Brigham Young University Idaho President Kim B. Clark delivered a moving speech about 'The Path of the Peacemaker' at the BYU-Hawaii devotional address on March 11. He began with a heartfelt greeting and then shared a promise that was given by Abraham: "[We] are the children of the prophets" and through us "all the kindreds of the earth [shall] be blessed." As Abraham’s children, Clark noted that we "are heirs to all the blessings, … commitments, and responsibilities of Abraham... [including] the works of peace."
"This is our calling," he stated. "As children of the covenant, the Lord has called us to be His peacemakers." After listing several definitions of peacemaker, Clark noted: "In your lives you will have many opportunities to help people in conflict communicate their feelings, find common ground, and resolve their differences." He promised that a continued endeavor on this path would "guide and strengthen [all that applied] these principles and the Lord [would] work through [them] to bless the lives of His children."
"Brothers and sisters," he stated, "… I talk of the path of peace because Heavenly Father wants you to walk in peace. He wants you to establish peace." He then outlined the purpose of his talk based on three steps that were given by President Monson:
1. Search inward
2. Reach outward
3. Look heavenward.
He began with the third prompt of 'Look[ing] heavenward,' quoting what the Savior gave as "the grand key to peace" in Doctrine & Covenants 19:23: "Learn of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my Spirit, and you shall have peace in me." As a supplementary, he quoted earlier verses of the same chapter to expound on the steps towards becoming a peacemaker--steps that called for repentance and obedience. "These are powerful, challenging words," he said, and with added assurance he stated: "But they are full of love and mercy and the promise of peace." He then said that the path the peacemaker walks "is the path of faith in Christ," which begins with the principles of the gospel and ends with "spiritual rebirth."
On the other hand, "sin and wickedness and all the emotions that flow from [such a source]," he stated, "are like a cancer to our spirit." Only through the Atonement of Christ is restitution possible. "Elder Richard G. Scott," he said, taught that "… a tranquil conscience invites freedom from anguish, sorrow, guilt, shame, and self-condemnation. It provides a foundation for happiness." It also provides hope.
He then moved on to his second prompt of 'Search[ing] inward' by stating, "We look heavenward to find the Savior and peace of conscience. But peacemakers must also learn to 'search inward' to find peace of mind." When our troubles are laid upon the Savior, 'peace of mind' is the reward.
Using a parable about two mirrors as a measuring stick for faith and continued obedience, he shed light on the "gap between what we want our lives to be and what we are afraid is going to happen."
"The King of the land," he began, "sent one of his sons and one of his daughters off on an important journey to establish peace in the land." Caught in an unexpected storm, the son and daughter found protection from the storm in a hut.
"In the hut were two mirrors beckoning for their attention and focus. Each mirror showed a vision of the future with them in the picture. The first mirror was full of darkness and swirling fog.... The mirror seemed to whisper, 'Turn back; it's hopelss; give up'."
"The second mirror was bright and clear. They could see the storm, but they saw themselves making their way through it.... The second mirror seemed to whisper, 'Carry on; walk in the light; the way is sure; you can do it'."
The son and daughter "chose the [the path] second mirror [offered], left the hut with confidence, fought their way through the storm, and completed their journey."
This story is an allusion to all of us as God's children and how we fare in the journey of life; sometimes our choices are spawned by fear, rather than encouraged by an abiding faith in Christ. But Clark clarified the significance of the second mirror and its fundamental purpose: "The second mirror … is the mirror of Christ; … If we look into the mirror of Christ, trust in Him and in His timing, we will face our storms with hope and stop the cascade of fear."
After "look[ing] heavenward and search[ing] inward," Clark’s third and final prompt was an invitation to 'Reach outward' to "bring peace to others." He shared the counsel the Savior delivered among the Nephites: "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them who despitefully use you and persecute you" (3 Nephi 12:44).
In the face of "a very contentious world," we are advised by the Lord himself to be a peacemaker. Clark specified that "even when the challenge may seem daunting," the Lord will be there to help us.
He then counseled: "In politics, in traffic, in your apartment, at work, wherever you are, the duty of the peacemaker is clear: do not start the ripple of scorn and ridicule; do not propagate it if you hear it; do not retaliate when people attack. Help people resolve their differences and stop the network of contention and anger dead in its tracks. Stop it with acts of kindness and respect. Stop it with gentle humor or sweet reason. Stop it with love and prayer. Stop it with whatever means the Spirit of the Lord directs. But stop it."
He encouraged everyone to "… act in faith to help others find the deeper peace of God." The peace that God offers works as a buffer against the railings of the world. "This is our calling," he stated, "[to] reach outward to [our] brothers and sisters and bring peace that goes down deeper and deeper into the soul."
Beyond the daily distractions that life offers up lies a path of peace that we all must first 'Look heavenward' to find, then 'Search inward' to make concrete, and finally 'Reach out' to share. "If you walk this path," he promised, "you will be the peacemakers the Lord will use to gather scattered Israel, establish Zion, and prepare the earth for His return."
In closing, he bore fervent witness of the Savior Jesus Christ, our prophet Thomas S. Monson, and then left a promised blessing upon all: "I leave you today with my love and my witness and this blessing: that through your faithfulness you will walk in peace with the Prince of Peace and you will become a peacemaker in His holy hands. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen."
--Photo by Monique Saenz
Click here to see a transcript of Kim B. Clark's talk