In 1066 William the Conqueror assembled an army and crossed the English Channel from Normandy to claim the English throne.  William was the English king’s nearest relative and had been promised that he’d be the king’s successor.  An invasion was necessary because Harold, the king’s brother-in-law, had seized the throne at the king’s death.  When William landed in England, he found that Harold had rushed off up north to suppress an invasion by the Norwegians.  When Harold returned, William and his army conquered Harold, and William began his reign as king.

In gratitude for their help, William granted lands to the members of his army.  Thus it was that my Condon ancestors became Irishmen, settling in County Cork.  Like many others, the clan soon set to work building a castle.  Ireland has many, many castles.  The castle looked nothing like a castle that any of us would envision in our minds.  It had no garrets or gables or turrets or towers.  It didn’t have a moat or a drawbridge.  It was basically just a huge, stone, squarish silo with rounded corners.

It was built to protect the Condon clan.  In those days it was not uncommon for invading armies and unhappy, greedy, and quarrelsome neighbors to come calling.  When such events occurred the clan gathered in the castle, shut the 10-foot-tall double door, and barred it.  No one was then able to get to them.

The castle walls at ground level were perhaps 15 feet thick, and made of impregnable stone.  The entranceway was two heavy doors separated by the width of the wall.  If invaders were to manage to penetrate through the first door, the Condons were prepared to pour boiling oil onto them from above as they came into the space between the two doors.

A staircase circled counterclockwise up through multiple floors.  The staircase circled counterclockwise so that if invaders managed to penetrate to the inside of the castle, the castle’s defenders would meet them on the stairway.  The defenders would be coming down, holding onto the wall with their left hands, leaving their right hands free to wield swords.  The invaders coming up the stairs would be at a disadvantage because they’d have to hold onto the wall with their right hands and have their swords in their left.

Every other floor was alternately either of wood or stone.  The stone floors were supported by arches which contributed much to the stability and longevity of the castle.  The wooden floors have long since rotted away, but the stone floors, and the castle itself, still stand.

The castle, by my estimates, is perhaps 100-125 feet high.  Its windows are long, narrow slits, widening toward the inside, through which the Condons could shoot arrows with very little worry of being hit by arrows from outside.

The setup reminds me very much of the fortifications that Captain Moroni built around Nephite cities.  Moroni built high walls “of earth round about all the cities.”  (Alma 50:1).

“And he caused towers to be erected…and he caused places of security to be built upon those towers, that the stones and the arrows of the Lamanites could not hurt them.

“And they were prepared that they could cast stones from the top thereof, according to their pleasure and strength, and slay him who should attempt to approach near the walls…”  (Alma 50:4, 5).

The Condons, with their preparations, and with the help of their strong clan, maintained their lands, their families, their freedom, and their castle for over 500 years—a remarkably long time for such a thing to occur in any society in history.  Their castle was ultimately wrested away from them by Oliver Cromwell, and was given to another family.  How that was accomplished, I’m not sure, because tradition says that the castle, in all its long history, was never breached.

Legend has it that sometime after the castle was taken away a Condon came to the castle posing as a shoe peddler.  He gained access, got the inhabitants drunk, opened the door, and enabled the Condons to briefly take the castle back again.  Their victory was short-lived, however.  The other family regained possession of the castle, and held onto it up to modern times, when it was turned over to the government of Ireland.  Thus for a period of nearly 1000 years this castle has been owned by only two families.  I know of no other such record in all the world.

The secret to such stability was the unity of the Condons, and their wisdom in building such a remarkably defensible structure.  It was virtually impossible to penetrate it from without.  The main danger was from traitors within—like the shoe peddler.

I’d like to think that the Church is like that castle.  I’d like to think that we as individuals are like that castle.  There is no enemy from without that can touch us if we’re prepared and if we’re armed with righteousness.

The Lord has said, “I will go before your face.  I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up.”  (D&C 84:88).

How could wickedness ever penetrate a defense like that?  It’s impossible.

This Church has a perfect organization.  It’s not man-made.  It was set up, and is directed by, God.  It’s being run by imperfect men, however.  I have little or no worry about the integrity and unity of the Brethren at the head of the Church, but I worry about you and about me.  We have been promised that the Church will never again be taken from the earth.  The outcome of the battle is sure.

But where you and I will be standing in the winding-up scene is still in question.  We’ll be OK, and we’ll be standing with the Lord, if we keep the inner vessel clean.  We can’t allow any traitorous thoughts or actions to pollute any of the priesthood that stands as a defense against the onslaught of the world.

Occasionally we’re stunned when someone we know, or perhaps a person in authority, makes a dramatic fall from grace.  These things happen, but they won’t happen to us if we watch all of our thoughts and actions.  If we allow ourselves to click what we shouldn’t, see what we shouldn’t, think what we shouldn’t, say what we shouldn’t, fail to forgive when we should, or fail to serve when we’re called—by either Church authorities or by the Spirit—then we’ve invited the shoe peddler in who will open the double doors wide while we’re being less watchful.

Daily prayer, daily scripture study, and earnestly striving to do our duty is a three-legged stool that’s hard to tip over.  If one leg is missing or broken, the stool can’t stand.  Prayer, study, and service can make our castles, families, and selves impregnable.

See to your own integrity, and 500 years hence, your family will still be in possession of theirs.