Proclaim Peace

In scripture we read "Therefore, renounce war and proclaim peace, and seek diligently to turn the hearts of the children to their fathers, and ther hearts of the father to the children; And again, the hearts of the Jews unto the prophets, and the prophets unto the Jews; lest I come and smite the whole earth with a curse, and all flesh by consumed before me." (Doctrine and Covenants 98:16-17)

What a provocative two verses. I think I understand the "renounce war" part. War is --what is a strong enough word--"hell (?)."

But what can we do to proclaim peace. It seems to me that this ought to be an active and constant concern of every good person on the earth. Peace in our own hearts; peace in our families; peace in our neighborhoods; peace and goodwill in our halls of government; peace between nations and peoples of all creeds, persuasions, religions, colors, languages, and locales.

How can one proclaim or promote peace? When the Lord asks us to proclaim peace, I think He wants us to be Peacemakers, and emualte Jesus Christ. But what does that mean for you and for me in our daily lives? To promote peace requires thoughtfulness, wisdom, open-mindedness, discernment, and an ability to speak calmly. It seems to me we ought to earnestly seek for those gifts and for the ability and interest to proclaim peace. What would you add to this list?

We could talk about when peace efforts fail but I'll leave that for another time. Instead, what does the Lord mean when He asks us to seek diligently to turn hearts--children to fathers, Jews to prophets, and vice versa? This may be simplified (but isn't that what blogs are?). To me it means to create harmony by looking for that which is best in our families, and what will be best for the future. It also means to share the good news to all that the promises of the Lord will be fulfilled--all the promises the Lord made to the House of Israel anciently and all that He ever has made. When we see ourselves as children of God--all of us as His children--and that He has a plan of happiness for us all, that should turn our hearts! And Peace will reign. The Prince of Peace will be our model, and our Savior.

What can you do today to proclaim peace?