LDS and guns

[Mackingster]

Our ward is great. The elders decided to do a couples dinner a few months ago - the romantic evening started with shooting clay pigeons and then to the cultural hall for a dinner.

My stake is great. It being a military area. Well guns are part of the culture. When I was a youth we even had a big outing of gun shooting. All sizes of rifles and shotguns. Even the local BSA still supports guns.

[linj2fly]

@ English Saint--

What does your country think of the swiss and their gun culture?

[MasterOfNone]

English Saint,

It's so good to hear you are doing this. There's something purifying and inspiring about standing up for truth even if 1 in 100 even listen! Keep going at it!

Are there any pro-gun UK Facebook groups? Thanks for that site btw.

[leeuniverse]

I've been to about 25 Wards in the U.S. over the years, and about half of them at some point the Elders or otherwise have gone out shooting in some form.

Remember, most men in the Church have been Scouts, and in the Boy Scouts we all go a shooting..... Remember also that the Boy Scouts is an official arm for the youth of the Church.

So, Guns and the Church are very much intertwined.....

[English Saint]

I've been to about 25 Wards in the U.S. over the years, and about half of them at some point the Elders or otherwise have gone out shooting in some form.

Remember, most men in the Church have been Scouts, and in the Boy Scouts we all go a shooting..... Remember also that the Boy Scouts is an official arm for the youth of the Church.

So, Guns and the Church are very much intertwined.....

It's different in England. I left the Scouts in 1981 because I found out about an organisation called the Air Training Corps. They are like the RAF for kids. My squadron (1083) was based at RAF Uxbridge, just outside London. I couldn't wait to join when I discovered that they allowed 14-year-old boys to go to military ranges to shoot with full bore rifles such as the Lee Enfield 303 and the 7.62 mm L1A1 SLR. I was only about 80 lbs, but I loved those bigs rifles! I vividly remember the last time I fired an SLR - it was in November 1984. I'd love to own one if Britain wasn't such a police state. I reckon the SLR is the best combat rifle that the British military has ever had. I think the Austrialians used them too. I hear that they used them (a full auto version) in Vietnam.

Scouts would be more fun if it wasn't so PC.

[leeuniverse]

I guess the scouting programs often reflect the country's they are based in.....

I know the Church actually used to own a hunting range (donated by a member of course) in which many leaders in the Church would go hunting there, including some Apostles. Don't know if they still own it though, likely not I'm guessing in today's climate. I don't think any of the top brethren likely hunt these days either, it's becoming lost to the culture, not like the old days when it was just something many of us in America used to do. We all modern now... haa haa

[freedomforall]

Just a note. I know of a Bishop and his wife that own guns and are prepared to use them if needed. She instructs people how to use and handle a gun safely. In a pinch a bad guy can say goodby to this world.

I am the same way. Self defense is not a sin. Not knowing how to defend oneself and family is.

The Book of Mormon is replete with intances of good, righteous men that new how to take life quick and swift. And they maintained their righteous desires and grace from God.

[Wiikwajio]

Just a note. I know of a Bishop and his wife that own guns and are prepared to use them if needed. She instructs people how to use and handle a gun safely. In a pinch a bad guy can say goodby to this world.

I am the same way. Self defense is not a sin. Not knowing how to defend oneself and family is.

The Book of Mormon is replete with intances of good, righteous men that new how to take life quick and swift. And they maintained their righteous desires and grace from God.

Amen!

[Cowboy]

Go get'em guy! And if you expect support for freedom from Mormons I will give you 45 years of American political experience.

FORGET IT. They love slavery.

THAT is really an inappropriate statement..... I understand your reasoning, but it doesn't apply to most.
Man you extremists are too much. Your "damning" of everyone without understanding that there ARE SIDES, and that in those sides there is often a spectrum of belief on individual issues. But, you just don't throw the baby out with the bath water if your actually wanting to change the dirty water that the good side might sometimes be bathing in!

So STOP with the over generalizations! And you wonder why some of us consider you and your idols (Ron Paul, Alex Jones, etc.) "fringe nuts". It's completely false and degrading statements LIKE THAT!

+1

[Mahonri]

It's not that Mormons love slavery. They are just afraid to do anything about until the Prophet tells them what to do.

When the First Presidency told Mormons to actively support CA Prop 8 and AZ Prop 102, they responded quite well. But were they told to actively support candidates for elected offices who espoused constitutional principles? Did many do so on their own?

Uh...... Yes.....

I seem to recall that usually when the Church gives it's "voting time" announcement, that they more often than not mention the Constitution, to support candidates etc. that support it, as well as the moral issues, etc.

Again, more dissing of the Church and it's members..... You all should be ashamed.

Who is dissing the Church? The (we) members though, are extremely slothful. When I was in CA when they had their first gay marriage proposition, the Church came out and told them to support it. and they came out in droves. Then the same issue came up in the legislature six months later, the Church was silent and so were the people. I tried to get things going on the issue personally, and with one or two exceptions the reply I got from members was "if we were supposed to get involved, the Prophet would have told us to"

The Constitution has not been mentioned in the letter for at least a decade if I remember correctly, more than 5 years that is for sure.

Show me the evidence that most members are not slothful in these duties, that they do not support (in general) one compulsory program or another.

Why do you resort to name calling, instead of defending your beliefs with facts, of which I have seen no evidence to support in the five western states I have lived in?

Is name calling all you have?

We have a duty to warn our neighbor, not tell them all is well in Zion.