Renounce War and Proclaim Peace

In the midst of the troubles among the Saints in the summer of 1833 in Jackson County, the Lord gave a revelation in which He made this statement: “Therefore, renounce war and proclaim peace, and seek diligently to turn the hearts of the children to their fathers, and the hearts of the fathers to the children.”  The latter part of this verse is of course a paraphrase of the famous prophecy of Malachi: “And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse” (Malachi 4:6).  At first it seems like the first part of this injunction from the Lord—to renounce war and proclaim peace—has little to do with the second part invoking Malachi’s words.  What does turning the hearts of the fathers to the children have to do with war and peace?  As I consider that question, perhaps it does have a lot to do with it.  The Savior reiterated again in the next verse the same promise of condemnation if the heart turning didn’t happen: “Lest I come and smite the whole earth with a curse, and all flesh be consumed” (Doctrine and Covenants 98:16-17).  One manifestation of that curse might indeed be that war will engulf the earth and peace will be taken—that “all flesh be consumed” may be a reference to the fact war could be poured out upon all nations.  So the antidote for war and destruction, the Lord seems to be saying here, is to seek diligently to turn the hearts of the children and fathers to each other.

               As I consider it, there are several ways in which turning the hearts of the children and fathers to each other may very well be the very best antidote for the war and hatred that plagues societies.  One obvious way of course is that as we turn our hearts to our fathers spiritually, we go to the temple to perform saving ordinances for them.  The more these ordinances are performed and the more temples are built, the more Saints will go forth “armed with [His] power” with His glory and with angels having “charge over them” (Doctrine and Covenants 109:22).  This of course will work to counteract the contention and wickedness that the adversary stirs up to drive war.  As President George Q. Cannon put it, “Every foundation stone that is laid for a Temple, and every Temple completed… lessens the power of Satan on the earth, and increases the power of God and Godliness.”  Another way in which we turn our hearts to the fathers is to look to the words of the ancient fathers who wrote the scriptures.  As we come to understand their testimonies of Jesus Christ and His gospel, as we see their righteous deeds and good works, we should be led to indeed proclaim peace and renounce war.  We will see how Enoch built a city based on righteousness and love amidst a world of wickedness and hatred, how Melchizedek was a “prince of peace” establishing his people in righteousness, how Nephi returned love and forgiveness in the face of hatred and violence from his brothers, how Captain Moroni indeed sued for peace when he could have destroyed his enemies, and many other examples.  Isaiah invited, for example, “Look unto Abraham, your father, and unto Sarah, she that bare you” (2 Nephi 8:2).  In doing in particularly until this father, we might remember how Abraham fled wickedness in Ur and sought “to be a greater follower of righteousness, and to possess a greater knowledge, and to be a father of many nations, a prince of peace, and desiring to receive instructions, and to keep the commandments of God” (Abraham 1:2).  Surely to turn our hearts to the great fathers of the past like Abraham and Enoch and others will inspire us to similarly seek to keep the commandments of God and be princes of peace in our own day. 

               Lastly, turning the hearts of current day fathers and mothers to their literal children may also be a powerful antidote for war in our time.  If as societies we could behold more carefully our little ones, think more deeply about their futures, take the time to look on their purity and feel of their love, surely we would be drawn away from contention and fighting and war.  We would consider the terrible effects of war and violence on them especially and be turned to think more on their future than on our own selfish desires.  If truly we could turn the hearts of fathers to their literal children, and turn the hearts of children to the righteousness of the ancient fathers, surely we could successfully renounce war and proclaim and maintain peace.