War is the Devil's own game

[linj2fly]

I was going to post some of the stuff I compiled over the last few years on War, but found after perusing the boards and some of Brian's blogs/articles that much of it has already been posted. So not wanting to be redundant, I thought I'd compile some links in one place and then post of few things that I've not found here.

The title of this thread come from Elder Hinckley:

I am reading a book of history, a long and detailed account of the trickeries practiced by the nations involved in the Second World War. It is entitled Bodyguard of Lies, taken from the words of Winston Churchill who said: "In war-time, truth is so precious that she should always be attended by a bodyguard of lies." (The Second World War, vol. 5, Closing the Ring, Boston, Houghton Mifflin, 1951, p. 383.) The book deals with the many deceptions practiced on each side of the conflict. While reading it, one is again led to the conclusion that war is the Devil's own game, and that among its most serious victims is truth.Ensign, May 1976

Law of War: D&C 98 (btw...as I was reading this again last night, I thought of Nephi and Laban, and wondered if this was not an applicable law in his situation. We know that all the ancient prophets had it, abraham, isaac, nephi, etc. How many times did Laban threaten the life of Lehi's family?)

Book of Mormon http://www.latterdayconservative.com/bl ... about-war/

Nibley Pre-emptive war text http://www.ldsfreedomforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=3349

Confused. Hinckley's stance on the war. http://www.ldsfreedomforum.com/viewtopi ... 31&t=16752

Church's position on war http://www.ldsfreedomforum.com/viewtopi ... =obedience

I'll post a few more things, but...
What has influenced your views on war?

[linj2fly]

I have always defended the use of the atom bomb in Japan--until I read this...

President J. Reuben Clark
General Conference October 1946

TRAGEDY OF USE OF ATOM BOMB

Now do not forget that all of the nations had prepared before World War II to use aircraft; they had already used submarines in World War I; and we in this area know we were prepared to use poison gases. Then as the crowning savagery of the war, we Americans wiped out hundreds of thousands of civilian population with the atom bomb in Japan, few if any of the ordinary civilians being any more responsible for the war than were we, and perhaps most of them no more aiding Japan in the war than we were aiding America. Military men are now saying that the atom bomb was a mistake. It was more than that: it was a world tragedy. Thus we have lost all that we gained during the years from Grotius (1625) to 1912. And the worst of this atomic bomb tragedy is not that not only did the people of the United States not rise up in protest against this savagery, not only did it not shock us to read of this wholesale destruction of men, women, and children, and cripples, but that it actually drew from the nation at large a generl approval of this fiendish butchery.
.....
PROTEST AGAINST SAVAGE METHODS

Thus we in America are now deliberately searching out and developing the most savage, murderous means of exterminating peoples that Satan can plant in our minds. We do it not only shamelessly, but with a boast. God will not forgive us for this.

[linj2fly]

Nibley in "Warfare in the Book of Mormon"

This lecture is a comparison of of Carl von Clausewitz work 'On War' and the BofM and modern wars.

The most famous saying of Clausewitz, the one that everybody knows by heart, is that "War is therefore a continuation of [state] policy by other means." As he puts it elsewhere, "[War] is . . . a continuation of political intercourse . . . by other means." 1 He is strictly a soldier, dealing only with the technical side, only with how war is conducted. He says he's not going to talk about the causes in the background. And there he spills the beans. This points directly to the causes—the continuation of politics. The Book of Mormon begins with the war in Jerusalem and ends with the war at Cumorah; and in between there are a lot of wars. They all deal with political ambition. We don't have to go into Egypt, Babylonia, and Jerusalem to illustrate this, because we see the territorial ambitions and the political ambitions of Zerahemnah, Amulon, Amalickiah, Ammoron, Laman, Nehor, Zeezrom, Korihor, etc. They were men of political ambitions who wanted to get ahead. They started out with political parties and ended up uniting bodies in war, such as the great coalitions of Amalickiah. Of course we don't need to comment as far as the present world is concerned—what is cold war but politics being carried on? It's a political movement on both sides; it's political systems in conflict.

And finally, "We shall soon feel what a dangerous edifice war is, how easily it may fall to pieces and bury us in its ruins." 30 The Nazi SS learned in a hurry. Clausewitz explains, "Decision reports [all of which have] been lies, exaggerations, and errors. . . . Most reports are false, and the timidity of men gives fresh force to lies and untruths." Note his frankness and honesty in these things. This is military "intelligence," part of a joke: "this difficulty of seeing things correctly . . . is one of the greatest sources of friction in war" 31 among commanders. Thus Moroni has no idea what is happening to Pahoran, who is home with a rebellion on his hands, which could break everything up. When Pahoran writes back to Moroni and explains the situation, Moroni realizes he's had it all wrong from the beginning, yet he was as well informed as anyone (see Alma 61:1-62:1). What does a general do in a case like this? "War . . . in its plan—is so often thwarted by [the] unexpected . . . [that its conduct must] be left to talent [a person who has a genius for it. Frederick the Great and Napoleon had the genius. Of course, Clausewitz thought Napoleon was a great man, though he was really a great rascal], and less use can be made of a theoretical guide [in war] than in any other business." 32 So Clausewitz says to throw away the rule book. You must depend on the genius of the commander.

Clausewitz's next maxim (and this is an interesting one, too) is "The aggressor always pretends to be peace-loving because he would like to achieve his conquests without bloodshed. . . . Therefore, aggression must be presented as a defensive reaction by the aggressor nation." 6 Nobody ever attacks. You're always just on the defensive. After World War I, the German War Office, Kriegsamt, changed its name to Wehrmacht, "defense power." We changed our War Office to the Department of Defense. We're just defensive now, that's all. Both sides must take the defensive position, whether they are aggressors or not. We see good examples in the Book of Mormon in the case of Giddianhi and Lachoneus. Giddianhi writes to Lachoneus, "We wouldn't bother you except you're infringing on our rights of government, our ancient society, which is old and venerable and you've been the aggressor against us" (cf. 3 Nephi 3:9-10). This is true, though; since the loser must always submit to the winner, each side is always fighting for its freedom. I don't want to submit to you and you don't want to submit to me, so I'm defending my freedom and you're defending your freedom. We have a Defense Department, if you please, all throughout the world.

[linj2fly]

There are not many things that hurt my spirit more than to hear a priesthood holder declare that we should 'bomb 'em all, and get it over with' when referring to arabs/muslims. It reminds me of this account from Alma after converting the Lamonites/Ammonites:

Alma Chapter 26
23 Now do ye remember, my brethren, that we said unto our brethren in the land of Zarahemla, we go up to the land of Nephi, to preach unto our brethren, the Lamanites, and they laughed us to scorn?
24 For they said unto us: Do ye suppose that ye can bring the Lamanites to the knowledge of the truth? Do ye suppose that ye can convince the Lamanites of the incorrectness of the traditions of their fathers, as stiffnecked a people as they are; whose hearts delight in the shedding of blood; whose days have been spent in the grossest iniquity; whose ways have been the ways of a transgressor from the beginning? Now my brethren, ye remember that this was their language.
25 And moreover they did say: Let us take up arms against them, that we destroy them and their iniquity out of the land, lest they overrun us and destroy us.

Of course, like our people today, the Nephites thought that the Lamanites were beyond redemption. However, we know what become of these people...they are my favorite in the BofM, because of the power of their conversion in the lives and in their children. In fact, none of the first generation fell away.

Even though the Nephites were wrong in saying these things, they were certainly more justified (constantly being raided by the Lamanites) in saying such things than we are today.

[linj2fly]

There are some who think that Book of Mormon accounts of how they dealt with war and the gadiantons are not practical/applicable for our modern day situations. They are quick to point out similar events, but do not think we can apply the same solutions...

I appreciate President Benson's testimony of the Book of Mormon

President Benson
A witness and a Warning, 1988
Chapter: The Keystone of our Religion

Yes, the Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion—the keystone of our testimony, the keystone of our doctrine, and the keystone in the witness of our Lord and Savior.
The second great reason why we must make the Book of Mormon a center focus of study is that it was written for our day. The Nephites never had the book; neither did the Lamanites of ancient times. It was meant for us. Mormon wrote near the end of the Nephite civilization. Under the inspiration of God, who sees all things from the beginning, he abridged centuries of records, choosing the stories, speeches, and events that would be most helpful to us.
Each of the major writers of the Book of Mormon testified that he wrote for future generations. Nephi said: "The Lord God promised unto me that these things which I write shall be kept and preserved, and handed down unto my seed, from generation to generation." (2 Nephi 25:21.) His brother Jacob, who succeeded him, wrote similar words: "For [Nephi] said that the history of his people should be engraven upon his other plates, and that I should preserve these plates and hand them down unto my seed, from generation to generation." (Jacob 1:3.) Enos and Jarom both indicated that they too were writing not for their own people but for future generations. (See Enos 1:15-16; Jarom 1:2.)
Mormon himself said, "Yea, I speak unto you, ye remnant of the house of Israel." (Mormon 7:1.) And Moroni, the last of the inspired writers, actually saw our day and time. "Behold," he said, "the Lord hath shown unto me great and marvelous things concerning that which must shortly come, at that day when these things shall come forth among you.
"Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing." (Mormon 8:34-35.)
If they saw our day, and chose those things which would be of greatest worth to us, is not that how we should study the Book of Mormon? We should constantly ask ourselves, "Why did the Lord inspire Mormon (or Moroni or Alma) to include that in his record? What lesson can I learn from that to help me live in this day and age?"

I think there are infinite lessons we can apply from the Book of mormon wars and contentions. Lessons we can apply both spiritually and temporally; figuratively and literally.

President Hinckley speaks to the BoM's applicability as well...

The Book of Mormon narrative is a chronicle of nations long since gone. But in its descriptions of the problems of today’s society, it is as current as the morning newspaper and much more definitive, inspired, and inspiring concerning the solutions of those problems.

I know of no other writing which sets forth with such clarity the tragic consequences to societies that follow courses contrary to the commandments of God. Its pages trace the stories of two distinct civilizations that flourished on the Western Hemisphere. Each began as a small nation, its people walking in the fear of the Lord. But with prosperity came growing evils. The people succumbed to the wiles of ambitious and scheming leaders who oppressed them with burdensome taxes, who lulled them with hollow promises, who countenanced and even encouraged loose and lascivious living. These evil schemers led the people into terrible wars that resulted in the death of millions and the final and total extinction of two great civilizations in two different eras.

[AussieOi]

There are not many things that hurt my spirit more than to hear a priesthood holder declare that we should 'bomb 'em all, and get it over with' when referring to arabs/muslims. It reminds me of this account from Alma after converting the Lamonites/Ammonites:

From Pamela:
Glenn Beck just came back from visiting Israel. He is back on FOX explaining Islamic supremacism, Islamic Jew-hatred and Islam's war on Christianity. He explains the Dome of the Rock (the mosque build on top of the first and second Temples), the Hagia Sophia and the Cordoba Mosque on Ground Zero.

What a segment!

The man is a hero and we are in his inestimable debt. I will try to get the video.

The loss of Beck on FOX is a blow to freedom-loving peoples. I may have had my issues with Beck, but there is no one like him. No one.

http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atla ... -beck.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Look, 2 Mormons in 1

Janadele, can you see how you are falling for a trap in following this Beck rubbish?

[linj2fly]

Consider these two scriptures....

D&C 63:32 I, the Lord, am angry with the wicked; I am holding my Spirit from the inhabitants of the earth.

33 I have sworn in my wrath, and decreed wars upon the face of the earth, and the wicked shall slay the wicked, and fear shall come upon every man;

34 And the saints also shall hardly escape; nevertheless, I, the Lord, am with them, and will come down in heaven from the presence of my Father and consume the wicked with unquenchable fire.

AND...

Mormon 4:5 But, behold, the judgments of God will overtake the wicked; and it is by the wicked that the wicked are punished; for it is the wicked that stir up the hearts of the children of men unto bloodshed.

Beware of those that beat the wardrums without real (not imagined; not even threatened) physical provocation...or as in D&C 98, without three testimonies. War is not pleasing unto the Lord. Vengeance is his, and we are not justified in warfare unless at his command.

[MilesTeg]

War must have been a eternal principle conflict between right and wrong throughout all scripture there is and always a underlaying tone of conflict between oneself and against others and towards God just wondering was man's nature from a LDS perspective set towards conflict from the very beginnig in the council of heaven and its obvious traits have followed mankind still> I suppose no opposition no plan of salvation so is it a cycle of progression

just my thoughts (its been a while since I have had a conversation with anyone from LDSChurch)

[linj2fly]

War must have been a eternal principle conflict between right and wrong throughout all scripture there is and always a underlaying tone of conflict between oneself and against others and towards God just wondering was man's nature from a LDS perspective set towards conflict from the very beginnig in the council of heaven and its obvious traits have followed mankind still> I suppose no opposition no plan of salvation so is it a cycle of progression

just my thoughts (its been a while since I have had a conversation with anyone from LDSChurch)

Interesting thoughts Perhaps conflict comes with agency--the conflict we have between our own will and God's and sometimes with others. Our degree of humility (or Pride) determines the outcome.