PEACEMAKERS
NEEDED
We live in a world that is full of contention. Hateful language seems to have become normal in our daily communication.
Indeed, President Russell M. Nelson, President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints until he passed in 2025 said, “So many people seem to believe that it is completely acceptable to condemn, malign, and vilify anyone who does not agree with them. Many seem eager to damage another’s reputation with pathetic and pithy barbs! But such language can do nothing positive. Instead, it closes minds and hardens hearts. It creates anger, bitterness, and a desire for retaliation. Our Savior Jesus Christ desires for us to take a higher, holier path. “Blessed are the peacemakers,” He said, “For they shall be called the children of God.” (Matthew 5:9 KJV) One of the best ways we can honor the Savior is to become a peacemaker.”
​
But with anger and commotion all around us, we may wonder if we really can be a peacemaker. The answer is yes! How?
Elder Gary E. Stevenson, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said:
“We begin in the most basic place - in our hearts. Then in our homes and families. … As we practice there, peacemaking will spread into our neighborhoods and communities.”
​
Starting with our own hearts can be as simple as taking notice of our thoughts and feelings. Are they peaceful? Or are they angry? One of the most wonderful things we have been given in this life is the ability to choose. We can choose what we allow to reside in our minds and hearts. What we cannot chose is the consequence of our choice. If we allow judgmental or mean and hateful thoughts to live in our minds, they will eventually spill out of our mouths in the form of mean and hateful words. Those words can then cause pain or create contention with others.
​
“Make no mistake about it: contention is evil!” President Nelson said, “Jesus Christ declared that those who have ‘the spirit of contention’ are not of Him but are ‘of the devil, who is the father of contention, and [the devil] stirrieth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another.’ (3 Nephi 11:29) Those who foster contention are taking a page out of Satan’s playbook, whether they realize it or not. … We cannot support Satan with our verbal assaults and then think that we can still serve God.”
​
But what can we do to replace those harsh or judgemental thoughts?
​
President Nelson said, “Charity is the antidote to contention. Charity is the spiritual gift that helps us to cast off the natural man, who is selfish, defensive, prideful, and jealous. Charity is the principal characteristic of a true follower of Jesus Christ. Charity defines a peacemaker. … When we humble ourselves before God and pray with all the energy of our hearts, God will grant us charity.”
Charity will also help us to see what is “virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy” ( Articles of Faith 1:13) in the people around us.
​
Having charity, which is the “pure love of Christ” (Moroni 7:74), will change our hearts and minds. That change will begin in our thoughts and feelings and then show in our words and actions. An example could be when a loved one chooses to be, to say, or do something mean or abrasive, the pure love of Christ will help us to still have peace while helping us respond to them with respect and kindness. As that family member begins to feel the pure love of Christ flowing through us, it may be that their hearts will begin to soften and they will begin to respond in kind. In this way we can bring peace to ourselves, then peace and healing to our families and loved loves and, as that feeling continues to grow, we may even bring peace to our communities. In this way we become peacemakers.
​
These images were inspired by President Russell M. Nelson’s talk, Peacemakers Needed and Gary E. Stevenson’s talk Blessed are the Peacemakers.
If you would like to read their full talks, you are invited to go to this link and this link.