Yesterday, we celebrated Memorial Day, a day set aside since the Civil War to remember those who have died in our nation’s service. It is a time to reflect on wars past and present and our obligations to our country and the Lord. I am honored to have this opportunity to address you today and pray that the thoughts I share with you surrounding this occasion of patriotism will be of benefit to you.
In August of 2004, I was in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, completing a short tour of duty for the Army before returning to Rexburg to begin fall semester. One evening, I received an email message notifying me of an impending call to active military service in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom III. Having left active duty in 2000 to teach at BYU–Idaho, I had considered as remote the possibility of being called up again. 9-11 and the subsequent U.S.-led occupation of the country of Iraq changed all that. As an officer trained in logistics, I knew it was only a matter of time before I found myself in the same sand I had driven through in 1991 during Operation Desert Storm. Yet, it still came as a shock. I distinctly remember calling my wife, Lorena, on the cell phone that evening because I had to drive up onto a hill overlooking the installation so I could get reasonable reception. We both cried, but afterward the sorrow of separation was quickly softened by a distinct sense of pride at the thought of being selected to serve my country in time of war.
Though the pride remains to this day, a year and a half away from family and friends offered abundant opportunity for pondering and reflection. My feelings about serving were increasingly complicated by what I saw as the moral debate over the nation’s occupation of Iraq and led to questions regarding our responsibility as citizens in light of the gospel. I found myself asking: “How should I, as a member of the Church, respond to armed conflict?” “Is this war justified? If it isn’t, am I still doing the right thing by willingly going into battle?” “Knowing that God is not the author of war, how, if at all, can war be used to build up his kingdom here on earth?”
It is the answers to my very personal questions and concerns that I would like address today with the distinct belief that, particularly since 9-11 rocked our quiet corner of the earth, you have perhaps asked yourself similar questions. Along the way, I will share with you doctrinal insights from scripture, apostles, and prophets, as well as anecdotes and experiences from Saints in wartime.
Let me set the stage by reading from the Old Testament. In 1 Samuel 24, we find David hiding from King Saul in a cave. As you may recall, Saul’s hatred and jealousy toward the war hero, David, had become so great that he was actively trying to kill him.
Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats.
And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave; and Saul went in to cover his feet: and David and his men remained in the sides of the cave.
And the men of David said unto him, Behold the day of which the Lord said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul’s robe privily.[1]
Later, David confronts Saul:
. . . My father, see, yea, see the skirt of thy robe in my hand: for in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe, and killed thee not, know thou and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in mine hand, and I have not sinned against thee; yet thou huntest my soul to take it.
And it came to pass, when David had made an end of speaking these words unto Saul, that Saul said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And Saul lifted up his voice, and wept.
And he said to David, Thou art more righteous than I: for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil.
And thou hast shewed this day how that thou hast dealt well with me: forasmuch as when the LORD had delivered me into thine hand, thou killedst me not.
For if a man find his enemy, will he let him go well away? wherefore the LORD reward thee good for that thou hast done unto me this day.[2]
Elder Robert S. Wood of the Seventy, in his contribution on War to the Encylopedia of Mormonism, states, “The LDS response to the political realities of war is largely conditioned by the concept of the justification of defensive war provided in the Book of Mormon and in modern revelation.” In the story of David, we see the spirit of restraint and proportionality that typify the concept of just warfare and provide a guide for our response to war. The Mormon view of just war was best illustrated by Captain Moroni. In True to the Faith: A Gospel Reference, we read:
If Latter-day Saints are called upon to go into battle, they can look to the example of Captain Moroni, the great military leader in the Book of Mormon. Although he was a mighty warrior, he “did not delight in bloodshed.”[3] He was “firm in the faith of Christ,” and his only reason for fighting was to “defend his people, his rights, and his country, and his religion.”[4] If Latter-day Saints must go to war, they should go in a spirit of truth and righteousness, with a desire to do good. They should go with love in their hearts for all God’s children, including those on the opposing side. Then, if they are required to shed another’s blood, their action will not be counted as a sin.
The resolve to avoid war if at all possible was reiterated in modern times in Section 98 of the Doctrine and Covenants.
The preface to this section is insightful: Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, at Kirtland, Ohio, August 6, 1833. This revelation came in consequence of the persecution upon the saints in Missouri. It is natural that the saints in Missouri, having suffered physically and also having lost property, should feel an inclination toward retaliation and revenge. Therefore the Lord gave this revelation.
Key points of doctrine emerge in this revelation that are echoed by wartime prophets since Joseph Smith. They include:
- The counsel to obey the constitutional law of the land in which you reside;
- Renounce war and proclaim peace;
- The Saints are to forgive their enemies; and, last but not least
- Afflictions suffered by the Saints will be for their good.
This revelation, received in 1833 at the onset of anti-Mormon activities, undoubtedly led to many a heated argument among members of the Church over how to respond as persecutions increased. It was after the trials of the Saints in Missouri that the Nauvoo Legion was formed for defensive purposes. Although the Legion’s manpower numbered more than a quarter of the entire United States Army, arguably contributing to fears about Mormon political and territorial ambitions, yet the prophet urged the fledgling church to “keep the peace by being cool, considerate, virtuous, unoffending, manly and patriotic, as the true sons of liberty ever have been.”
It is in a European conflict, the Crimean War, that Latter-day Saints, in this case, British, first saw action. On 28 March 1854, Britain and France joined with the Ottoman Empire in declaring war on Russia. It was, according to Wilford LeCheminant, a war infamous for the waste of human life on the battlefields and even more wasteful behind the lines, where thousands died of disease and where Florence Nightingale first gained acclaim as a professional nurse. Fearing that its young missionaries might be drafted into the war, the Church began sending only American citizens to the British Mission. Even so, dozens of British Saints found themselves in the hellish nightmare of war created by a combination of deadly new technologies, foul weather, incompetent leadership and objectives, and the quick realization that what they were fighting for was simply not worth the cost. Yet, an article in the Millenial Star of 1854 stated that, should any members be required “to take an active part [in the war], . . . we hope that such will do their duty, and prove faithful to their country, for by so doing, they will be forwarding the best interests of the Kingdom of God.” Many of the young LDS soldiers made valiant efforts to live up the standards they had been taught and to preach the gospel to their comrades in arms, despite the horrific conditions they suffered for months on end. Quoting LeChiminant:
As they fought in the battles and endured the hardships of the trenches and the picket lines, the Saints were sustained by their religious beliefs, by their brotherhood, and by the hope of emigrating to Utah after the war. In a similar spirit, they demonstrated a determined missionary zeal to share their faith whenever military duties permitted. Indeed, they were, as Elder Richards described, “a valiant little band making converts amid the din of war.”
The Spanish-American War saw two artillery units mobilized from Utah, with the first LDS chaplain and the first LDS servicemen’s worship group organized. This was a time of increased patriotism among the Saints following the resolution of issues surrounding polygamy and statehood for Utah. Free from such irritating disputes, the LDS community for the first time could express its patriotism freely. The Spanish-American War was an excellent outlet for their newfound enthusiasm for their country. Listen to this closing statement made during the Sunday afternoon session of the October 98 conference by President Frankin D. Richards, President of the Quorum of the Twelve:
Brethren, this great work is upon us . . . These wars have to occur to loosen up the bonds of the governments that are so tight and strong against religious liberty. I set it down as a fixed principle that these wars are going to be as necessary to the progress of liberty in this dispensation as are the labors of our Elders. We have got to accept these things. And if our sons have to go away in the wars, we must arm them with the power of God, with the power of faith; our prayers must go after them. . . .
President Richard’s words echoed an earlier statement by the First Presidency which affirmed the absolute loyalty of the Mormon people. What is unique about his statement, though, is the emphasis on the necessity of war to further the building of the kingdom. This idea has continued to be a key feature of official Church statements regarding war up to the present time.
With the onset of World War I, we see the prophet at the time, Joseph F. Smith, struggling to remain neutral to support President Wilson’s desire for peace while at the same time facing the grim reality of our country gradually being sucked into the conflict.
According to Dr. Richard F. Bennett, Professor of Church History at BYU, “the sinking of the Lusitania in May 1915 struck an ominous chord in America, intent as the country was in staying clear of the conflict.” As America lurched reluctantly toward war, President Smith saw America’s involvement as a necessity.
If Latter-day Saints must fight—and thousands of them soon enlisted in the cause—their attitude must ever be that of “peace and good will toward all mankind, . . . that they will not forget that they are also soldiers of the Cross, that they are ministers of life and not of death; and when they go forth, they may go forth in the spirit of defending the liberties of mankind rather than for the purpose of destroying the enemy. . . . Let the soldiers that go out from Utah be and remain men of honor.
As his personal feelings and public pronouncements refined over the course of the war, the prophet’s desire for the welfare of young Latter-day Saint men performing their patriotic duty was paramount in his thoughts and prayers. From the Juvenile Instructor in 1917, we read:
Our country is at war. This regrettable condition has been forced upon us by enemies of representative government and individual freedom. Despotism is endeavoring to gain the ascendency and to establish its might in the earth. Many of our young men who have been reared in the Church, and taught the principles of the gospel in the Sabbath Schools and other organizations of the Church, have been called to the colors in defense of our liberties and the liberty and freedom of the world…. It matters not so much when our young men are called, or where they may go, but it does matter much to their parents, friends and associates in the truth, and above all to themselves, how they go. They have been trained all their lives as members of the Church to keep themselves pure and unspotted from the sins of the world, to respect the rights of others, to be obedient to righteous principles, to remember that virtue is one of the greatest gifts from God…. If they will go forth in this manner, fit companions for the Spirit of the Lord, free from sin, and trusting in the Lord, then whatever befalls them they will know that they have found favor in the sight of God. Should death overtake them while thus engaged in the discharge of duty in defense of their country, they need have no fear, for their salvation is assured.
Meanwhile, until the war ended, Latter-day Saints joined with others in praying for peace and in taking up arms in the cause of victory over the enemy. America’s involvement eventually turned the tide of war, ultimately bringing a defeated Germany and the other Axis powers to Versailles. And though half a world away, news of the pending peace was as jubilantly received in Utah as it was most everywhere else in the free world.
World Wars I and II impelled the Church to speak about the religious duties of citizens of warring states, balancing the condemnation of war with statements about civic duties and the relative justice of the causes and conduct of particular combatants. In the period before World War II, President J. Reuben Clark, Jr., counselor in the First Presidency, vigorously advocated U.S. neutrality, and opposed the maintenance of a standing army with equal vigor when hostilities ceased. However, President Clark was the Church spokesman when it made official declarations encouraging LDS men to respond to their governments’ call for military service, despite the fact that these decisions were contrary to his personal viewpoint. In October 1940, he said, “We shall confidently expect that no young man member of the Church will seek to evade his full responsibility.”[5] A 1942 First Presidency statement counseled Church members worldwide to be ready to respond to their government’s call to military duty and exonerated the members’ acts of war: “God . . . will not hold the innocent instrumentalities of the war, our brethren in arms, responsible for the conflict.”[6] This statement has been reiterated during each subsequent period of military action. Since World War II, the LDS stance toward just cause and just conduct in war has provided guides by which to evaluate participation in specific conflicts without departing either from the obligation of civic obedience or the generalized condemnation of war.
Out of the agony and devastation of World War II are found remarkable stories of faith and courage, stories that are recounted in Church publications and in conference addresses. I share one of these with you now because it illustrates how faithful Saints use their wartime circumstances to better themselves and further the work of the kingdom.
Elder Spencer Condie of the Seventy, writes in his book, “In Perfect Balance:”
There is within the Church a large number of brethren who, as young men, would have loved to serve a full-time mission. In fact, many of the General Authorities of the Church were denied this opportunity because of the untimely intervention of World War II and the Korean War. There is also a somewhat younger generation whose opportunities for missionary service were limited by the Vietnam War, during which time only one young man from each ward was able to serve at a given time. But regardless of their current age or past circumstances, many of these brethren quietly served as missionaries in uniform. Some of them assisted in the teaching and conversion process of pioneer members of the Church in the countries of Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. Others were faithful examples to their comrades in arms and were instruments in the Lord’s hands in bringing their military buddies into the kingdom.
One of these great missionaries is my long-time friend Herman Moessner. Herman was born in Stuttgart, Germany, and joined the Church as a young man. When World War II began he was drafted into the German army. During the course of the war he was captured by the British army and taken to England as a prisoner of war. Moved by the Spirit, and wishing to use his time wisely, Herman began to share the gospel with his fellow German soldiers. They had plenty of time to be taught, and though Herman had not been called and set apart as a full-time missionary, he was a missionary nevertheless. During that period of time, several of his friends were baptized into the Church in a makeshift baptismal font.
Brother Moessner also used this opportunity to learn English as he conversed with his British prison guards. He practiced his English on any British guard who was willing to converse with him. His soft voice and cheerful spirit endeared him to the British, and at the conclusion of the war his English had become so proficient that he later served as an interpreter for the visiting General Authorities who came to Germany. He was called as the first stake president of the Stuttgart Stake after having served as a counselor to several successive mission presidents. He later served in the presidency of the Swiss Temple. For Herman Moessner, time in a British prisoner-of-war camp had not been lost time, but rather a time of preparation for future service in the kingdom.
Vietnam War
We now move to a discussion of a war that engendered tremendous division and social upheaval in the United States. The Vietnam War found the leadership of the Church struggling to remind the Saints of loyalty and duty to country in the wake of increasing popular disapproval for the war and mistrust of the nation’s leaders.
Bishop Vaughn J. Featherstone in the October conference of 1975, contrasted Captain Moroni with those who were critical of the Vietnam War and the U.S. government in general:
What a contrast to the attitude of some of our liberals! Someone asked me once how I felt about amnesty for the draft card burner and the deserter. I told him that I thought every one of them should be taken before General Moroni to be judged. We need to feel again what it means to be a citizen of the United States of America. We need to feel the thrill and sensation and have the swellings within our bosom about this country. The priesthood of God should be an example of patriotism and loyalty to our country. As I talk about the United States of America, each one should consider his homeland, his flag, and his country. I think it is time we should all awaken. Our concern isn’t about the flames of freedom which burn so brightly in our generation; the concern is that in the upcoming generation the fire has never been kindled. Our youth have never known anything but criticism of the United States of America. We need some faithful, free-loving patriots who will issue forth a clear, loud trumpet call. Remember Paul’s counsel: “For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare … to the battle?”[7] Freedom ought to ring in the heart of every Latter-day Saint regardless of his country.
In retrospect, Bishop Featherstone’s words sound somewhat extreme, but they must be taken in the context of the time in which they were spoken. The leaders of the Church faced a rising tide of popular discontent against the War and increasing rebellion among the youth of the Church in light of prevailing moral and social ambiguities. The general authorities sought to stem this tide from the pulpit. The more constant tone was one of faith that the will of the Lord would ultimately prevail despite the horrors of the war and that Saints who found themselves in Vietnam must hold fast to the iron rod.
President McKay, in a conference address given in October 1968, spoke of the moral courage of LDS servicemen while at the same time praying for their safe return and an end to hostilities:
Our priesthood should be honored no matter in what situation or circumstance we find ourselves. Our hearts and thoughts go out to our servicemen throughout the world, and especially to those who are in the active combat zones. Recently, I received a report from Elder Marion D. Hanks telling of the high caliber and behavior of servicemen in Vietnam, which gives assurance of the gospel in their lives and that they are honoring their priesthood. From that report I quote the following:
Everywhere our men were highly spoken of. Every one of the generals to whom I talked went out of his way to commend the Mormon servicemen with whom he had trooped.
They were most affirmative and strong in their endorsements.
One fine Marine major, in the middle of battle daily, expressed his strong testimony and asked that I carry to the missionaries the message that he is happy to be in Vietnam fighting to preserve the right of our missionaries to do their more important work.
We can only hope and pray that hostilities in that grief-stricken area, and all over the world, will soon end.[8]
Then-Elder Gordon B. Hinckley addressed the war twice in the late-1960s in General Conference. In 1967, he held out the example of the refining influence of wartime conditions on Saints who held firm to the faith:
A night or two ago I received a phone call from an officer just returned from Vietnam. He had hoped to be here today. I was with him during the time we were there. I heard him speak of his reluctance to go to Asia. It was not easy to leave his wife and seven children, including triplet sons three years of age. “But,” he said, “I resolved I would give the Air Force the best I had, and I would try to help my brethren in the Church.”
He went on to say quietly but earnestly, “I think I have done a better work here than I have ever done before in my life.”
I can bear witness to the great good he has done. Not only has he been highly honored by his government and by the government of South Vietnam; his good example and his faithful service under difficult circumstances have brought religious activity into the lives of hundreds of men. I have heard many of these testify of the vast good that has come to them, of the great strength they have gained from such activity in the Church.
To young people everywhere I should like to say that you need the Church, and the Church needs you. . . .
I have seen backward men become giants as they served in the work of the Lord. The cause of Christ does not need critics; it needs workers.[9]
In 1968, he spoke of the ways by which war assists in the building up of the kingdom.
I make no defense of the [Vietnam] war from this pulpit. There is no simple answer. The problems are complex almost beyond comprehension. I seek only to call your attention to that silver thread, small but radiant with hope, shining through the dark tapestry of war-namely, the establishment of a bridgehead, small and frail now; but which somehow, under the mysterious ways of God, will be strengthened, and from which someday shall spring forth a great work affecting for good the lives of large numbers of our Father’s children who live in that part of the world. Of that I have a certain faith.
The silver thread of which Elder Hinckley spoke referred not only to the spread of the gospel within the U.S. military but to the growth of the Church among the Vietnam. A brief examination of the history of the Church in that land provides an outstanding example of the way in which the Lord uses the evils of war to accomplish his own divine purposes. I have chosen to place the story in the context of the life of Cong Ton Nu Tuong-Vy, or Sister Vy, one of the first Vietnamese Latter-day Saints and the translator of the Book of Mormon into Vietnamese.
The arrival of American soldiers to the shores of Vietnam paved the way for missionary work in that country. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, the Church thrived. It was during this time that Sister Vy was hired by the Church to translate some pamphlets. The work of translation led to her conversion. She then proceeded to translate the Book of Mormon, stating,
In 1970 or 1971, I was extended a calling to translate the Book of Mormon. When trying to translate the difficult parts, I pondered and prayed. I would often dream at night about the parts and see where I could find help in my library. So I began to write. And as I translated, I pondered. I forgot myself. It was almost as if someone else was helping me write. If you cannot believe that a young man like Joseph Smith, uneducated as he was, could translate the Book of Mormon, then consider my experience. I don’t know how I was able to translate the book, but Heavenly Father helped me. The translation is a good one—many have studied it and said so. It took me two years to finish.
The translation was smuggled out of Vietnam shortly before South Vietnam succumbed to Communism in 1975, but Sister Vy was forced to stay behind. Attempted escapes by boat, imprisonment, and isolation marked this faithful woman’s life for the next 10 years. Eventually, she was reduced to disguising herself as an impoverished Buddhist nun and living in a cave near the seashore.
The first night alone, I became afraid of my lonely, deserted situation. I left the cave and knelt down on a rock to pray. Through my tears and my loneliness, I asked Father in Heaven to give me the courage and strength to survive this ordeal. A peace and calm came upon me, and I knew that I could remain there. This is my testimony of prayer. Whenever I have been upset or have struggled, I have prayed. Heavenly Father always hears and answers my prayers. He always listens to his children.
The Church actively searched for her, finding her in 1985. She took a bus to Saigon and participated in the first LDS service, disguised as a birthday party, since the fall of South Vietnam.
Almost 20 years had passed from the time that Elders Gordon B. Hinckley and Marion D. Hanks had dedicated the land of Vietnam for the preaching of the gospel. With 90% of the Vietnamese Saints now outside of the country, one wonders what good it did to dedicate that country during the war. Yet, one must also remember that the arrival of servicemen, followed by missionaries, opened up an otherwise closed country to the initial planting of the gospel seed. In 1993, expatriate members of the Church were authorized to organize a branch in Hanoi. On 29 May 1996, President Gordon B. Hinckley returned to Vietnam. While meeting with some Vietnamese Saints, President Hinckley offered an “addendum” to his dedicatory prayer of thirty years earlier, dedicating the entire country of Vietnam to the spreading of the gospel. By 1999, there were 100 members meeting in two branches. We must remember that the gospel rolls forth according to the Lord’s timetable and not the world’s.
Iraq War
While I vaguely remember the Vietnam War as a child, with both my father and my uncle serving in the military during that conflict, my own experiences with war are based on my service in the Army during the Persian Gulf War in 1990-1991 and Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2004-2005. I want to share a few of my experiences to help you understand what the Lord expects of us as citizens of nations and to further illustrate how the evils of war can nevertheless further his eternal purposes.
With many parallels to the Vietnam War in terms of the rationale for the war and the strategic errors made during the war, the Iraq War is a great laboratory for us to examine the appropriate response of Latter-day Saints. One cannot go a day without seeing political commentary from the right or the left regarding the war. I found as many differences opinion among my fellow soldiers in Iraq as I do among the civilian populace at home. I am frequently asked, “Is the situation really as bad as the media portrays it?” I get the sense that people who otherwise want to support the President and his national security policies are frustrated by the lack of progress in the war. Their questions may betray deeper concerns about the justification of the war. “Why did we go there in the first place?” “Should we stay?” “If the answer is no, am I justified in agitating against the war and for the return of our soldiers?” As a soldier, should I try to get out of my obligation because I don’t think our cause is just?
President Hinckley, a living prophet who deeply understands through divine inspiration the counsel we need to hear, addressed these concerns in great detail in 2003:
It is clear from [the scriptures] that there are times and circumstances when nations are justified, in fact have an obligation, to fight for family, for liberty, and against tyranny, threat, and oppression.
When all is said and done, we of this Church are people of peace. We are followers of our Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ, who was the Prince of Peace. But even He said, “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.”[10]
This places us in the position of those who long for peace, who teach peace, who work for peace, but who also are citizens of nations and are subject to the laws of our governments. Furthermore, we are a freedom-loving people, committed to the defense of liberty wherever it is in jeopardy. I believe that God will not hold men and women in uniform responsible as agents of their government in carrying forward that which they are legally obligated to do. It may even be that He will hold us responsible if we try to impede or hedge up the way of those who are involved in a contest with forces of evil and repression.
Now, there is much that we can and must do in these perilous times. We can give our opinions on the merits of the situation as we see it, but never let us become a party to words or works of evil concerning our brothers and sisters in various nations on one side or the other. Political differences never justify hatred or ill will. I hope that the Lord’s people may be at peace one with another during times of trouble, regardless of what loyalties they may have to different governments or parties.
Let us pray for those who are called upon to bear arms by their respective governments and plead for the protection of heaven upon them that they may return to their loved ones in safety.
To our brothers and sisters in harm’s way, we say that we pray for you. We pray that the Lord will watch over you and preserve you from injury and that you may return home and pick up your lives again. We know that you are not in that land of blowing sand and brutal heat because you enjoy the games of war. The strength of your commitment is measured by your willingness to give your very lives for that in which you believe.
Brothers and sisters, the work we are engaged in is true and will roll forth in the Lord’s due time. An omniscient Father uses world events to further his kingdom and his glory. We are challenged by our Church leaders to be faithful Saints and loyal citizens wherever we may reside. The challenge is to maintain our moral integrity in the face of the evil and destruction in the world around us. Wherever we are, I pray that we will always be that light on a hill that cannot be hid.
We can summarize the prophet’s most recent counsel regarding war into 4 main points:
- We are a peace-loving people who believe in waging war only in the clear defense of our homes and our liberty.
- Regardless of our opinions, we must be loyal citizens wherever we reside. This means that we may express our opinions, we must fulfill any legal obligations with regard to service to country, and we must refrain from doing those things that would undermine the national security objectives of our country.
- If in military service, we must hold fast to the gospel standards in the face of the evils we will encounter in a wartime environment.
- If righteously fulfilling our duty to our country, we will not be held accountable for the death and destruction we may cause.
Now, in my closing remarks, I wish to address the remarkable progress being made in the Lord’s kingdom amidst the darkness of what is the Iraq War. While at Fort Lewis preparing for my deployment overseas, I had occasion to hold a small sacrament service with a fellow Saint and soldier in the barracks. Even though it brought peace to my heart and soul to have the opportunity to partake of the sacrament, the experience brought to mind the small, isolated, and infrequent servicemen’s group meetings I participated in while in the Gulf War. Much was my pleasant surprise when I finally arrived at my place of duty in Iraq to discover that I was now a member of the fledgling Arabian Peninsula Stake headquartered in Baghdad, with stake membership spread across the entire Persian Gulf. In addition, I was a member of three branches on the camp. We had as a stake counselor an LDS chaplain from the Hawaiian National Guard. Under his leadership, high councilmen and branch presidencies were called, and relief societies and priesthood quorums were organized. The use of approved church manuals was standardized across the region. Most gratifying of all were the frequent baptisms of converts, many of whom had received the seed of faith much earlier and who now found themselves in the right circumstances to accept the gospel. Though the pace of missionary work among the Iraqi people is extremely slow due to restrictions on proselyting, I had the opportunity to meet the first Iraqi Saint, a man with a Christian background who had the gospel introduced to him by civilian contractors from Utah. None of this may sound very dramatic unless you put it in the context of a war zone in a Muslim country that was formerly a dictatorship. Based on my experiences with the gospel there, I have a strong hope that the events that we are seeing transpire today such as the formation of a new government will eventually bear fruit for the Lord’s kingdom . . . but all in his good time.
In conclusion, I quote Elder John A. Widtsoe, who said, in 1943, at the height of a world war:
The only way to build a peaceful community is to build men and women who are lovers and makers of peace. Each individual, by that doctrine of Christ and His Church, holds in his own hands the peace of the world. That makes me responsible for the peace of the world, and makes you individually responsible for the peace of the world. The responsibility cannot be shifted to someone else. It cannot be placed upon the shoulders of Congress or Parliament, or any other organization of men with governing authority.[11]
Brothers and sisters, I bear witness to you that we are led by a prophet who receives inspiration to guide us through troubled times. May we heed his counsel that our lives may be blessed. May we be peacemakers in our peaceable kingdom is my prayer. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes
[1] 1 Samuel 24:2-4
[2] 1 Samuel 24:11, 16-19
[3] Alma 48:11
[4] Alma 48:13
[5] CR [Oct. 1940]:16
[6] MFP 6:159
[7] 1 Corinthians 14:8
[8] President McKay 1968 October conference
[9] “A Challenge from Vietnam,” Improvement Era, June 1967, p. 54
[10] Matthew 10:34
[11] In Conference Report, Oct. 1943, p. 113