This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Recently one of the LDS Church leaders said: "Someday I hope a great global chorus will harmonize across all racial and ethnic lines," apostle Jeffrey R. Holland said, "declaring that guns, slurs and vitriol are not the way to deal with human conflict."
I was reading in the Revelation of St. John: "If any man have an ear, let him hear. He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them." (13:9-10, 14:12-13)
So, Christians who claim they need guns to protect themselves from the dangers of this world, I think we need to be very careful about whether the God of Love is backing you up when you want to solve a problem with a gun.
It may be necessary to defend your nation in the armed forces, but as an individual, wouldn't it be better to be one of the blessed dead in paradise who exercised patience and faith than mistakenly taking the life of an innocent during an adrenaline-laced moment of panic in which we may not fully understand the facts and the impact of our actions?
Alan K. Jones
Millcreek