Being a Military Mormon in the Middle East Mess
If you have been reading this blog, then you may have run across my post entitled: Advice for about-to-be missionaries. My missionary son who received that advice returned home a year ago February. As fate would have it, a few months later, another son in the Army was deployed to the Middle East. As he was preparing to leave, I pulled up the missionary-advice file on my computer and I adapted it for my son in the Army before he left. My missionary advice was converted to military advice.
There is a huge disparity between what a father must say to a combat soldier versus what he must say to a LDS missionary. The difference is at times stark but completely necessary. Yet, in other areas the advice can be the same. This is what I came up with:
1. Jesus lived and died to illustrate that we could follow in his footsteps. Jesus did not promise that we could avoid hell on earth (such as war), but He did promise we could conquer hell if we would come unto Him. Jesus conquered both life and death. Therefore, do not fear either.
2. Study the scriptures. Learn them in the following approximate order: New Testament, Book of Mormon, D&C, PofGP, and Old Testament, giving priority to the first three.
3. Use wisdom and be safe. God requires (note the word "requires") that you use your brain and that you move about in wisdom and safety. This means keeping your wits about you, seeing clearly, being aware of the safety of your surroundings, and obeying the Army’s safety rules.
4. Listen to the still small voice. Using prayer is an art that is refined over a lifetime. God does not make decisions. You do. Take big decisions (and sometimes even small ones) to the Lord and seek confirmation of your decisions. God promises that you can be guided in all things. Pray as a wise man prays, not as a fool prays. The fool acts foolishly, but the wise man sees clearly. See D&C 9: 8.
5. Stay in communication with your commanders, officers, chaplains, and priesthood leaders. Let them know the good and the bad. Let them know how you are working through problems. Let them know your successes. Attend Church whenever you can.
6. Be a leader. This is advice you really don’t need. You have always been a leader. Inspire confidence. Console others when needed. Lead by the Spirit of God, not through blindness, but through study, preparedness, and revelation. See D&C 9: 8, again.
7. Adhere to the rules of engagement. Follow all moral orders without hesitation, and refuse to follow any immoral ones. In war, events are not clearly right or wrong. You must make decisions based upon your Army training and upon the Spirit. As a proud U.S. soldier, you are a defender and killer – NOT a murderer. Know the difference.
8. Preach the gospel, but also learn to respect the views of others. In fact, learn from others. Adhere to Article of Faith #11. Do service and live as Christ would live. Remember, Jesus was a radical: Judge not; don't remove the sliver from your friend's eye, when you got a timber in your own; the sabbath is made for man; the whole have no need for a physician, keep your thoughts clean, etc.
9. Respect females like they were goddesses. Develop love with your “significant other” by NEVER crossing boundaries that would keep you out of the Temple.
10. Stay away from depression. War is hell, and depression will only make your problems worse. So, find other ways to deal with problems. The answers are in the scriptures.
11. Set your mind on success. Defeat should not be part of your vocabulary. Your current deployment will show you what you can do if you set your mind to it. Apply lessons learned to the rest of your life.
12. Several young depressed soldiers are going to need your help. Be ready to provide spiritual counsel when the opportunities arise.
13. In 1926 boxing champ Jack Dempsey was beat soundly by underdog and former Marine Gene Tunney. When the battered loser finally saw his wife Estelle in the dressing room, Dempsey announced, “Honey, I forgot to duck.” While in combat, do NOT forget to duck.
14. The gospel of Christ understands that some things are worth fighting for. Our Church has been at various kinds of war since its inception. T.C.D. Howell, our first Mormon relative to be in the military, was part of the Mormon Battalion of 1846. Therefore, fight fiercely in the best traditions of the U.S. Army.
15. Learn to put your ultimate trust in the Lord (Prov. 3: 5-6).
16. "Ye receive no witness until after a trial of your faith." Ether 12: 6.
17. Even the Brother of Jared got cussed out by the Lord for 3 hours. Ether 2: 14.
18. Calm your mind by meditating about the Temple, its Celestial Room, and its prayers. Such meditation would be especially useful after battle or other stressful challenges in your life.
19. You are in the same tradition as the warrior Sons of Helaman, also known as the Sons of Ammon. They fought “as if with the strength of God” (Alma 56: 56). They were men of truth who kept the commandments (Alma 53: 21). They valued liberty more than their own lives, and their mothers taught them that God would deliver them (Alma 56: 47). Killing many enemy, they were “firm and undaunted” (Alma 57: 19-21). They put continual trust in God (Alma 57: 27). Earn their same blessings.
20. Live honorably. Your name will be continually put in the Temple.
21. Call and write Mom & Dad. We will not be the same until you return …
I am truly grateful for having a religion that teaches parents how to receive inspiration for their children in times of need. One does not come away from such an exercise with dry eyes.
As of this date, my Army son still serves in the Middle East, but he is preparing to return home soon.
Copyright 2008 S.Faux (Email: foxgoku54 [at] gmail [d0t] com; URL: http://mormoninsights.blogspot.com). Readers may distribute this post for noncommercial purposes provided such distributing is of the entire post, including author's copyright and contact information. All other rights reserved.
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1 comments:
I know the depth of feeling in your heart concerning your son.
My son was deployed to the Middle East, twice and the last time, just months ago, he was shot and seriously wounded.
He's home now and safe. He's mending but our lives will never be the same.
God protected him and brought him home when he could have been hurt worse later.
God bless our troops!
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