ELDERS QUORUM LESSON – 13 August 2023
Hello Elders,
Due to vacations, the
lesson topic for August 13th is being sent out early.
For August 13th,
our Elder’s Quorum Lesson topic will be “Peacemakers Needed” by President
Russell M. Nelson, given during the Sunday Morning session of the April 2023
General Conference.
Our EQ instructor will
be Kent Jeppeson.
Here is President’s
Nelson’s talk.
Peacemakers
Needed
You have your agency to choose
contention or reconciliation. I urge you to choose to be a peacemaker, now and
always.
My dear brothers and
sisters, it is a joy to be with you. During these past six months, you have
been constantly on my mind and in my prayers. I pray that the Holy Ghost will
communicate what the Lord wants you to hear as I speak to you now.
During my surgical internship many
years ago, I assisted a surgeon who was amputating a leg filled with highly
infectious gangrene. The operation was difficult. Then, to add to the tension,
one of the team performed a task poorly, and the surgeon erupted in anger. In
the middle of his tantrum, he threw his scalpel loaded with germs. It landed
in my forearm!
Everyone in the operating room—except
the out-of-control surgeon—was horrified by this dangerous breach of surgical
practice. Gratefully, I did not become infected. But this experience left a
lasting impression on me. In that very hour, I promised myself that whatever happened in my operating room, I would never lose control of my emotions. I also vowed
that day never to throw anything in anger—whether it be scalpels or words.
Even now, decades later, I
find myself wondering if the contaminated scalpel that landed in my arm was any
more toxic than the venomous contention that infects our civic dialogue and too
many personal relationships today. Civility and decency seem to have
disappeared during this era of polarization and passionate disagreements.
Vulgarity, faultfinding, and evil speaking
of others are all too common. Too many pundits, politicians, entertainers, and
other influencers throw insults constantly. 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. Many seem eager to damage another’s reputation with pathetic and
pithy barbs!
Anger never persuades.
Hostility builds no one. Contention never leads to inspired solutions.
Regrettably, we sometimes see contentious behavior even within our own ranks.
We hear of those who belittle their spouses and children, of those who use
angry outbursts to control others, and of those who punish family members with
the “silent treatment.” We hear of youth and children who bully and of employees
who defame their colleagues.
My dear brothers and sisters, this
should not be. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are to be examples of how to
interact with others—especially when
we have differences of opinion. One of the easiest ways to identify a true follower of Jesus Christ is how
compassionately that person treats other people.
The Savior made this clear in His
sermons to followers in both hemispheres. “Blessed are the peacemakers,” He
said. “Whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the
other also.” And then, of course, He gave the admonition that challenges
each of us: “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.”
Before His death, the Savior
commanded His Twelve Apostles to love one another as He had loved
them. And then He added, “By this shall all men know that ye are my
disciples, if ye have love one to another.”
The Savior’s message is clear:
His true disciples build, lift,
encourage, persuade, and inspire—no matter how difficult the situation. True
disciples of Jesus Christ are peacemakers.
Today is Palm Sunday. We are
preparing to commemorate the most important and transcendent event ever
recorded on earth, which is the Atonement and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus
Christ. One of the best ways we can honor the Savior is to become a peacemaker.
The Savior’s Atonement made it
possible for us to overcome all evil—including
contention. Make no mistake about it: contention is evil! Jesus Christ declared that those who
have “the spirit of contention” are not of Him but are “of the devil, who is
the father of contention, and [the devil] stirreth up the hearts of men to
contend with anger, one with another.” Those who foster contention are
taking a page out of Satan’s playbook, whether they realize it or not. “No man
can serve two masters.” We cannot support Satan with our verbal assaults
and then think that we can still serve God.
My dear brothers and sisters, how
we treat each other really matters! How we speak to and about others at home,
at church, at work, and online really matters. Today, I am asking us to
interact with others in a higher, holier way. Please listen carefully. “If
there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or
praiseworthy” that we can say about another person—whether to his face or
behind her back—that should be our standard
of communication.
If a couple in your ward
gets divorced, or a young missionary returns home early, or a teenager doubts
his testimony, they do not need your judgment. They need to experience the pure
love of Jesus Christ reflected in your words and actions.
If a friend on social
media has strong political or social views that violate everything you believe
in, an angry, cutting retort by you will not help. Building bridges of
understanding will require much more of you, but that is exactly what your
friend needs.
Contention drives away the
Spirit—every time. Contention reinforces the false notion that confrontation is
the way to resolve differences; but it never is. Contention is a choice.
Peacemaking is a choice. You have your agency to choose contention or
reconciliation. I urge you to choose to be a
peacemaker, now and always.
Brothers and sisters, we
can literally change the world—one person and one interaction at a time. How?
By modeling how to manage honest differences of opinion with mutual respect and
dignified dialogue.
Differences of opinion are part of
life. I work every day with dedicated servants of the Lord who do not always
see an issue the same way. They know I want to hear their ideas and honest
feelings about everything we discuss—especially sensitive
issues.
My two noble counselors, President
Dallin H. Oaks and President Henry B. Eyring, are exemplary in the
way they express their feelings—especially when they may differ. They do so
with pure love for each other. Neither suggests that he knows best and
therefore must rigorously defend his position. Neither evidences the need to
compete with the other. Because each is filled with charity, “the pure love of
Christ,” our deliberations can be guided by the Spirit of the Lord. How I
love and honor these two great men!
Charity is the antidote to
contention. Charity is the spiritual gift that helps us to cast off the natural
man, who is selfish, defensive, prideful, and jealous. Charity is the principal
characteristic of a true follower of Jesus Christ. Charity defines a
peacemaker. When we humble ourselves before God and pray with all the energy of our hearts, God will grant us
charity.
Those blessed with this supernal
gift are long-suffering and kind. They do not envy others and are not caught up
in their own importance. They are not easily provoked and do not think
evil of others.
Brothers and sisters, the pure
love of Christ is the answer to the contention that ails us today. Charity
propels us “to bear one another’s burdens” rather than heap burdens upon
each other. The pure love of Christ allows us “to stand as witnesses of God at
all times and in all things”—especially in
tense situations. Charity allows us to demonstrate how men and women of Christ
speak and act—especially when under fire.
Now, I am not talking about “peace
at any price.” I am talking about treating others in ways that are
consistent with keeping the covenant you make when you partake of the
sacrament. You covenant to always remember
the Savior. In situations that are highly charged and filled with contention, I
invite you to remember Jesus Christ. Pray to have the courage and wisdom to say
or do what He would. As we follow the Prince of Peace, we will become His
peacemakers.
At this point you may be thinking
that this message would really help someone you know. 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.
If you are serious about helping
to gather Israel and about building relationships that will last throughout the
eternities, now is the
time to lay aside bitterness. Now is the
time to cease insisting that it is your way or no way. Now is the time to stop doing things that make
others walk on eggshells for fear of upsetting you. Now is the time to bury your weapons of
war. If your verbal arsenal is filled with insults and accusations, now is the time to put them away. You will
arise as a spiritually strong man or woman of Christ.
The temple can help us in our
quest. There we are endowed with God’s power, giving us the ability to overcome
Satan, the instigator of all contention. Cast
him out of your relationships! Note that we also rebuke the adversary every
time we heal a misunderstanding or refuse to take offense. Instead, we can show
the tender mercy that is characteristic of true disciples of Jesus Christ.
Peacemakers thwart the adversary.
Let us as a people become a true
light on the hill—a light that “cannot be hid.” Let us show that there is
a peaceful, respectful way to resolve complex issues and an enlightened way to
work out disagreements. As you demonstrate the charity that true followers of
Jesus Christ manifest, the Lord will magnify your efforts beyond your loftiest
imagination.
The gospel net is the largest net
in the world. God has invited all to come
unto Him, “black and white, bond and free, male and female.” There is room
for everyone. However, there is no room for
prejudice, condemnation, or contention of any kind.
My dear brothers and
sisters, the best is yet to come for those who spend their lives building up
others. Today I invite you to examine your discipleship within the context of
the way you treat others. I bless you to make any adjustments that may be
needed so that your behavior is ennobling, respectful, and representative of a
true follower of Jesus Christ.
I bless you to replace
belligerence with beseeching, animosity with understanding, and contention with
peace.
God lives! Jesus is the
Christ. He stands at the head of this Church. We are His servants. He will help
us to become His peacemakers. I so testify in the sacred name of Jesus Christ,
amen.
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