Call Things What They Really Are

Around 150 people united in worship at their local church. Members of the Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter-day Saints, in Grand Blanc Michigan, praised God in song and prayer. They had just taken the Sacrament, in memory of the great atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. They renewed the covenants they had made with Him.

Suddenly, their peace-filled meeting was shattered by a loud bang. A 40-year-old man drove his pick-up truck through the front doors of their meeting house. Worshippers originally thought it was an accident and went to help the driver. But then, the driver pulled out a rifle and began to shoot. He stopped shooting to pour a fire accelerant and lit the church on fire. He then returned to shooting at the worshippers of Jesus.

Parents, trying to protect their children, placed themselves between the shooter and their children, whose lives they loved, and cherished, more than their own. They acted with the same love their Savior had for them two millennia ago. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).

Some instinctively grabbed their phones and dialed 9-1-1. Police and fire were immediately dispatched to the scene. Upon hearing the sirens, the shooter turned from shooting at worshippers, to shooting at first responders and police. Meanwhile, the fire spread, due to the accelerant that had been flung by the shooter.

Members of the congregation helped each other outside and away from danger. Some ran to their cars, bringing others with them to get them away from the imminent danger as quickly as possible. The gunman shot at those people as they tried to make their way to safety. A father and his son continued to hold other doors open so that others could escape, all the while, wondering if they themselves would live through the incident.

Brave, well-trained police shot at the intrusive, fire-starting shooter, eventually neutralizing him. However, the destructive fire continued its rampage. Fire personnel continued to try to extinguish the fire but were only able to completely do so after the building was mostly consumed.

At some point, someone backed the assassin’s truck out of the fire. In the truck were four improvised explosive devices made with fireworks and smoke canisters stuck together. They did not explode.

Some worshippers died of their gunshot wounds, others are in critical or stable condition, while others were grazed or narrowly missed by the assassin’s bullets. At this time, some 36 hours after the incident, two are dead from gunfire, another remains in critical condition, with seven more in stable condition.

Hours after the fire was put out, fire personnel found that two more members of the congregation died, unable to escape the fire. All who were killed, like the believers of Jesus Christ who were cast into the fire in the city of Ammonihah, were received by the Lord unto himself, in glory. (See The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of JESUS CHRIST, Alma 14:9-11.)

As police continued to interview over 100 victims and witnesses, nearby neighbors opened their homes to receive the parishioners while they waited to be interviewed. Kind, wonderful, loving, neighbors helped to bear the burdens of the terrible event they all experienced.

Reasonable and caring people rightly ask how such targeted violent acts are even possible. While we grasp finding answers, we must be mindful of two things: not jump to incorrect conclusions, while not overlooking the facts that are right in front of us. Turning this around from stating what not to do, what should we do? We should, without prejudice, look for and recognize facts. Let’s endeavor to see things as they really are.

We may hear people say that something has to be done to help the mentally ill. Let’s not allow ourselves to become confused by calling those who consciously choose evil mentally ill. There are those who calculatingly choose evil over good. They weigh out both sides and decisively choose evil. They demand that right while sometimes trying to deny others their right to choose good. Those who choose evil often find its consequences reveal their own selfishness and narcissism. This embarrasses them. This is not the fault of those who choose right and good. It is just a natural reflection of their choices.

The morning of Monday, September 29, 2025, on “Fox & Friends” Karoline Leavitt, White House press secretary, said that based on her conversations with FBI Director, Kash Patel, the assassin hated people who were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The FBI was right then executing search warrants at the home of the assassin “to get to the bottom of why he would commit such an act of evil”.

Thanks to all who are pursuing and reporting the facts. How grateful I am for those who will call evil “evil” and good “good”! What a blessing there are people who will do so when others will not.

Finally, let’s look at the example shown between 600b.c. and 540b,c, by Nephi, who had two older brothers that often chose evil rather than good. Nephi sometimes narrowly escaped death at the hands of those two brothers because he stated truth, without reservation.

They said to Nephi, “You declare unto us hard things, more than we are able to bear.”

Nephi responded saying:

“I know that I have spoken hard things against the wicked, according to the truth; and the righteous have I justified and testified that they should be lifted up at the last day; wherefore, the guilty take the truth to be hard, for it cuts them to the very center.

“And now my brothers, if you were righteous and were willing to hearken to the truth, and give heed unto it, that you might walk uprightly before God, then you would not murmur because of the truth, and say that I speak hard things against you.

“With all diligence, keep the commandments of the Lord.” (See 1 Nephi 16:1-4.) Nephi’s father Lehi added, “Arise from the dust, my sons, and be men.” (See 2 Nephi 1:21.)

May we love as Jesus has shown us and taught us, and may we call evil “evil, and good “good”.