Proclaim Peace

The Restoration’s Answer to an Age of Conflict

By: Patrick Q. Mason, J. David Pulsipher

Narrated by: Patrick Q. Mason

Length: 8 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's summary

This book is a spiritual journey by two believing scholars of peace. In a world plagued by violence, Mason and Pulsipher believe, with President Russell M. Nelson, that "peace is possible" and that the "descendants of Abraham...are in a pivotal position to emerge as peacemakers" ("Blessed Are the Peacemakers", Ensign, Nov. 2002). This book is an effort to lift up the Restoration's distinctive principles that invite us to renounce violence and proclaim Christ's good news of love and peace to a world that desperately needs it. Proclaim Peace seeks not to promote any particular ideology, but to invite listeners, especially the rising generation, to reflect on the interpersonal, ethical, and social dimensions of Christian discipleship.

©2022 The Neal A Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship (P)2022 The Neal A Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

Great powerful book, with just one point of feedback

Powerful principles and concepts here. Learning to treat others as Jesus would, in all cases, without exception, is critical to us. Peace has to be our way of life and we need to be void of any form of contention or propensity for it (including with anything relating to politics, political beliefs, and perhaps even the candidates we select). This book beautifully illustrates the HOW TO and what it looks like. It provides several great examples and explanations. After reading this book, no one will have a problem knowing how to turn the other cheek, and doing so in a loving way that results in reconciliation and a win-win outcome for us and the other person.

The only thing I personally had issue with, was I feel it came across as perhaps slightly judgmental toward Nephi when discussing the section in Doctrine and Covenants and the hypothesis that perhaps there was a better alternative he might have been able to choose in one of the difficult situations in 1 Nephi. They didn’t include enough “perhaps” “maybe” “we can wonder if” statements in discussing the situation to make it clear that theirs was only a hypothesis and they could be wrong; and to make it clear that, regardless, we can’t judge Nephi whatsoever, because he was doing the best he could with what he knew/understood at the time. They should also explore the several reasons why he may have in fact acted in the only way that might have been possible. This could clearly illustrate God’s promise that acting in peace, no matter what, will bless us and our family for generations to come, while also avoiding anything that might possible lead younger/less knowledgeable people into any form of doubt. Not because doubting “is bad” but because it’s not helpful.

This is transformative!

I absolutely love this book. It has transformed my way of thinking and reinvigorated my imagination. The teachings of Jesus Christ are more important now more than ever. Hopefully, we can implement them to create Zion!