Why do preppers stockpile guns and ammo?

[saemo]

I can understand being prepared with food, water and personal items. But guns, ammo and even body armor? What the heck?

[Zakuska]

To protect themselves and their own from the Zombie hoards that are said to accompany the Apocolypse, and who will want to steal their food.

Edited January 8, 2016 by Zakuska

[Gray]

Because if they stockpile guns and ammo, they figure they can have your food as well. 

[Senator]

11 minutes ago, saemo said:

I can understand being prepared with food, water and personal items. But guns, ammo and even body armor? What the heck?

Probably because when the $#!& hits the fan, there are going to be a lot of unprepared people that will want your food, water and personal items.

[Bob Crockett]

I love guns but the gun culture really troubles me, particularly when I see some of the wrong stuff put out by the NRA and the way good frends of mine seem deluded by the whole thing.   I surely wouldn't want to be known as a gun enthusiast as that would make my home a target for burglary.  I am troubled that the high priests' quorum focuses sometimes on guns and gun trips.  I've been on one of those gun trips to the desert and after that event did my best to make sure that it wasn't a church activity in the future. 

We had a major disaster in our neighborhood.  An earthquake hit us, several homes partially demolished, streets torn up, water gushing down the street because water mains broke.   Some of my neighbors and I went door to door to warn people to fill up their bath tubs because the water tanks would soon run dry and we warned them to turn off the gas.   We, for instance, moved senior couple missionaries serving in our area into tents in our yard.   The ward used its funds to put some people in hotels.  

The president of our homeowner's association, known to be a gun enthusiast, sat on his front porch with a shotgun pointed at us and wouldn't move from his house for three days.  

Edited January 8, 2016 by Bob Crockett

[Zakuska]

1 minute ago, Senator said:

Probably because when the $#!& hits the fan, there are going to be a lot of unprepared people that will want your food, water and personal items.

Its also because its expected that when the Apocalypse comes that the Federal Governments of the various countries will declare Martial Law so you will need to protect your own.

 

[bluebell]

19 minutes ago, saemo said:

I can understand being prepared with food, water and personal items. But guns, ammo and even body armor? What the heck?

From the people i know who do this in moderation-

-hunting takes both guns and ammo, and if you want to be able to hunt for a long time you need a lot of bullets and guns.
-because they really enjoy collecting guns for the simple love of guns and the history of guns.  No different than people who collect anything else.
-bullets can be used to barter in desperate times
-protection when everything goes to crap.  I've never heard anyone say it's so they can take other people's stuff, but always so they can protect their own from other people wanting to take it.

[The Nehor]

It is a power fantasy. They think when things start to fall apart their horde of guns will make them a powerful person because most of them are not now. And that prior to the Second Coming they will get to sit in their sniper post above their fallout bunker and pick off starving people desperate for food with God smiling the whole time. The same reason war is so attractive to some. It seems like it is an excuse to abrogate all the strictures God and society lay down.

[The Nehor]

9 minutes ago, Zakuska said:

Its also because its expected that when the Apocalypse comes that the Federal Governments of the various countries will declare Martial Law so you will need to protect your own.

 

Why accept the promise that God will arm his saints with power in the tribulations to come when you can buy power at the local gun show?

[thesometimesaint]

If a Priesthood holder can raise his hands, and have whole armies fall down dead. Guns and ammo aren't going to protect you nearly as well.

[Duncan]

Here's how i see it and I agree that guns can be used for hunting as Bluebell as mentioned. If however the world is going to be on fire, the waves are going to come, thunderstorms and the rocks falling, fat lot of good guns will do against that onslaught. To quote comedian Ron White, "It's not that the wind is blowing but what the wind is blowing"

[bluebell]

19 minutes ago, The Nehor said:

Why accept the promise that God will arm his saints with power in the tribulations to come when you can buy power at the local gun show?

Isn't that kind of like asking why someone would accept the promise that God's priesthood can heal a sick or injured person when they can instead buy medicine and access the knowledge of a doctor?

[The Nehor]

21 minutes ago, bluebell said:

-hunting takes both guns and ammo, and if you want to be able to hunt for a long time you need a lot of bullets and guns.

While hunting is a valid reason to own a gun I know too many preppers who imagine they can "live off the land". If society collapses then there will be no food and the land cannot support the population without industrialized farming. You will not be able to hunt and feed your family. Everyone in urban centers will fan out to hunt and eat and we will quickly finish off all the game in a matter of months before we all start dying. The people with the cabin deep in the woods are fooling themselves if they think they can live off of hunting and gathering if society collapses.

This is one of the reasons the zombie apocalypse and disease apocalypse scenarios are more popular in fiction. They kill off most of the people quickly so there is still food and a small enough population that it can be fed using more primitive methods of food production.

[Zakuska]

The nehor,

"Doner Party of 50" - Patch Adams

Edited January 8, 2016 by Zakuska

[The Nehor]

4 minutes ago, Zakuska said:

The nehor,

"Doner Party of 50" - Patch Adams

Here is an attempt to answer the age old question:

How long could the human race survive on only cannibalism?

https://what-if.xkcd.com/105/

[thesometimesaint]

11 minutes ago, bluebell said:

Isn't that kind of like asking why someone would accept the promise that God's priesthood can heal a sick or injured person when they can instead buy medicine and access the knowledge of a doctor?

That's the promise we're given. Doesn't God fulfill his promises?

[The Nehor]

12 minutes ago, bluebell said:

Isn't that kind of like asking why someone would accept the promise that God's priesthood can heal a sick or injured person when they can instead buy medicine and access the knowledge of a doctor?

No, but primarily because I do not think God's plan for the future saints is to shoot everyone else guarding their horde of food just before the Savior returns. If society collapses my plan is to share my food until it runs out with everyone in need. Then I start praying for manna. If I starve to death then I gave up my life for others and I am good and get to come with Jesus and kill the wicked (probably the mass murderers with the hoarded food). If I do not I have not killed anyone and have saved others.

[bluebell]

13 minutes ago, The Nehor said:

No, but primarily because I do not think God's plan for the future saints is to shoot everyone else guarding their horde of food just before the Savior returns. If society collapses my plan is to share my food until it runs out with everyone in need. Then I start praying for manna. If I starve to death then I gave up my life for others and I am good and get to come with Jesus and kill the wicked (probably the mass murderers with the hoarded food). If I do not I have not killed anyone and have saved others.

I think that the number of saints who think that that's God's future plan is astronomically small.  Small enough even to be statistically irrelevant to the discussion.

Also, i'm not saying that you'd turn into a monster who wouldn't want to share his food with others, but I think you would find that what you would do to keep yourself from starving is different than what you would do to keep your children from starving.  I'm guessing it's harder to say "if my four year old daughter starves to death then at least she gave up her life to save others" than it is to say that for ourselves.

[The Nehor]

Just now, bluebell said:

I think that the number of saints who think that that's God's future plan is astronomically small.  Small enough even to be statistically irrelevant to the discussion.

Also, i'm not saying that you'd turn into a monster who wouldn't want to share his food with others, but I think you would find that what you would do to keep yourself from starving is different than what you would do to keep your children from starving.  I'm guessing it's harder to say "if my four year old daughter starves to death then at least she gave up her life to save others" than it is to say that for ourselves.

True, which is why I would expect the manna or maybe some food storage helps like one of Elijah's perpetual meal and oil producing devices.

[bluebell]

24 minutes ago, thesometimesaint said:

That's the promise we're given. Doesn't God fulfill his promises?

That's not the promise we are given though.  We aren't told that it's a waste of time to seek a doctor and take medicine because if we really believed and had faith in God's promises we would just use the priesthood to heal us.

That's not our doctrine and never has been.  LDS doctrine is that God expects us to take advantage of the resources we have available.  

[Sleeper Cell]

1 hour ago, Bob Crockett said:

I love guns but the gun culture really troubles me, particularly when I see some of the wrong stuff put out by the NRA and the way good frends of mine seem deluded by the whole thing.   I surely wouldn't want to be known as a gun enthusiast as that would make my home a target for burglary.  I am troubled that the high priests' quorum focuses sometimes on guns and gun trips.  I've been on one of those gun trips to the desert and after that event did my best to make sure that it wasn't a church activity in the future. 

We had a major disaster in our neighborhood.  An earthquake hit us, several homes partially demolished, streets torn up, water gushing down the street because water mains broke.   Some of my neighbors and I went door to door to warn people to fill up their bath tubs because the water tanks would soon run dry and we warned them to turn off the gas.   We, for instance, moved senior couple missionaries serving in our area into tents in our yard.   The ward used its funds to put some people in hotels.  

The president of our homeowner's association, known to be a gun enthusiast, sat on his front porch with a shotgun pointed at us and wouldn't move from his house for three days.  

The first principle of disaster response is “don’t become a victim, yourself.”  In other words, don't put yourself in danger, even if necessary to save others.  Why?  Because if you were injured, you would not be able to help anyone else, and another responder would have to spend time helping you (time that could have been spent helping other victims).  In a mass casualty situation, time is of the essence, and responders often do not have time to try to save everybody.  

In the event of a future disaster, I would never attempt to enter or even approach this idiot’s home, even if I believed that he or a member of his family were seriously injured.     

And I am a strong 2nd Amendment supporter and have no problem with those who chose to include guns and a (moderate) supply of ammo in their disaster supplies

[Zakuska]

16 minutes ago, bluebell said:

LDS doctrine is that God expects us to take advantage of the resources we have available.  

And if I'm not mistaken... the D&C obligates us to protect our own even to the death if needed.

Edited January 8, 2016 by Zakuska

[The Nehor]

16 minutes ago, bluebell said:

That's not the promise we are given though.  We aren't told that it's a waste of time to seek a doctor and take medicine because if we really believed and had faith in God's promises we would just use the priesthood to heal us.

That's not our doctrine and never has been.  LDS doctrine is that God expects us to take advantage of the resources we have available.  

In general, yes, God expects us to use our resources. But when it comes to stockpiling guns an Apostle of the Lord has given more specific instructions:

Elder Oaks:

Another example that I understand to be current among some members in this part of this church is the influence of right-wing groups who mistakenly apply prophecies about the last days to promote efforts to form paramilitary or other organizations. Such groups might undermine the authority of public officials in the event of extraordinary emergencies or even in cases of simple disagreement with government policy. The leaders of the church have always taught that we should observe the law and we should not try to substitute our own organizations for the political and military authorities put in place by Constitutional government and processes. We counsel against joining or supporting paramilitary organizations. I have sometimes taught this principle by reminding that the church has counseled the storage of food and water, not the storage of arms and ammunition.

[bluebell]

Just now, The Nehor said:

In general, yes, God expects us to use our resources. But when it comes to stockpiling guns an Apostle of the Lord has given more specific instructions:

Elder Oaks:

Another example that I understand to be current among some members in this part of this church is the influence of right-wing groups who mistakenly apply prophecies about the last days to promote efforts to form paramilitary or other organizations. Such groups might undermine the authority of public officials in the event of extraordinary emergencies or even in cases of simple disagreement with government policy. The leaders of the church have always taught that we should observe the law and we should not try to substitute our own organizations for the political and military authorities put in place by Constitutional government and processes. We counsel against joining or supporting paramilitary organizations. I have sometimes taught this principle by reminding that the church has counseled the storage of food and water, not the storage of arms and ammunition.

That quote didn't talk about stockpiling guns at all though.  

[Zakuska]

The Nauvoo legion sure stoke piled guns. And you got to love JS' pepper boxes.