Hypothetical - security

[Ironhold]

Scenario I came up with while mulling over a series idea. 

There's a rather prominent member of your congregation. He was a military officer during a recent peacekeeping effort, and let's just say he made a few enemies in the process, the kind of enemies that post bounties on people they don't like. 

Well, he's finally engaged to someone. 

Word goes out, however, that because of his specific situation certain security precautions are going to have to be undertaken. 

The marriage won't take place in the temple that serves your congregation. 

The date cannot be announced ahead of time, and the ceremony will have to be conducted outside of normal operating hours to ensure that as few people are in the building as possible. 

Witnesses will be selected on the basis of their ability to keep everything secret and crack a few skulls if it comes to it. 

The reception will not be immediately after, as that would give the date away, and in fact no reception will even be planned until after the couple are safely back home. 

How would it make you feel knowing that you're in the same congregation? 

[NeuroTypical]

Over the years, my ward has seen a lot of active and retired military, including more than a few high-clearance folks, some intelligence folks, an attack chopper pilot, and a CIA guy who had been captured and tortured in the '80's.  

In such a situation, as a random ward member/acquaintance of this guy, I'd have to know how I'm aware of the situation in the first place.  Dude knows someone is out to get him and his fiance, so I would think that he'd just not show up at church for a few weeks, then come back with his new bride.  

I suppose you could create a 'close call' hit on him that everyone saw, to get things on my radar.  If I had witnessed an attempt on his/finance's life, I'd probably be a bit worried when noticing his absence, and even more worried to see him and wife back at church.  Will there be a bomb or a bad guy at church?

[Carborendum]

1 hour ago, Ironhold said:

How would it make you feel knowing that you're in the same congregation? 

Shrug. 

I carry. 

My wife would start carrying.

My eldest son will carry when he returns from his mission.  He and his wife will have a lot of dates at the range.  Yup, 18 months in, and the couple is still planning on being together.

My daughter and I will have a lot more daddy-daughter dates at the range.

If we die by other means where guns would not help (e.g. explosiives) then, hey.  Heckuva way to go... attending church.

[mirkwood]

I would carry two reloads instead of one.  Nothing else in my Sunday would change.

Edited April 26, 2023 by mirkwood

[mordorbund]

3 hours ago, Ironhold said:

How would it make you feel knowing that you're in the same congregation? 

I would be elated! Normally I have to fabricate some reason to get in close…

[LDSGator]

4 hours ago, Ironhold said:

How would it make you feel knowing that you're in the same congregation? 

Apathetic. His personal story is uninteresting to me and I probably wouldn’t notice or care. 

[laronius]

If it happens on high council Sunday it might liven things up a bit. 

[zil2]

9 hours ago, laronius said:

If it happens on high council Sunday it might liven things up a bit. 

Did you hear about the Relief Society President, the High Councilor, and the Bishop who got kidnapped?  Turns out the Church won't pay ransoms, so the kidnappers inform the three they will be killed, but the kidnappers will grant them a (reasonable) dying request.  The RSP says, "I'd like to sing all seven verses of my favorite hymn, 'A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief'."  They agree and turn to the High Councilor.  "It never fails," he says. "I prepare a 20 minute talk, but by the time I get to speak, there are only 5 minutes left in the meeting.  I'd like to give all of my most recent talk."  The kidnappers reluctantly agree and turn to the bishop, who says,  "I'd like to hear the Relief Society President sing her favorite hymn, but shoot me before the High Councilor gives his talk."

Edited April 27, 2023 by zil2

[laronius]

3 hours ago, zil2 said:

Did you hear about the Relief Society President, the High Councilor, and the Bishop who got kidnapped?  Turns out the Church won't pay ransoms, so the kidnappers inform the three they will be killed, but the kidnappers will grant them a (reasonable) dying request.  The RSP says, "I'd like to sing all seven verses of my favorite hymn, 'A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief'."  They agree and turn to the High Councilor.  "It never fails," he says. "I prepare a 20 minute talk, but by the time I get to speak, there are only 5 minutes left in the meeting.  I'd like to give all of my most recent talk."  The kidnappers reluctantly agree and turn to the bishop, who says,  "I'd like to hear the Relief Society President sing her favorite hymn, but shoot me before the High Councilor gives his talk."

I'm pretty sure that's how the Nephites escaped from Lamanite captivity, just waited for high council Sunday and those Lamanite guards entered into a coma-like sleep.

[Just_A_Guy]

22 hours ago, Ironhold said:

Scenario I came up with while mulling over a series idea. 

There's a rather prominent member of your congregation. He was a military officer during a recent peacekeeping effort, and let's just say he made a few enemies in the process, the kind of enemies that post bounties on people they don't like. 

Well, he's finally engaged to someone. 

Word goes out, however, that because of his specific situation certain security precautions are going to have to be undertaken. 

The marriage won't take place in the temple that serves your congregation. 

The date cannot be announced ahead of time, and the ceremony will have to be conducted outside of normal operating hours to ensure that as few people are in the building as possible. 

Witnesses will be selected on the basis of their ability to keep everything secret and crack a few skulls if it comes to it. 

The reception will not be immediately after, as that would give the date away, and in fact no reception will even be planned until after the couple are safely back home. 

How would it make you feel knowing that you're in the same congregation? 

It strikes me that if a member of my congregation had really done all that stuff overseas, he’d be a blithering idiot to let anyone in his ward know about it.

And if he’s really got as many bad guys looking for him as your plot demands, there would never be a good/ safe/ appropriate time or place for a traditional wedding reception.

It seems to me that he’d also have to be a bit of a narcissist/ sociopath if, having leaked all that info and in light of the Church’s current policies, he *insisted* that the wedding take place in the temple (as opposed to having a quiet and secure civil ceremony literally whenever and wherever he wanted to, and then doing the sealing later when security permitted).

The only situation in which I can see the Church locking down a temple to make the kind of accommodations you describe, would be for a very high-ranking government official (ie federal legislator, Cabinet-level executive branch member, or SCOTUS justice; or *maybe* a state governor).

[mordorbund]

2 hours ago, Just_A_Guy said:

The only situation in which I can see the Church locking down a temple to make the kind of accommodations you describe, would be for a very high-ranking government official (ie federal legislator, Cabinet-level executive branch member, or SCOTUS justice; or *maybe* a state governor).

A white horse has entered the chat.

[LDSGator]

On 4/27/2023 at 4:30 PM, Just_A_Guy said:

t strikes me that if a member of my congregation had really done all that stuff overseas, he’d be a blithering idiot to let anyone in his ward know about it.

 

Exactly. I get the feeling that the real Scott Harvaths out there don’t tell everyone what a super cool spy they are during testimony Sundays. 

[Traveler]

Since this is all speculation - To be safe they should enter the witness protection program like the 3 Nephits.

 

The Traveler