Following Jesus: Being a Peacemaker
Following Jesus: Being a Peacemaker
Neil L. Andersen
Takeaways:
The Savior taught his disciples to be peacemakers. We are peacemakers when we “remain confident in our faith, sharing our beliefs with conviction but always void of anger or malice.”
“Peacemakers are not passive; they are persuasive in the Savior’s way.”
We need to genuinely love and care for all of our neighbors, even those who believe differently, as we are taught by the parable of the Good Samaritan.
“Cannot boundary lines exist without becoming battle lines?” (quoting President Nelson)
“There are times when being a peacemaker means that we resist the impulse to respond and instead, with dignity, remain quiet.” We should “move away from contention” but we can still “bless the lives of others while not isolating ourselves in our own corner.”
Questions to Ponder:
“Cannot boundary lines exist without becoming battle lines?”
How do you respond to contention? Do you engage? Do you help quench the contention? Do you move away from it?
When you move away from contention, do you isolate yourself in your own corner or do you find ways to bless others?
Think of the various roles you fill in your life—friend, spouse, parent, child, coworker, teacher, neighbor, etc.—how can you be a peacemaker in those roles?
Further Study:
Gordon B. Hinckley, “Out of Your Experience Here,” Brigham Young University devotional, Oct. 16, 1990;
Dallin H. Oaks, “Loving Others and Living with Differences,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2014, 27;
Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Five Messages That All of God’s Children Need to Hear,” Brigham Young University Education Week devotional, Aug. 17, 2021