To me personally this title, “Warrior Up”, means: become stronger in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Be like the Savior is. Be the best I can be as I am created in His image. Become selfless in combatting evil, be strong, and make a difference.
I am blessed to know an amazing warrior and friend, Jason Mow. He has inspired people in his service to State and Country and now he inspires us as men and women by sharing his “Warrior Ethos” message. I am honored that he would share the following article that I may place on this blog for each of your to read. It is powerful and should be summitted to the Ensign. If you love God and hate evil, this article will get you to stand up and cheer, as Jason puts into perspective the importance of the Book of Mormon and our Savior Jesus Christ.
Warrior Up! by Jason Mow
“I am heart sick my friends, heart sick with the news and images of more dead children, the victims of an unthinkable and unspeakable act.
I am grieved to see that, once again, before the crime scene tape has been taken down the taking heads and political gamers are shouting and profiting off the blood of our murdered young ones.
I am heart sick to once again be reminded that pure evil exists and that it has again been given cover by political correctness.
I am heart sick with my own memories bubbling up of all the dead and injured kids from crime, war, and disasters I have dealt with over my last 30 years of uniformed armed service.
I am heart sick with the thoughts of feeling powerless.
I am heart sick, I am tired, I am angry, I am insulted, I am confused, I am overwhelmed with emotions, I am ready to lash out in anger……I am right where evil wants me to be.
This latest school shooting brought me right to the edge of my peaceful convents and I almost forgot who I am and Whom I serve. I was ready to act emotionally and not logically. I was ready to forget the grand design and eternal plan for all of us and follow my carnal heart. But the better angles of my nature walked me back a step and I remembered who I am. I am here, now, intentionally, during this most troublesome time for a purpose. That purpose is to serve the Living God!
So, as I explore my perspective, the next natural question is, how? How do I as a “Christian” serve God and exist…survive…thrive…and bring others to Christ, in this fallen world. How do I function after hearing of yet another tragedy involving children? How do I function knowing evil is walking openly on the earth and that it has infiltrated every part of our daily lives?
How do I as a “Christian” serve God?
I am reminded of two stores in the Book of Mormon, a second witness and ancient spiritual record (like the Bible) of Christians who lived on the American content before during and after the time of Christ.
The first story is of the great Prophet Alma and his missionary companion Amulek. They were preaching in a wicked city and the local leaders were incensed by the words Alma and Amulek were saying. They were being called out as hypocrites and exposed as evil by the Prophet and in response the leaders put them in prison. Then, the wives and children of all the men who followed the Prophet, were taken to a great fire pit and thrown in as Alma and Amulek were forced to watch.
Are we not now like Alma and Amulek and being forced to watch as our families are being destroyed by pure evil? Are not our children being “tossed” today into metaphorical burning pits by dark hearted men and women who are bent on destroying our families, our freedoms and the church of God? Is this story not relative for our time?
How did Alma the Great and his most worthy companion respond to evil?
Book of Alma Chapter 14 (Book of Mormon)
10 And when Amulek saw the pains of the women and children who were consuming in the fire, he also was pained; and he said unto Alma: How can we witness this awful scene? Therefore let us stretch forth our hands, and exercise the power of God which is in us, and save them from the flames.
11 But Alma said unto him: The Spirit constraineth me that I must not stretch forth mine hand; for behold the Lord receiveth them up unto himself, in glory; and he doth suffer that they may do this thing, or that the people may do this thing unto them, according to the hardness of their hearts, that the judgments which he shall exercise upon them in his wrath may be just; and the blood of the innocent shall stand as a witness against them, yea, and cry mightily against them at the last day.
The second story that comes to mind is of an event involving the Stripling Warriors. The Stripling Warriors were the young sons of a band of Christians who, in response to their paths of forgiveness, vowed to never again take up the sword and spill blood. When war came to their country the young sons, who did not take the oath, vowed to stand in place for their fathers and fight the invading Lamanites.
They were led to war by the Lord’s Prophet of that time whose name was Helaman. These young “Stripling” Warriors knew nothing of war. They were not men at arms, or trained and experienced soldiers. They were simple farmers hands, sheep herders and apprentices.
But when faced with the evil of their time they stood and faced the hordes of invading Lamanites who were bent on murder, plunder and taking slaves.
Book of Alma Chapter 56 ( Book of Mormon)
45 And now I say unto you, my beloved brother Moroni, that never had I seen so great courage, nay, not amongst all the Nephites.
46 For as I had ever called them my sons (for they were all of them very young) even so they said unto me: Father, behold our God is with us, and he will not suffer that we should fall; then let us go forth; we would not slay our brethren if they would let us alone; therefore let us go, lest they should overpower the army of Antipus.
47 Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them………..
56 But behold, to my great joy, there had not one soul of them fallen to the earth; yea, and they had fought as if with the strength of God; yea, never were men known to have fought with such miraculous strength; and with such mighty power did they fall upon the Lamanites, that they did frighten them; and for this cause did the Lamanites deliver themselves up as prisoners of war.
Two stories from the same sacred book of scripture. Two stores of powerful servants of God who are facing men and women with the evilest of intents. But each of those stories are polar opposites in response to evil. One stood with the power to make it end and save the people, but allowed that horror to happen all the while trusting God’s eternal plan and his enteral judgments. The second story is of young men, risking their very lives by physically standing against evil in armed conflict, also trusting God’s eternal plan and his enteral judgments.
So why the two stories? Why show us two different responses to evil with two different outcomes? Which one is right? Which one do we follow when dealing with today’s manifestation of evil?
I would submit to you my brothers and sisters that they are both right. That if you listen to the stories again and look at them with another perspective, a Warrior’s perspective, you will see the underlined answers. They both followed the Prophet of God, they were guided by the Spirit and regardless of the pain, they never doubted.
So, how are we going to exist… survive…thrive…and bring others to Christ, in this fallen world? Answer….by having a personal relationship with Christ, by having the Holy Ghost as our personal companion and by following the Prophet!
Our own Prophet, Russel M. Nelson said during his first general conference as President of the Church.
“In coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting
and constant influence of the Holy Ghost,”
This is sage counsel and a prophetic warning for the world.
There is one more story from the Book of Mormon that helps me understand the Warrior perspective and what I can do as a Christian man to be a more useful servant of God.
Book of Alma Chapter 48 (Book of Mormon)
14 Now the Nephites were taught to defend themselves against their enemies, even to the shedding of blood if it were necessary; yea, and they were also taught give an offense, yea, and never to raise the sword except it were against an enemy, except it were to preserve their lives.
15 And this was their faith, that by so doing God would prosper them in the land, or in other words, if they were faithful in keeping the commandments of God that he would prosper them in the land; yea, warn them to flee, or to prepare for war, according to their danger;
16 And also, that God would make it known unto them whither they should go to defend themselves against their enemies, and by so doing, the Lord would deliver them; and this was the faith of Moroni, and his heart did glory in it; not in the shedding of blood but in doing good, in preserving his people, yea, in keeping the commandments of God, yea, and resisting iniquity.
17 Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men.
We should want to shake the very powers of Hell. We should want to deny the Devil power of the hearts of men….so, instead of getting angry and doing exactly what evil wants me to do.
Here is what I am going to do now.
- I will follow the Prophet. If he says hold, I will hold. If he says fight, I will fight. If he says flee, I will flee.
- l prepare myself and my family to respond to evil on all four fronts, physical, mental, emotional, spiritual.
- I will keep and maintain myself in a manner of worthiness necessary to have the Holy Ghost as a constant companion.
- Through continued education, preparation and experiences, I will made myself a blessing not a burden to others.
- I will keep an eternal perspective.
- I will be of service.
- I will have unwavering faith in our Fathers Plan.
I know I will be held accountable before God on what I do now. Stand with me
And be not moved. We are the hope of Israel. Not one more step back!
Warrior Up!!!!”
Jason Mow
Jason Mow- Author and Public speaker, Bachelor’s Degree in Education, twice been awarded the Law Enforcement Medal of Honor
Jason is a third generation Arizonan and was born and raised in Mesa. Jason attended Mesa high School where he lettered in three different varsity sports, football, wrestling and track, sang in the acapella choir, was also a member of the high school LDS seminary counsel, an Eagle Scout, and was very active in the community.
After graduating from high school, Jason refused a college scholarship to serve a two year volunteer mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints in the Spokane Washington Mission. After honorably serving as a missionary, Jason returned home and joined the U.S. Army. He served in the army for 8 years as a Paratrooper and Military Police Officer. There he rose through the military ranks as a firearms, hand to hand combat, and (CQB) or close quarters battle instructor.
Jason served on a joint federal counter narcotics taskforce, worked as a personal body guard for foreign heads of state and high ranking military members, and as a combat team leader deployed to hostile areas in support of America’s interest overseas. The culmination of his military career came when he was chosen to be, one of the Team Sergeants for the Army SRT (Special Reaction Team). An elite unit tasked with conducting hostage rescue missions and counter terrorism operations. In 1998 Jason left the Army and moved back to Arizona where he worked as a Police Officer for the City of Chandler Arizona and the Phoenix Police Department where he was medically retired in 2017 after being critically wounded in the line of duty.
During his career as a Police Officer, Jason has worked as a patrol officer, gang detective, narcotics detective, Field Training Officer, and academy instructor certified to teach in firearms, defensive tactics, tactical driving and tactical rifle operations. Jason also spent several years on SWAT where he was the point man and lead instructor. In 2006, Jason was recruited by the U.S. State Dept. to go to Afghanistan and work as a civilian contractor for the International Narcotics and Law enforcement Program. Jason spent 13 months in Afghanistan working with the military as a contactor teaching Afghan soldiers how to be Police Officers, destroying poppy fields, fighting human smuggling, and acting as a body guard for diplomats and government officials. Jason also lived with and worked with the nomadic mountain tribes mentoring tribal village elders and helping them to establish a constitutional form of government.
While in Afghanistan, Jason was inspired to write a series of books based on the life of Capt. Moroni and the War Chapters in the Book of Mormon. His hope is to inspire others and encourage people to read the war chapters in the Book of Mormon again. He wants others to understand the life of those great heroes found in the war chapters and how we can apply their example in our own lives. Jason is the owner of Ethos Productions, a company that produces faith promoting experiences through multimedia. He also works with Hollywood to train and advise actors on how to look, sound, and act like police officers and soldiers. Jason is a professional actor and spokesperson. He has appeared in film projects, on television, social media and the on the radio.
He is also a motivational speaker, mentor, life coach and involved in politics. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Education from Northern Arizona University, and has twice been awarded the Law Enforcement Medal of Honor for gallant bravery in the line of duty. He was recognized as the Community Services Officer of the Year for his department. Jason volunteers his time and skills doing humanitarian work by conducting personal recovery operations, disaster relief, providing medical aid, and security, all in response to natural disasters around the world. He has deployed to assist during such events like Hurricane Katrina and the deadly earthquake in Haiti.
Through faith and determination Jason has overcome learning disabilities, a troubled childhood full of abuse and addictions, a debilitating disease, being critically wounded in the line of duty and tremendous personal tragedies to stand as an example of the power of righteousness and that with God’s help you can overcome any obstacle and do anything you set your mind to.
Books by Jason Mow
Book 1 A Hero Rises
Book 2 Part 1 Teancum
Book 2 Part 2 Teancum
To invite Jason Mow to speak at your next event, please email [email protected]
or call 480-329-3269.
For Jason Mow Posters see his website here:
