Why we are here
Conflict will never be new, but every generation finds its own path to peace as though for the first time. “Blessed are the peacemakers,” Jesus said long ago in the Sermon the Mount. “I urge you to choose to be a peacemaker, now and always,” President Russell M. Nelson stated in a recent worldwide address called “Peacemakers Needed.” No matter where or when we live, our world will always need the heart and skills of peacemakers.
Peacemakers Needed is part of a larger initiative between Faith Matters and The One America Movement that seeks to inspire and embolden Latter-day Saints to become peacemakers amid the challenges of rising political polarization.
Polarization is a spiritual crisis
Political polarization is on the rise, and its effects spill far beyond the political realm. Our digital and media environment largely profits off of dehumanizing others and amplifying fear and mistrust. Polarization is dividing families, friendships, faith communities, and neighborhoods, not just our political factions. It can encourage prejudiced and hateful views, even violence, and undermines the unity we aspire to as children of a common creator.
As One America Movement says, toxic polarization is a spiritual crisis. That means that faith communities are uniquely equipped to address it. Peacemakers Needed is a hub for ideas, practices, and opportunities that highlight and inspire peacemaking efforts happening in and around our community.
Latter-day Saints must lead out in addressing it
A recent national survey showed that Latter-day Saints are uniquely resilient against political polarization. Of all the American faith communities surveyed, Latter-day Saints were least likely to support political messages at the pulpit and most likely to see faith as transcending politics. Many have noted the power of ward communities in fostering unity between people of differing religious and political sensibilities, and of emphasis on gathering and bridge-building in restorationist teachings.
While Peacemakers Needed hopes to inspire new and meaningful bridge-building efforts, we also hope to shine a light on the norms, practices, and initiatives that are already working well.
For more on polarization research, see a presentation on the Science of Polarization from One America and the full research report from More in Common.
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