In April 2023, President Russell M. Nelson gave a memorable talk to close the Sunday morning session of General Conference. The address, titled “Peacemakers Needed,” contains a powerful message not just for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but for the world at large.

“The Savior’s message is clear,” President Nelson said. “His true disciples build, lift, encourage, persuade, and inspire–no matter how difficult the situation. True disciples of Jesus Christ are peacemakers.”

When President Nelson passed away on Sept. 27, I was reminded of this message. Just over two years after he gave the talk, President Nelson gave us one last reminder to turn away from contention and be peacemakers.

It couldn’t have come at a better time.

Two events in September tested the resolve we may have to be peacemakers. On Sept. 10, conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. On Sept. 28, the day after President Nelson passed away, a gunman stormed a church building in Grand Blanc, Michigan, killed four people and burned down the stake center.

Both of these acts of violence could have prompted more violence, but instead, they serve as reminders that contention never persuades. Peacemaking is a much better option than violence.

Orem, Utah - Sept. 10

When I found out that Charlie Kirk had been shot and killed, I was completely taken aback. I was never a fan of his, and I disagreed with almost everything he had to say. That doesn’t mean he deserved it, nor does that mean differences of opinion should be met with continued hostility and anger. I found the whole thing to be rather disturbing that someone would even consider doing something like that.

“Too many pundits, politicians, entertainers, and other influencers throw insults constantly,” President Nelson said. “I am greatly concerned that so many people seem to believe that it is completely acceptable to condemn, malign, and vilify anyone who does not agree with them.”

Colton Petzinger, a sophomore studying business and real estate finance at Utah Valley University, was not at the rally when Kirk was shot, but he spoke highly of Kirk and the role he played in communicating with others.

“When you look at his interactions with people, he was so great at having conversations, which is exactly what we need," said Petzinger. "I honestly would say he was a peacemaker in the sense of he wanted everybody to be fully heard.”

Petzinger said that Kirk was "one of the most influential political commentators” of the generation. I would agree. His influence cannot be denied, which is why he attracted both fans and opponents.

Petzinger pointed out that political violence happens when words stop working. How we react to the opinions we may disagree with, whether that be contention or peacemaking, is a choice. We are agents to act, not to be acted upon.

“[President Nelson] talked about how peacemaking and contention are both choices," Petzinger said. "You can choose to be offended by something, or you can choose to let it roll off the shoulder.”

The aftermath of this chilling assassination proved that American politics has never been more divisive. While many people, including former presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, condemned the shooting, others seemed apathetic, or even worse.

An act of violence like this could have been a means of building bridges, but some decided to burn them instead. That’s the wrong way of solving differences of opinion.

President Nelson stressed the fact that “Anger never persuades. Hostility builds no one.”

This is a point that was brought up perfectly 2,000 years ago in the Savior’s Sermon on the Mount, memorably recorded in Matthew 5.

“Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy.

But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” (Matthew 5:43-44 KJV)

A similar principle is brought up in the parable of the Good Samaritan found in Luke 10. This is a ground-breaking parable because Christ frames a Samaritan, the sworn enemy of the Jews, as the hero, someone selfless and caring.

Though a fictional example, the Good Samaritan was a great example of peacemaking because he chose to show love to someone who, by nature, was opposed to him. We should do the same.

Christ's New Testament teachings challenged the traditional "eye for an eye" approach that was the standard since the law of Moses. Loving your enemies was a difficult thing to grasp back then, and it is now. But that doesn't mean it's impossible. Being a peacemaker means showing love for everyone, even political or religious opponents.

Nowhere was that more evident than after the Sept. 28 shooting in Grand Blanc.

Grand Blanc, Michigan - Sept. 28

A perfect example of building bridges came after a deadly shooting at a meetinghouse for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc, Michigan.

During sacrament meeting on the morning of Sept. 28, a gunman, identified as Thomas Jacob Sanford, ran his truck into the building and opened fire on the congregation. Four people were killed, the chapel burned down, and the shooter was killed when he engaged in gunfire with the police.

In the wake of this tragic affair, David Butler, a church member from Utah, opened a Give Send Go fundraiser for Sanford's family.

Butler told CBS News that he noticed no one had organized a fundraiser for the family, pointing out that since Sanford was killed in the shootout with police, he left behind a wife and son.

The campaign has currently raised over $386,000 as of October.

Petzinger said that Butler's actions make him out to be a "prime example" of peacemaking.

"It's a terrible thing that [Sanford] did," Petzinger said. "And [Butler] could have totally ripped into this guy, but instead, he looked to his family to see how he could help.”

This is the kind of peacemaking President Nelson was talking about. Helping the family of someone who did such a terrible thing is a perfect example of charity, the pure love of Christ. That's what being a peacemaker is. By opening this donation, Butler gave a great example of peacemaking in action.

Woodland Hills, California - May 2023

President Nelson gave his address, “Peacemakers Needed,” on April 2, 2023. I remember where I was when I watched that talk. I was on my mission, in Woodland Hills, CA, at the time, with about three months to go before I went home. 

With my time in Los Angeles nearing its end, I had the perfect opportunity to reflect on the several months leading up to that point. It wasn’t always easy, and there were times when I unfortunately let contention prevail.

During his talk, President Nelson said something unforgettable.

“At this point, you may be thinking that this message would really help someone you know,” President Nelson said. “Perhaps you are hoping that it will help him or her to be nicer to you. I hope it will! But I also hope that you will look deeply into your heart to see if there are shards of pride or jealousy that prevent you from becoming a peacemaker.”

President Nelson was clear with who he was speaking to. The message is intended for all of us.

Petzinger compared "Peacemakers Needed" to "The Family: A Proclamation to the World." When that proclamation was delivered in 1995, church members saw it as simple common sense, but it has only become more relevant in the years since. Petzinger said that President Nelson's address that day in April 2023 is similar to that.

“Even at the time when this came out, there was a lot of contention in the world, but it's just become a lot more prevalent today," Petzinger said. "And so I think something like this talk is similar in that sense that at the time it seemed normal, common knowledge, common sense, but now it is less so, and so the talk is even more powerful today than it was then.”

Almost immediately after President Nelson gave this talk, I was thrust into an opportunity to put his challenge of becoming a peacemaker to the test.

I spoke to Petzinger about this because from late April to June 2023, he and I were companions in Woodland Hills. A few weeks after President Nelson challenged us to be peacemakers, Petzinger was transferred to my area. By this point, I had served with about a dozen companions, so I thought I was getting pretty good at it.

Unfortunately, Petzinger and I did not get along for those first few weeks. I'll spare the details, but it wasn't good. I thought for sure the transfer was going to be a disaster.

But that's all in the past. He and I were able to talk out our differences. We just needed to have a conversation so we could talk about our feelings openly and understand how each other felt.

“Being a peacemaker starts with striving to understand what you're contending with," Petzinger said. "I think that conflict comes from pride, and when you try to understand the other side of the conflict, that's a big example of humility.”

Being a peacemaker is all about humility. If we really want to emulate the Savior and try to live as he did, letting go of pride is key to avoiding contention.

“If we made the effort to be humble and to try to understand other people, put ourselves in their shoes for 30 seconds, that would make a huge difference in the world," Petzinger said.

This is a timeless, crucial message for us today. President Nelson knew what we needed to hear. The message of peacemaking is summed up perfectly in the Sermon on the Mount from Matthew chapter 5.

“Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.” (Matthew 5:9 KJV)