Today I read a blog post entitled ”'Blessed are the Warriors' Isn’t a Thing” and I can't stop thinking about it.

The title states the premise of that short blog post clearly. Jesus said “blessed are the peacemakers,” so why are so many who claim to be Christians enthusiastically supporting war and glorifying those carrying it out?

Coincidentally – or maybe not so coincidentally – I have also been in the midst of the “war chapters” of the Book of Mormon in my personal scripture study. These have always been difficult chapters for me to read, as they describe the horrors and futility of war.

I am heartbroken that too many of my fellow Latter-day Saints see the “war chapters” of the Book of Mormon as an instruction manual when they are intended as a dire warning.

Careful study of the scriptures – particularly the Book of Mormon and the Old Testament – show that war must always be the last resort, only in defense of personal and religious liberty, and only when God commands it.

In the Book of Mormon, Pahoran wrote in his epistle to Moroni (Alma 61:10-14):

10 And now, behold, we will resist wickedness even unto bloodshed. We would not shed the blood of the Lamanites if they would stay in their own land.

11 We would not shed the blood of our brethren if they would not rise up in rebellion and take the sword against us.

12 We would subject ourselves to the yoke of bondage if it were requisite with the justice of God, or if he should command us so to do.

13 But behold he doth not command us that we shall subject ourselves to our enemies, but that we should put our trust in him, and he will deliver us.

14 Therefore, my beloved brother, Moroni, let us resist evil, and whatsoever evil we cannot resist with our words, yea, such as rebellions and dissensions, let us resist them with our swords, that we may retain our freedom, that we may rejoice in the great privilege of our church, and in the cause of our Redeemer and our God.

How many stories are there in the scriptures about God's people turning their back on him and seeking war for their own selfish purposes, yet ultimately prevailing against their enemies? Very few, if any.

The Book of Mormon ends with the account of the destruction of the Nephite civilization, who had turned their backs on God.

At one point Mormon, who is leader of the Nephite armies in this last great conflict with their enemies, thinks the people are ready to repent. But he soon learns that he is mistaken.

12 And it came to pass that when I, Mormon, saw their lamentation and their mourning and their sorrow before the Lord, my heart did begin to rejoice within me, knowing the mercies and the long-suffering of the Lord, therefore supposing that he would be merciful unto them that they would again become a righteous people.

13 But behold this my joy was vain, for their sorrowing was not unto repentance, because of the goodness of God; but it was rather the sorrowing of the damned, because the Lord would not always suffer them to take happiness in sin.

14 And they did not come unto Jesus with broken hearts and contrite spirits, but they did curse God, and wish to die. Nevertheless they would struggle with the sword for their lives.

15 And it came to pass that my sorrow did return unto me again, and I saw that the day of grace was passed with them, both temporally and spiritually; for I saw thousands of them hewn down in open rebellion against their God, and heaped up as dung upon the face of the land.

Whenever I see a Latter-day Saint supporting or glorifying wars of aggression and using passages from the Book of Mormon to justify their position, I always think: “do you not remember how the Book of Mormon ends?”

Will we heed the warnings of scripture? Will we learn from the lessons of history? Will we listen to the One who said: “blessed are the peacemakers?”

I believe Jesus Christ was a great exemplar, teacher, and advocate of nonviolence. As one who claims to be His disciple and has personally committed to follow His example and teachings as best I can, I renounce war and proclaim peace.

#100DaysToOffload (No. 153) #faith #Lent #Christianity

One of the things we have tried to do as a bishopric is visit people in their homes. We've set aside Wednesday evenings as the time to do this. Sometimes schedules don't line up or we aren't able to arrange to visit with anyone (we don't want to show up unannounced), but when it happens, it's always a wonderful experience.

Last night the bishop and I visited three families:

• A single mother and three of her five children
• A couple and their three daughters
• An elderly man who lives by himself and whose wife is in a care facility

Each visit was relatively brief, but special. We were able to get to know these good people a little better. We were able to pray with them. I hope they felt of God's love for them.

Visiting with the elderly man was a particularly sweet experience. He recently moved into our neighborhood after enduring years of being a caregiver for his wife as she suffered from dementia. It eventually got to the point where she was a danger to herself and to him, so for her good and his, she had to be admitted to a facility that is able to both deal with her condition and care for her. He also had open heart surgery a year or so ago and was on the operating table for over 8 hours.

His genuine gratitude for being in a safe home of his own, for being surrounded by good neighbors and a caring church community, and for being alive and in relatively good health was evident. We were delighted to visit and pray with him and he was so grateful for our company.

As I reflected on this experience, a scripture from the Epistle of James came to my mind:

Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. (James 1:27 KJV)

Another version:

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. (James 1:27 NIV)

When we care for others and strive to live righteously, we are living “pure religion.”

As overwhelmed as I feel about my bishopric calling sometimes, I am grateful for the opportunities to forget about myself for a while and minister to others. I need to be better at this.

#100DaysToOffload (No. 152) #faith #Lent #Christianity

I finished reading Patrick Stewart’s memoir “Make It So” – a long, interesting read by one of my favorite actors.

Worth reading at least once, it has given me a deeper appreciation for Stewart and his work. His style is amiable and his storytelling is engaging. From his humble beginnings to his greatest triumphs, he delights in his successes and owns his mistakes. He comes across as decidedly human – one who has had an incredibly interesting life.

A common thread is the people who made an impact in his life – good or bad. Meaningful relationships are a cherished part of his story.

As a former music student with plenty of performances in my time, I could relate to his live theater experiences on some level.

Few of us will ever have such talent or experiences. But after reading any memoir or biography one can’t help but think: how will I be remembered when I’m gone? I don’t want to be remembered for accomplishments or notoriety. I hope people would remember me as someone who tried to follow Jesus Christ and showed it in the way I lived and treated others.

#100DaysToOffload (No. 151) #faith #Lent