My Shotgun–My Food Storage

For the better part of 30 years, and most recently over the last two days, I have polled my students with the following question: By the show of hands, how many of you have visualized defending your food storage with a shotgun? Without fail, almost every hand of every boy or man is raised—some sheepishly, others with great gusto. The women in the room rarely raise their hands. In fact, they are always astonished to learn that Mormon men actually have this violent course of action orchestrated in their minds. I get it, this is not a scientific analysis of randomly sampled data. However, I maintain that the consistency of the responses for almost thirty years and thousands of students indicates a real trend. The same is true of women’s responses to the question. They generally have not gone there in their minds.

As a follow up question I ask the men: Exactly whom do you think will you will defend your food storage from? Response: “Neighbors or anyone else that may try to steal my food.” Another follow up question: “What if those neighbors are fellow Latter-day Saints?” (as if it matters). Their response: rather dumbfounded.

So we have a bunch of men that visualize maiming or killing to defend their food storage. Furthermore, there exists a blind spot that they might maim or kill a Latter-day Saint (again, as if it matters) to preserve food storage. What does this say about Mormon culture and the violence it may play if pushed far enough? Maybe nothing. Maybe a lot. Maybe all men, Mormon or not, have these images and potential plans in their mind. However, shouldn’t Mormon men that, in many cases, have served missions to save their fellow man, have a gentler approach toward a neighbor or friend or stranger that has run out of food and needs more? Have they not read Les Miserables? This is Jonah on steroids! I will leave this to you to sort through. In fact, survey the men around you today and see what you find. I will continue this topic tomorrow. In the meantime, good luck with the survey in your own corner of Christ’s vineyard. Oh, by the way, why is a shotgun the most common weapon of choice in these extraordinary defense fantasies? I suppose it is because a shotgun is fantastically more lethal at close range.