Who Stands in Need of Comforting?

By now most everyone has been made aware of the tragedy in Aurora, Colorado where apparently a lone individual entered a movie house, opened fire on innocent folks, killing twelve at last count and injuring many more.  The heartache and misery caused by such reckless conduct is beyond description and yet we somehow attempt to do just that by immersing ourselves in news accounts of the ordeal or reading first hand accounts printed on social media places like Facebook or Twitter.

News media outlets score ratings points by showing pictures of blood soaked body blankets and crowds of grieving survivors sobbing in disbelief as loved ones or friends are whisked away on stretchers.  We may never know why so much evil was unleashed in the theater the other night.  Some will blame it on easy access to firearms calling for stricter gun control as a knee jerk reaction while others will blame it on political divisions within the country. 

There’s a movement afoot to destroy our individual God given right to own and bear arms, our means of defending from those who would deprive us of property or life.  Our founders were very specific; the most important reason to own and bear arms is to keep a tyrannical government from being able to take all the other intangible God given rights provided in the Bill of Rights.  

There would be no freedom of speech, no right to assemble peaceably with grievances against the government without the right to own and bear arms. 

“When the people fear the government there is tyranny, when the government fears the people there is liberty.”  (Attributed to Thomas Jefferson; but according to some historians this line was first offered by John Basil Barnhill during a debate regarding socialism in 1914.  Credit for the uttering the line first is irrelevant; it is true regardless of the source.)

Rahm Emanual enlightened the public as to how our current progressive government moves agenda items forward during an interview with the Wall Street Journal, “Never let a crisis go to waste…(and if there isn't one, then create it).”

That last part of that thought process bothers me, having watched Fast & Furious and the implication that our government attempted to create a crisis for the sole purpose of destroying the 2^nd Amendment.  They would have gotten away with it had it not been for some whistle blower.

Is it possible anyone would create a situation so horrific as to set in motion a national demand to reduce or dissolve our 2^nd Amendment right to own and bear arms by putting automatic weapons in the hands of murdering thugs?  I ask only because Eric Holder refused to furnish key evidence to Congress, information which seems to back up such suspicions.

Is it too big a leap in reason to contemplate that agents of that same government might find some easily manipulated stooge capable of murdering a dozen people all in the name of creating a “crisis”?  There have already been demands to get rid of the guns, those evil guns, by powerful leaders of government within hours of this event.

It’s too terrible to consider; but Rahm Emanual did say, “Never let a crisis go to waste…(and if there isn't one, then create it).”  Is there anyone that evil among us?

A couple of weeks ago I was in a preparation meeting prior to working my Thursday evening shift at the Houston Temple.  The meeting started off with a scriptural thought presented by Brother Croft, a fellow ordinance worker.  The only reason for mentioning this was because Brother Croft was Bishop of the Columbine Ward when they had a similar tragedy several years ago. 

He spoke clearly and with great effort, memories rushing through his mind as he read the same scripture he’d shared with his congregation when they were in need of comforting.  Those who lost family members or knew them were many; all looking for something to cling to as they wore their grief openly.

The passage he wanted to share was 3 Nephi 17:24, when the Savior visited the people on this continent after his suffering in Gethsemane, crucifixion, burial, resurrection and ascension into heaven.  He took time with the children as he ministered and comforted them. 

“And as they looked to behold they cast their eyes towards heaven, and they saw the heavens open, and they saw angels descending out of heaven as it were in the midst of fire; and they came down and encircled those little ones about, and they were encircled about with fire; and the angels did minister unto them.”

Let’s not rush with undue haste to alter the constitutional framework provided to protect individual liberties; for liberties lost are not easily restored.  May we instead find the peace and comfort our Savior provides in these dark moments as we are reminded of His love for each of us.

This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal, a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.