Hugh Nibley
“(speaking of secret combinations) What makes the thing so frightening is not the parasite itself but the fact that a society is willing to offer it entry and encouragement (to ‘uphold’ it), without which it is not dangerous at all. Its presence therefore should be viewed more as a symptom than a cause: ’Wherefore, the Lord commandeth you, when ye shall see these things come among you that ye shall awake to a sense of your awful situation’ (Ether 8:24). Immediate repentance, not police action, is urgently prescribed: ’O ye Gentiles … repent of your sins, and suffer not that these murderous combinations shall get above you, which are built up to get power and gain’ (Ether 8:23).” (Since Cumorah, p. 396)
Hugh Nibley
“The key word is ‘suffer’; we may not stand idly by under such conditions. Nor can we live sheltered lives and still do the work for which we were sent into the world: ‘As sheep among wolves’(Matt 10:16)—is that sheltered?” (Brother Brigham Challenges the Saints, p. 130)
Ezra Taft Benson
"‘Don’t worry,’ says the devil; ’the Lord will protect you, and besides, the world is so corrupt and heading toward destruction at such a pace that you can’t stop it, so why try?’ Well, to begin with, the Lord will not protect us unless we do our part. This devilish tactic of persuading people not to get concerned because the Lord will protect them no matter what they do is exposed by the Book of Mormon. Referring to the devil, it says: ’And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well-and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell’ (2 Nephi 28:21).
“I like that word carefully. In other words, don’t shake them-you might wake them. The Book of Mormon warns us that when we see these murderous conspiracies in our midst, we should awaken to our awful situation (see Ether 8:24). Now, why should we awaken if the Lord is going to take care of us anyway? Let us suppose that it is too late to save freedom. It is still accounted unto us for righteousness’ sake to stand up and fight. Some Book of Mormon prophets knew of the final desolate end of their nations, but they still fought on, and they saved some souls, including their own, by so doing. For, after all, the purpose of life is to prove ourselves, and the final victory will be for freedom (Abraham 3:24-25).” (The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, p. 660)