I said I would create a letter that we may all use to send to the LDS Church in order to plead with them to reverse their decision to disallow guns in churches. Here is that letter. Please review it, if there is anything I may have left out or forgotten, or which you feel ought to be included, please let me know. Overall I feel this is a decent letter, and the more of us, and our friends & family who also send this in, the better our chances of getting the Church to change its mind.
Thanks
Robie
Gentlemen,
I would like to talk about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints position concerning Utah Code 76-10-530, the section of code dealing with guns and churches.
It is my understanding that the LDS Church not only supports this bill, but also helped to co-sponsor it. I would like to take this time to explain why I feel this is a bad decision, and would like to implore the Brethren to reconsider their action on this issue.
Throughout the history of the world, in most instances churches have been a place of security, which individuals in distress could go for solace, and to find peace and security from outside evil influences. As the LDS Church is aware, this has declined greatly over the past few centuries, and even more so over the past few decades. Criminals are less & less inclined to avoid entering a church in order to commit acts of violence & atrocities upon worshippers. In fact, criminals are often targeting churches as “soft targets,†where they know they can obtain their ill gotten gains or desires with little, if any resistance.
The LDS Church, in its Twelfth Article of Faith states, “We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.†Unfortunately, it profits little, to create a law, and require obedience to it, when we know that only the obedient will obey it, and in the process leave themselves at the mercy of those criminals who will not care one whit about that same law, and will violate it in order to abuse those who have no way of defending themselves.
One of the reasons I oppose Utah Code 76-10-530 is that it violates the constitution of this great land. Our constitution states that we have certain rights, which were given to man before governments were instituted among men. One of these is the right to defend oneself, family and property. Then our constitution goes on to enumerate what those rights are. Our Second Amendment says,†A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. If the LDS Church were to obey this Amendment, then it should reverse its decision to prevent legally authorized citizens their rights, otherwise the church is setting a dangerous pattern of disobedience, which will be followed by others.
Those who have been authorized by the state to carry legal self-defense weapons, for the purpose of defending self, family or others, have undergone strong scrutiny by both the state and the FBI. These people are some of the best citizens to be found. They are doctors, lawyers, police officers, government representatives, mechanics, mothers, daughters, sons and fathers. These are individuals who, in all fairness, have done no wrong. These are people who desire to protect their families and selves against evil, which presents itself too frequently today. These are men and women who commit less serious crime than even our police forces do. By last polled results the difference between police and criminal acts was 2.08% of police as compared to 0.0008% of concealed weapons holders! What I am saying here is that even with these small percentages, which in the whole mark a very minimal number of people compared to the whole body of society, is that these are the stalwarts of our society, these are those who will stand up and protect others whenever possible. No one person, or entity has the right to violate their ability to do so. This is why support for this law is not good.
It used to be that the church taught that all members should have a weapon and be familiar with it. Part of this was so that we could defend our selves or our families. Some was so that we could supplement what we had with food we brought down through hunting. Regardless, the church has always taught that a weapon and sufficient ammunition ought to be considered a stable necessity of any food storage program, along with food, clothes & medical supplies. Has this changed? Are we supposed to allow our selves and our families to suffer, as those in the recent Katrina tragedy did? If so, we would have to disagree. Those people who, granted, had ample time to get out of town, chose to stay where they were still had unalienable rights to be able to defend themselves, yet they were denied that right, and their means of defense were confiscated from them, and many suffered serious injury and even death at the hands of that element of society which takes pleasure in abusing their fellowman. Many people, and their families suffered needlessly because their rights were denied them, this was not right!
It used to be that men & women could gather in a church parking lot & transfer weapons from vehicle to vehicle & then go out on a hunt, or to the shooting range and it was not a problem. It used to be that many of us could perform in a Road show or other church production & use a real, unloaded gun, or carry a knife and no one cared. Much of that was because we the people know that we have that right. According to Utah Code 76-10-530, whether explicitly named or not, pocket knives are even banned. To see such simple, and often necessary tools denied individuals in this country is just not right.
An article on clergy, written by W. John Walsh, he states, “While violence, arson and vandalism may not be as common as in the 19th century, sometimes today Latter-day Saints are targets of arson & vandalism. And Latter-day Saints are still occasionally beaten or killed for their beliefs.†How true this is, yet just this past March a man vandalized one of our chapels causing nearly $10,000 in damages. When repaired that chapel will need to be re-dedicated. And the recent murder of one missionary & wounding of another in Virginia gives recent example of those who have been injured or murdered for their beliefs.
I contacted the Headquarters of the church to garner statistics, which I am certain the church keeps record of, so that I could display some of the information garnered from just the church in this valley, concerning violence & abuses within the chapels here. I was transferred to many different departments & no one wanted to cooperate. I know records must be kept of these occurrences, you could easily review them. I shall list other instances where atrocities have occurred, not only in LDS owned and operated buildings, but in others, and also from around the nation:
March 2005, a man walked into a church meeting in Wisconsin and opened fire Killing seven people and wounding more as he reloaded and kept shooting, then turned the gun on himself.
January 16, 1988, a bomb went off at the Marion, Utah chapel.
July 2001, Levan, Utah chapel vandalized by graffiti.
April 15, 1999, 2 dead & 4 wounded at Church Family History Library, A bomb threat had been used as a diversion.
January 14, 1999, De Kieu Duy murders one and wounds at least two others at KSL building.
August 2 or 3, 2003, Arson at Kearns, Utah chapel causing a million dollars in damage.
February and March of 2006, A trail of arson occurred throughout the Southwest destroying at least 11 chapels, some which were on the national registry of historic places, these were Baptist and Methodist places of worship
March 5, 2006, Bomb scare causes cancellation of meetings at LDS Chapel.
April 18, 2004 at the Pittsburgh Victorious Faith Evangelical Outreach Church Andrea Umphrey was grabbed by a pistol wielding assailant, pistol whipped & dragged from the choir she was singing with, her baby was also taken. Several shots were fired at other worshipers. She was found dead 20 miles away & the kidnapper was injured & taken into custody, the baby was ok.
September 15, 1999 Seven teenagers and adults murdered at service as gun wielding man storms in shooting & shouting obscenities & anti- religious propaganda. He shoots himself afterwards.
In every one of these instances violent criminals needlessly killed people. No one else had a weapon to hand to aid the other parishioners at the time of the incidents. Had there been someone with a lawfully concealed weapon with them, these scenes could have been much different. As stated earlier, churches are soft targets. Criminals know that they can find many people to vent their rage upon in a short span of time. These same criminals could care less about the laws, they are violating them anyways. Laws like Utah Code 76-10-530 are an affront to all people. The church has always taught that we will be blessed after all that we can do. Christ also admonished his Apostles that if they had a cloak and no sword that they should sell the cloak and purchase one. We encourage the Brethren to look further into this matter and consider our safety when doing so. We appreciate your time & consideration in this most important issue and would enjoy the pleasure of a response.
Sincerely Yours,
Robie Cagle
