D&C 71:7-10; 2 Kings 6:16-17; 2 Ne. 30:10; Jacob 3:1; Alma 19:22-23; 3 Ne. 17:23-25; 19:13-15; JS-M 1:30; Moses 7:61; Life of a Pioneer, Brown, pp. 245-251; Journal of Discourses 21:177-178; Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p.162; Powerful Stories from Lives of Latter-day Saint Men, Hartshorn, pp. 18-22; Journal of Discourses 15:362-363; refer in this text to Hel. 5:20-52
“In the mist of all these tribulations God will send fire from heaven, if necessary, to destroy our enemies while we carry forward our work until it fills the whole earth! … You do not need to fear about anybody. Just serve the Lord and keep his commandments and build the kingdom, and as you do so you will be protected in these last days. God will have his hand over you, and you can plan your lives in confidence.” (Mark E. Petersen, Conference Report, Oct. 1960, pp. 81-83)
“Yes, it was here under a free government and a strong nation that protection was provided for His restored Church. Now God will not permit his base of operations—America—to be destroyed. He has promised protection to this land if we will but serve the God of the land. He has also promised protection to the righteous even, if necessary, to send fire from heaven to destroy their enemies (1 Nephi 22:17). No, God’s base of operations will not be destroyed. But it may be weakened and made less effective. One of the first rules of war strategy—and we are at war with the adversary and his agents—is to protect the base of operations. This we must do if we are to build up the kingdom throughout the world and safeguard our God-given freedom. How will we protect this base of operations? We must protect this base of operations from every threat—from sin, from unrighteousness, immorality, from desecration of the Sabbath day, from lawlessness, from parental and juvenile delinquency. We must protect it from dirty movies, filthy advertising, from salacious and suggestive TV programs, magazines, and books. We must protect this base from idleness, subsidies, doles, and soft governmental paternalism which weakens the initiative, discourages industry, destroys character, and demoralizes people. We must protect this base from complacency—from the dangerous feeling that all is well—from being lulled away into a false security. We must protect this American base from the brainwashing, increasingly administered to our youth in many educational institutions across the land, by some misinformed instructors and some wolves in sheep’s clothing. Their false indoctrination, often perpetrated behind the front of so-called academic freedom, is leaving behind many faithless students, socialist-oriented, who are easy subject for state tyranny.” (Ezra Taft Benson, Conference Report, Apr. 1962, pp. 104-105)
“During my life I have had many experiences of being guided in what I should do and in being protected from injury and also from evil. The Lord’s protecting care has shielded me from the evil acts of others and has also protected me from surrendering to my own worst impulses. I enjoyed that protection one warm summer night on the streets of Chicago… . My wife, June, had attended a ward officers’ meeting. When I came to drive her home, she was accompanied by a sister we would take home on our way. She lived in the nearby Woodlawn area, which was the territory of a gang called the Blackstone Rangers. I parked at the curb outside this sister’s apartment house and accompanied her into the lobby and up the stairs to her door. June remained in the car on 61st Street… . Before stepping out into the street, I looked carefully in each direction. By the light of a nearby streetlight, I could see that the street was deserted except for three young men walking by. As I came to the driver’s side and paused for June to unlock the door, I saw one of these young men running back toward me. He had something in his right hand, and I knew what it would be. There was no time to get into the car and drive away before he came within range… . The young man pushed the gun against my stomach and said, ‘Give me your money.’ I took the wallet out of my pocket and showed him it was empty… . I offered him some coins I had in my pocket, but he growled a rejection. ‘Give me your car keys,’ he demanded. ‘Tell her to open the car,’ he replied. For a moment I considered the new possibilities that would present, and then refused. He was furious. He jabbed me in the stomach with his gun and said, ‘Do it, or I’ll kill you.’ …When I refused, the young robber repeated his demands, this time emphasizing them with an angrier tone and more motion with his gun… . ‘Give me your money.’ ‘I don’t have any.’ ‘Give me your car keys.’ ‘They’re in the car.’ ‘Tell her to open the car.’ ‘I won’t do it.’ ‘I’ll kill you if you don’t.’ ‘ Won’t do it.’ … His gun wavered from my stomach until its barrel pointed slightly to my left. My arm was already partly raised, and with a quick motion I could seize the gun and struggle with him without the likelihood of being shot. I was taller and heavier than this young man, and at that time of my life was somewhat athletic. I had no doubt that I could prevail in a quick wrestling match if I could get his gun out of the contest. Just as I was about to make my move, I had a unique experience. I did not see anything or hear anything, but I knew something. I knew what would happen if I grabbed that gun. We would struggle, and I would turn the gun into that young man’s chest. It would fire, and he would die. I also understood that I must not have the blood of that young man on my conscience for the rest of my life. I relaxed… . I followed an impulse to put my right hand on his shoulder and give him a lecture. June and I had some teenage children at that time, and giving lectures came naturally. ‘Look here,’ I said. ‘This isn’t right. What you’re doing just isn’t right… . You could get killed or sent to jail for this.’ With the gun back in my stomach, the young robber replied to my lecture by going through his demands for the third time. But this time his voice was subdued. When he offered the final threat to kill me, he didn’t sound persuasive. When I refused again, he hesitated for a moment and then stuck the gun in his pocket and ran away. June unlocked the door, and we drove off, uttering a prayer of thanks… . I am grateful that the Lord gave me the vision and strength to refrain from trusting in the arm of flesh and to put my trust in the protecting care of our Heavenly Father. I am grateful for the Book of Mormon promise to us of the last days that ‘the righteous need not fear,’ for the Lord ‘will preserve the righteous by his power’ (1 Ne. 22:17).” (Dallin H. Oaks, Ensign, Nov. 1992, pp. 39-40)
“God has been and is our helper, and is on our right and left, and round about us like a wall of fire to defend this people, if they serve him with an undivided heart.” (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 8:172)
“Can you tell me where the people are who will be shielded and protected from these great calamities and judgments which are even now at our doors? … The priesthood of God who honor their priesthood, and who are worthy of their blessings are the only ones who shall have this safety and protection… . No other people have a right to be shielded from these judgments. They are at our very doors; not even this people will escape them entirely… . And none but the priesthood will be safe from their fury.” (Wilford Woodruff, The Young Woman’s Journal, Aug. 1894, p. 512)
“The calamities that have been promised will be poured out upon the peoples of the earth, and we shall escape them, yea, they shall pass us by. But remember the Lord says if we fail to keep his word, if we walk in the ways of the world, they will not pass us by, but we shall be visited with floods and with fire, with sword and with plague and destruction. We may escape these things through faithfulness. Israel of old might have escaped through faithfulness.” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 3:34)
“Do not think for a moment that the days of trial are over. They are not. If we keep the commandments of the Lord, we shall prosper, we shall be blessed; the plagues, the calamities that have been promised will be poured out upon the peoples of the earth, and we shall escape them, yea, they shall pass us by. But remember the Lord says if we fail to keep his word, if we walk in the ways of the world, they will not pass us by, but we shall be visited with floods and with fire, with sword and with plague and destruction. We may escape these things through faithfulness.” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 3:34)
“It is a false idea that the Saints will escape all the judgments, whilst the wicked suffer; for all flesh is subject to suffer, and ‘the righteous shall hardly escape;’ still many of the Saints will escape, for the just shall live by faith; yet many of the righteous shall fall a prey to disease, to pestilence, etc., by reason of the weakness of the flesh, and yet be saved in the Kingdom of God. So that it is an unhallowed principle to say that such and such have transgressed because they have been preyed upon by disease or death… .” (Joseph Smith, History of the Church, 4:11)
“Of course, Satan will slay some of the righteous that their blood—with the blood of all the martyrs of all the ages—may cry from the ground as a witness against those who fight against God. Yet, as a people the true saints shall prevail. The Lord ‘will preserve the righteous by his power, even if it so be that the fulness of his wrath must come, and the righteous be preserved, even unto the destruction of their enemies by fire.’ This refers to the day of burning that shall attend the Second Coming. ‘Wherefore, the righteous need not fear; for thus saith the prophet, they shall be saved, even if it so be as by fire.’” (Bruce R. McConkie, Millennial Messiah, p. 313)