in the 2nd Amendment.
Semper Paratus
Check 6
Burn
Please see my comment on September 5, 2019
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