Righteousness as a Weapon?

I get more frustrated each day as I watch the media alter how and what the world sees as far as "news". It has the powerful effect of altering peoples' thoughts, actions, and opinions based on how certain stories are presented and the details given - or NOT given.

An example to prove my point is something my college statistics professor taught me. As a professional statistician, he would consult with companies and spend time gathering data. Once he had the data he would simply ask the question, "What do you want the results of this data to show?" If a company was completely honest, they just wanted the raw data. However, most companies want to "swing" the data to their favor if at all possible. There was little truth in what he did. He could take raw data and make it into anything his customer needed or wanted and base it all on "fact". For instance, a college could conduct a poll of students and ask them "Do you believe firearms should be banned from our campus?" Possible answers would be 1) Yes 2) Maybe or 3) No.

Forty-nine percent of the respondents may give option 3 as their response, but you can report the output as stating something like this: "Fifty-one percent of all respondents support banning firearms from our college campus" when, in reality, only 20% responded with a firm "yes" and the rest responded "maybe". All were clumped together and seen as some form of affirmative response.

Make sense?

The media does the same thing. These are companies which are out to make a profit. Period. They function the same way as any other company. If the people running the company have certain religious, political, or economic beliefs and affiliation, they are more likely to run and alter stories to support their line of thinking. This is true with anyone. It takes a seriously, intrinsically secure person to humbly seek facts and not let the facts be swayed by their belief system. It takes another level of person to allow those facts to work WITHIN their belief system.

I work with a man who cannot, for any reason, see his former church as doing any good for anyone at any time. I have had many conversations with him about dozens of political, economic, or religious issues. He has tried to sway me by stating, as fact, certain things about his former church. Once I point out the actual facts to him in this regard, with legitimate, hard-hitting, factual statements, he is still quite unrelenting in his opinion. EVEN WHEN FACT IS STARING HIM IN THE FACE, his opinion will overrule the facts when they are as plain as the sun in the sky.

This next story is unrelated, but it all ties together at the end.

I am recalling a story about a certain prophet named Moroni. This prophet lived toward the end of his civilization's time on the earth. Shortly after he died his entire culture was wiped off the planet. He was a righteous man who pleaded with his people to turn from their hateful and angry ways and to forget and forgive their enemies. This man was also the general for the army. He was the equivalent of today's Secretary of Defense and maintained actual real-time battle experience on his resume. He fought alongside his people. He was loved by his people and his armies followed him without question.

At some point, his people became more interested in bloodshed and revenge than defensive warfare. They weren't about defending their homes, their country, their rights, and families against tyranny. They just wanted to kill their enemies at all costs.

It was at this point that he relinquished control and resigned as commander. He could not, in good conscience, lead his people in battle when the cause ceased to be righteous and justifiable before God.

Now to drive this home and make my point.

The political climate today has driven me to the point that I've considered defending myself with violence, if necessary, to keep the rights I have been given. Rights granted, according to our Constitution, by God himself. However, as I listen to my church leaders and ponder the scriptures, I am moved with compassion toward this evil world and their ever-shifting values. Their eternal attempts at changing good for evil and evil for good have worked.  Satan has taken specific principles and altered their meaning to mankind. Once seen as sin, abortion is a now a woman's "right"...entitled to end the life of her child whenever she sees fit. While defending these principles is necessary, since we are taught to "be a light unto all the world", the still, small voice has prompted me that violence may not be the answer. I have felt that the ultimate way to change the world and all those within in it is through the Gospel Light. By being more righteously engaged in spiritual things and focusing more attention on the Savior, His example and teachings, I can enable more change in the world. I am reminded of Alma's mission to the Zoramites. "...the preaching of the word had a great tendency to lead the people to do that which was just - yea, it had more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else..." (Alma 31:5)

I do not believe the world has reached the evil state of affairs mentioned in Moroni where his people were "past feeling" (Moroni 9:20). We are heading down that path, most definitively, but I believe the words and teachings of Jesus Christ can still effectuate great change in this country and the entire world.

That said, does it mean I will stop carrying a pistol around? Nay. I will always be prepared to protect myself and family if someone is intent on doing harm.
 But I am more willing to delve into the spirituality the Gospel of Jesus Christ can provide and help change the world the way my Savior would - through their hearts. From the inside. If it is not successful and the chasm deepens, I will re-assess at that point and act where necessary.