Science & Religion

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)

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.

2001 Meridian Magazine.  All Rights Reserved.