Turn the Hearts

President Nelson spoke about peace several years ago in a Christmas devotional. He said, “My message tonight pertains to the only source of true and lasting peace, Jesus the Christ—our Prince of Peace. This title He bore in addition to others for which He was foreordained.” He continued, “He can bring peace to those whose lives have been ravaged by war. Families disrupted by military duty bear memories of war, which in my mind were imbedded during the Korean War. Wars of our present era are more sophisticated but are still as wrenching to families. Those who so suffer can turn to the Lord. His is the consoling message of peace on earth and good will among men.” Those words are of course especially relevant today for those suffering the devastating effects of a senseless war right now in Europe. As we strive for personal peace through the Savior, His words to us about peace on a more global scale come to mind: “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” (Doctrine and Covenants 98:16). So as those of us wonder what we can do to help bring peace in the world, in addition to speaking out against war and for peace, the answer is quite surprising: do family history and temple work. That seems to be, at least, what this verse suggests: to help bring peace to the world we should work personally to turn the hearts of men and women to their fathers in the Spirit of Elijah.

                When President Nelson became the 17^th President of the Church, he gave his first message to us from the temple. He said, “As a new Presidency, we want to begin with the end in mind. For this reason, we’re speaking to you today from a temple. The end for which each of us strives is to be endowed with power in a house of the Lord, sealed as families, faithful to covenants made in a temple that qualify us for the greatest gift of God—that of eternal life…. Your worship in the temple and your service there for your ancestors will bless you with increased personal revelation and peace and will fortify your commitment to stay on the covenant path.” This has been a consistent message as he has encouraged us to find strength and peace in our lives through the work of the temple. In a powerful address in 2017 given by President and Sister Nelson, she said this: “What do you need in your life right now? More love? More joy? More self-mastery? More peace?...  I entreat you to make a sacrifice of time to the Lord by increasing the time you spend doing temple and family history work, and then watch what happens. It is my testimony that when we show the Lord we are serious about helping our ancestors, the heavens will open and we will receive all that we need.” Strength and healing comes through Jesus Christ, and as we focus the ordinances of His holy house and turning our hearts to Him and our fathers He will bring peace to broken hearts.

Elder Cook gave an example of the peace that that temple and family history can bring  when he related, “The Ivory Coast Saints, during the period of civil war in their country, found peace by focusing on living the gospel of Jesus Christ, with particular emphasis on family history and temple work for their ancestors.” In his notes he further explained, “‘Three of the five Ivory Coast stakes are among the top 25 in the Church in the percentage of adults [submitting] family names for temple ordinances,’ and the Cocody Cote d’Ivoire Stake is the highest.” He continued, “In the wake of the civil war and the closest temple being 12 hours away by bus in Accra, Ghana, this is marvelous evidence of faith and has resulted in personal and family peace.” We must also continue to seek to “lift a standard of peace” to the world, and perhaps the best way we can do that is to spread forth in any way we can the spirit of Elijah that can turn hearts away from evil and towards God (Doctrine and Covenants 98:34).