Protecting
Our Families with the Lord's Security Methods, Part 1: Intelligence
by John P. Pratt
This
article is intended to be an introduction to some general methods
of security based on simply observing what the Lord has done in
nature and in his dealings with mankind. Many of these methods have
obvious application to protecting our families.
Our attention
has recently been drawn to security issues, and suddenly all of
us are thinking about increasing security not only in public places,
but perhaps also in our own homes. We are asking how devastating
terrorist attacks like those of Sept. 11, 2001, can be prevented,
and we are wondering how to curtail the attacks on our computers
by the multitude of viruses and worms which seem to be increasing
daily. Some feel helpless against the onslaught of immorality which
invades our homes via television, radio, magazines, CD's, videos
and the Internet. And then there are the age-old problems of burglars
and war, not to mention natural disasters, financial collapses and
disease. So how are we to maintain a sense of security against these
attacks on every front by the adversary? Does the Lord have a security
system? And if so, what principles can we learn from it, which could
be used to help keep our families protected against the rising tide
of evil?
Anyone who
has traveled recently by air has witnessed a great display of increased
airport security with the military painfully obvious in their "camouflage"
attire, apparently chosen so that they would not blend in
with their surroundings, but instead would increase our confidence
that passengers are well protected. But then when it comes down
to the actual security check, travelers may have been surprised
that nail clippers were being confiscated from senior citizens because
they had a potentially threatening nail file attached. Seeing that
had the reverse effect on me; it caused me to lose confidence in
the system because it seemed to be addressing the wrong problem.
Clearly someone with the intent to do harm could do much more damage
with his bare hands than anyone could do with nail clippers. How
would the Lord run security at an airport? What security principles
are found in nature? How is security maintained in the Church? And
how is security in heaven implemented?
This article
does not intend to be an in-depth treatise the Lord's security program,
to which the author does not even pretend to be privy. Rather it
is intended to be an introduction to some general methods based
on simply observing what the Lord has done in nature and in his
dealings with mankind. Many of these methods have obvious application
to protecting our families.
Of the many
security methods which the Lord seems to employ, only three are
discussed in this article: 1) intelligence, 2) filtered firewalls,
and 3) a house of order. Let's take a brief look at each.
Intelligence
The keystone of the highest level of security is intelligence,
meaning knowing in advance what the enemy is planning to do. When
the enemy can have the advantage of a surprise attack, much more
damage can be done, as was witnessed on the attack on the Twin Towers.
If the intended victim has no warning at all and is totally unsuspecting
then utter devastation can result. On the other hand, even a few
minutes notice of an intended attack can be enough to entirely thwart
it, as was also seen on that same fateful day when the fourth jet
was downed by the passengers who had been advised of the terrorist
plan with a simple telephone call.
The Lord has
the supreme advantage over Satan in any contest, because he commands
all intelligence and knows the end from the beginning. That should
be the deepest basis of our own personal security, to know that
during the Millennium Satan will be bound for a thousand years and
in the end the Lord will cast Satan out entirely. And in the short
term, the best army generals either consult with the Lord directly,
or through prophets, to know what the enemy is planning. For example,
right from the beginning, Capt. Moroni consulted with the prophet:
"But
it came to pass, as soon as they had departed into the wilderness
Moroni sent spies into the wilderness to watch their camp; and Moroni,
also, knowing of the prophecies of Alma, sent certain men unto him,
desiring him that he should inquire of the Lord whither the armies
of the Nephites should go to defend themselves against the Lamanites.
"And
it came to pass that the word of the Lord came unto Alma, and Alma
informed the messengers of Moroni, that the armies of the Lamanites
were marching round about in the wilderness, that they might come
over into the land of Manti, that they might commence an attack
upon the weaker part of the people. And those messengers went and
delivered the message unto Moroni." (Alma 43:23-24)
Moroni took
it from there. Simply knowing what the Lamanites were planning was
enough for him to devise his plans.
The Lord can
and does reveal other works of darkness to his prophets, so they
can be forewarned:
"And
the Lord said: I will prepare unto my servant Gazelem, a stone,
which shall shine forth in darkness unto light, that I may discover
unto my people who serve me, that I may discover unto them the works
of their brethren, yea, their secret works, their works of darkness,
and their wickedness and abominations.
"And
now, my son, these interpreters were prepared that the word of God
might be fulfilled, which he spake, saying:
"I
will bring forth out of darkness unto light all their secret works
and their abominations; and except they repent I will destroy them
from off the face of the earth; and I will bring to light all their
secrets and abominations, unto every nation that shall hereafter
possess the land." (Alma 37:23-25)
One of the
best examples of very high level intelligence is the account of
how the Prophet Joseph Smith managed to keep the golden plates despite
repeated attacks from the adversary. Both sides used advanced intelligence
techniques to discover the others plan. A woman was employed by
the Prophet's enemies to look into a stone to discover where the
Prophet had hidden the plates. She had the mob tear up the floor
of the cooper's shop where the prophet had had the plates hidden
in a box, but all they found was the empty box. The Prophet had
moved the plates to the hayloft just before their arrival. The Prophet's
counterintelligence revelation was greater than his adversary's.
The wonderful
conclusion is something the Lord told us to "Remember, remember":
"The
works, and the designs, and the purposes of God cannot be frustrated,
neither can they come to naught.
"For
God doth not walk in crooked paths, neither doth he turn to the
right hand nor to the left, neither doth he vary from that which
he hath said, therefore his paths are straight, and his course is
one eternal round.
"Remember,
remember that it is not the work of God that is frustrated, but
the work of men;" (D.&C. 3:1-3)
Truly we would
do well never to forget that wonderful truth. That knowledge alone
could be the basis of letting all of the Lord's followers feel totally
secure in the knowledge that the Lord's work will succeed.
Another excellent
example of super-early warning intelligence is the fact that the
Lord had Nephi engrave a second set of plates, repeating much of
the same story that was in the larger plates. He said he didn't
know why he was doing it, but that it was for a "wise purpose" which
the Lord knew, because he knows "all things from the beginning"
(1 Nephi 9:5-6). The answer was revealed some 2400 years later when
wicked men stole the Prophet Joseph Smith's translation of the first
116 pages of the larger plates. The Lord then comforted Joseph that
he knew exactly what Satan's plan was:
"And,
behold, Satan hath put it into their hearts to alter the words which
you have caused to be written, or which you have translated, which
have gone out of your hands. . . .
"Verily,
I say unto you, that I will not suffer that Satan shall accomplish
his evil design in this thing. . . .
"I
will not suffer that they shall destroy my work; yea, I will show
unto them that my wisdom is greater than the cunning of the devil."
(D.&C. 10:10, 14, 43)
Recognizing
the Adversary
Note that "intelligence" encompasses using every means we can to
determine what the adversary is planning. Thus, in our own intelligence
system, we should learn what we can about a variety of problems
which could occur so that we are prepared. We might do well to learn
the signs of drug abuse that our children might be involved in.
We could study the methods of evil in the political arena, so that
we can recognize Satan's standard techniques to overthrow freedom.
We could recognize how he induces people to gamble or get into debt
with his promises of "something for nothing." Of course, we should
spend much more time studying the scriptures and how the Lord does
things, but some basic awareness of Satan's methods could go a long
way in avoiding his traps. Perhaps another way of making this point
is to note that even after the Lord told Moroni through a prophet
about what the Lamanites were doing, he still sent out spies to
gather all the intelligence they could about the enemy.
Our personal
warning system
The Lord has also given mankind, and to many animals, a "sixth sense"
with which they can be forewarned of danger or impending attacks.
In the case of mankind, everyone is born into the world with the
light of Christ (John 1:9), which can reveal truth, which includes
the knowledge of things to come (D.&C. 93:24). Moreover, confirmed
members of his Church are allowed to receive the gift of the Holy
Ghost, which can be even more specific in giving needed foreknowledge.
Some people
practice keeping their own personal early warning system functional,
and improve their ability to tune into it, by doing daily exercises
in "awareness." For example, they practice timing phone calls so
they will be answered, choosing the row in the parking lot which
has an open parking place, or picking the lane of traffic which
will be unimpeded. If we practice listening to our inborn intelligence
system, perhaps we will be able to heed it when warned of impending
disaster.
It might also
be instructive to learn from nature in this matter of intelligence.
Given that many animals seem to have the gift of knowing when they
are being hunted or are in danger, the question arises how they
can ever be caught. Tom Brown, a well known naturalist who has spent
countless hours watching animals in the wild, observed that most
healthy animals which became victims were usually killed while being
distracted by one of three things: food (often they were busy eating),
focusing on the opposite sex, or protecting their territory. That
sure sounds reminiscent of the same distractions which people suffer,
and which also can result in loss of life.
Follow the
Prophet
In the forest, certain birds watch for danger coming from afar,
and call out a warning cry from the treetop to all the inhabitants
that danger is approaching. The Lord uses the same system by telling
his prophets what is coming, and instructing them to warn all who
will listen how to prepare. Thus, even if our own private warning
system is faulty or we lack practice in using it, we can heed the
prophet's counsel to us. If we follow all of the wonderful counsel
which we receive from the prophet, then we can feel secure that
our salvation will be secured. On a more local basis, there are
many accounts of the inhabitants of a stake having been warned of
danger to their area by their stake president. To the extent possible,
our priesthood leaders will warn us of trouble, but in the final
analysis, we may have to depend on our direct intelligence line
to God.
Continue reading
this article: Part 2--Filtered
Firewalls, a second line of defense.
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