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The Path to Peace
Sunday Morning Session President
Thomas S. Monson
In a world where peace is such
a universal quest,
we
sometimes wonder why violence walks
our
streets, accounts of murder and senseless killings fill
the columns of
our
newspapers, and family quarrels and disputes mar the
sanctity of the home and smother the tranquillity of so
many lives.
Perhaps
we
stray
from the
path
which leads to peace and find it necessary to pause, to
ponder, and to reflect on the teachings of the Prince
of Peace and determine to incorporate them in
our
thoughts and actions and to live a higher law, walk a
more elevated road, and be a better disciple of Christ.
The ravages of hunger in
Somalia, the brutality of hate in Bosnia, and the
ethnic struggles across the globe remind us that the
peace
we
seek will not come without effort and determination.
Anger, hatred, and contention are foes not easily subdued. These enemies inevitably leave in their destructive wake tears of sorrow, the pain of conflict, and the shattered hopes of what could have been. Their sphere of influence is not restricted to the battlefields of war but can be observed altogether too frequently in the home, around the hearth, and within the heart. So soon do many forget and so late do they remember the counsel of the Lord: “There shall be no disputations among you, …
“For verily, verily I say unto
you, he that hath the spirit of contention is not of
me, but is of the devil, who is the father of
contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to
contend with anger, one with another.
“Behold, this is not my
doctrine, to stir up the hearts of men with anger, one
against another; but this is my doctrine, that such
things should be done away.”
1
As
we
turn backward the clock of time,
we
recall that
some
fifty-five years ago a desperately arranged peace, a
conference of peace, convened in the Bavarian city of
Munich. Leaders of the European powers assembled even
as the world tottered on the brink of war. Their
purpose, openly stated, was to pursue a course which
they felt would avert war and maintain peace.
Mistrust, intrigue, a quest for power doomed to failure that conference. The outcome was not “peace in our time” but rather war and destruction to a degree not previously experienced. Overlooked, or at least set aside, was the hauntingly touching appeal of one who had fallen in an earlier war. He seemed to be writing in behalf of millions of comrades—friend and foe alike:
Are
we
doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past?
After
such a brief interval of peace following World War I
came the cataclysm of World War II.
In fact, this June will mark the fiftieth anniversary of the famed landings of Allied forces on the beaches of Normandy. Tens of thousands of dignitaries and veterans will flock to the scene as the landings are reenacted. One writer observed:
“Lower Normandy has more than
its share of [hallowed dead. Their bodies] lie in
graves from Falaise to Cherbourg: 13,796 Americans,
17,958 British, 8,658 Canadian, 650 Polish, and around
65,000 Germans—more than 106,000 dead in
all,
and that is just the military,
all
killed in the space of a summer holiday.”
3 Similar accounts
could be written describing the terrible losses in
other theaters of combat in that same conflict.
The famed statesman, William
Gladstone, described the formula for peace
when
he declared: “We
look forward to the time
when
the power of love will replace the love of power. Then
will
our
world know the blessings of peace.”
World peace, though a lofty
goal, is but an outgrowth of the personal peace each
individual seeks to attain. I speak not of the peace
promoted by man, but peace as promised of God. I speak
of peace in
our
homes, peace in
our
hearts, even peace in
our
lives. Peace
after
the way of man is perishable. Peace
after
the manner of God will prevail.
We
are reminded that “anger doesn’t solve anything. It
builds nothing, but it can destroy everything.”
4 The consequences of
conflict are so devastating that
we
yearn for guidance—even a way to insure
our
success as
we
seek the
path
to peace.
What is the way to obtain such a universal blessing? Are there prerequisites? Let us remember that to obtain God’s blessings, one must do God’s bidding. May I suggest three ideas to prompt our thinking and guide our footsteps:
1. Search inward;
2. Reach outward; and
3. Look heavenward.
First: Search inward.
Self-evaluation is always a difficult procedure.
We
are so frequently tempted to gloss over areas which
demand correction and dwell endlessly on
our
individual strengths.
President Ezra Taft Benson counsels us:
“The price of peace is
righteousness. Men and
nations
may
loudly proclaim, ‘Peace, peace,’ but there shall be no
peace until individuals nurture in their souls those
principles of personal purity, integrity, and character
which foster the development of peace. Peace cannot be
imposed. It must come from the lives and hearts of men.
There is no other way.”
5
Elder Richard L. Evans
observed: “To find peace—the peace within, the peace
that passeth understanding—men must live in honesty,
honoring each other, honoring obligations, working
willingly, loving and cherishing loved ones, serving
and considering others, with patience, with virtue,
with faith and forbearance, with the assurance that
life is for learning, for serving, for repenting, and
improving. And God be thanked for the blessed principle
of repenting and improving, which is a way that is open
to us
all.”
6
The place of parents in the
home and family is of vital importance as
we
examine
our
personal responsibilities in this regard. Recently, a
distinguished group met in conference to examine the
increase of violence in the lives of individuals,
particularly the young.
Some
observations from their deliberations are helpful to us
as
we
examine
our
priorities:
“A society that views graphic
violence as entertainment … should not be surprised
when
senseless violence shatters the dreams of its youngest
and brightest. …
“Unemployment and
despair
can lead to desperation. But most people will not
commit desperate acts if they have been taught that
dignity, honesty and integrity are more important than
revenge or rage; if they understand that respect and
kindness ultimately give one a better chance at
success. …
“The women of the
anti-violence summit have hit on the solution—the only
one that can reverse a downward spiral of destructive
behavior and senseless pain. A return to old-fashioned
family values will work wonders.”
7
So frequently
we
mistakenly believe that
our
children need more
things,
when
in reality their silent pleadings are simply for more
of
our
time. The accumulation of wealth or the multiplication
of assets belies the Master’s teaching:
“Lay not up for yourselves
treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt,
and where thieves break through and steal:
“But lay up for yourselves
treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth
corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor
steal:
“For where your treasure is,
there will your heart be also.”
8
The other evening I saw large
masses of parents and
children crossing an
intersection in Salt Lake City en route to the Delta
Center to see the Disney on Ice production of Beauty
and the Beast. I actually pulled my car over to the
curb to watch the gleeful throng. Fathers, who I am
certain were cajoled into going to the event, held
tightly in their hands the small and clutching hands of
their precious
children. Here was love
in action. Here was an unspoken sermon of caring. Here
was a rearranging of time as a God-given priority.
Truly peace will reign
triumphant
when
we
improve ourselves
after
the pattern taught by the Lord. Then
we
will appreciate the deep spirituality hidden behind the
simple words of a familiar song: “There is beauty
all
around
when
there’s love at home.”
9
Second: Reach outward. Though
exaltation is a personal matter, and
while
individuals are saved not as a group but indeed as
individuals, yet one cannot live in a vacuum.
Membership in the Church calls forth a determination to
serve. A position of responsibility
may
not be of recognized importance, nor
may
the reward be broadly known. Service, to be acceptable
to the Savior, must come from willing minds, ready
hands, and pledged hearts.
Occasionally discouragement
may
darken
our
pathway; frustration
may
be a constant companion. In
our
ears there
may
sound the sophistry of Satan as he whispers, “You
cannot save the world; your small efforts are
meaningless. You haven’t time to be concerned for
others.” Trusting in the Lord, let us turn
our
heads from such falsehoods and make certain
our
feet are firmly planted in the
path
of service and
our
hearts and souls dedicated to follow the example of the
Lord. In moments
when
the light of resolution dims and
when
the heart grows faint,
we
can take comfort from His promise: “Be not weary in
well-doing. … Out of small things proceedeth that which
is great.
“Behold, the Lord requireth
the heart and a willing mind.”
10
During the past year, the
Primary organization has conducted an effort to have
the
children become better
acquainted with the holy temples of God. Frequently
this has entailed a visit to the temple grounds. The
laughter of small
children, the joy of
unfettered youth, and the exuberance of energy
displayed by them gladdened the heart of this observer.
As a loving teacher guided a boy or girl to the large
door of the Salt Lake Temple and the little one reached
out and up to touch the temple, I could almost see the
Master welcoming the little
children to His side
and could almost hear His comforting words: “Suffer the
little
children to come unto
me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of
God.”
11
Number three: Look heavenward.
As
we
do,
we
find it comforting and satisfying to communicate with
our
Heavenly Father through prayer, that
path
to spiritual power—even a passport to peace.
We
are reminded of His beloved Son, the Prince of Peace,
that pioneer who literally showed the way for others to
follow. His divine plan can save us from the Babylons
of sin, complacency, and error. His example points the
way.
When
faced with temptation, He shunned it.
When
offered the world, He declined it.
When
asked for His life, He gave it.
On one significant occasion,
Jesus took a text from Isaiah: “The Spirit of the Lord
God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to
preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to
bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the
captives, and the opening of the prison to them that
are bound”
12—a clear
pronouncement of the peace that passeth
all
understanding.
Frequently, death comes as an
intruder. It is an enemy that suddenly appears in the
midst of life’s feast, putting out its lights and its
gaiety. Death lays its heavy hand upon those dear to us
and, at times, leaves us baffled and wondering. In
certain situations, as in great suffering and illness,
death comes as an angel of mercy.
But to those bereaved, the Master’s promise of peace is the comforting balm which heals: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” 13 “I go to prepare a place for you … ; that where I am, there ye may be also.” 14
How I pray that
all
who have loved then lost
might
know the reality of the Resurrection and have the
unshakable knowledge that families can be forever. One
such was a Major Sullivan Ballou, who, during the time
of the American Civil War, wrote a touching letter to
his wife—just one week before he was killed in the
Battle of Bull Run. With me, feel the love of his soul,
his trust in God, his courage, his faith.
The darkness of death can ever
be dispelled by the light of revealed truth. “I am the
resurrection, and the life,” spoke the Master. “He that
believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he
live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall
never die.”
16
Added to His own words are
those of the angels, spoken to the weeping Mary
Magdalene and the other Mary as they approached the
tomb to care for the body of their Lord: “Why seek ye
the living among the dead? He is not here, but is
risen.”
17
Such is the message of Easter
morn. He lives! And because He lives
all
shall indeed live again. This knowledge provides the
peace for loved ones of those whose graves are marked
by the crosses of Normandy, those hallowed resting
places in Flanders fields where the poppies blow in
springtime, and for those who rest in countless other
locations, including the depths of the sea. “Oh, sweet
the joy this sentence gives: ‘I know that my Redeemer
lives!’ ”
18
In the name of Jesus Christ, amen. © 2001 Intellectual
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