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Religious Freedom Toolkit

Part IV | Select Quotes from Church Leaders

Category G | Extrinsic Benefits

Topic 38 | Religious freedom as a tool for peacemaking

While peace and peacemaking are central concepts in most religions, religion and religious freedom are often viewed as a major source of contention, conflict, and even violence. However, studies belie that perception, showing that high levels of religious freedom actually defuse religious violence and foster peaceful societies. Moreover, religious individuals and organizations are uniquely positioned to contribute to peacemaking and peacebuilding processes.

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President Russell M. Nelson: The world is in need of peacemakers who model Christ-like behavior in their interactions with others.  

“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. . . .
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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. . . .

[H]ow we treat each other really matters! How we speak to and about others at home, at church, at work, and online really matters. I am asking us to interact with others in a higher, holier way. . . . ‘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. . . .

You have your agency to choose contention or reconciliation. I urge you to choose to be a peacemaker, now and always. . . .

[W]e 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.”

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President Dallin H. Oakes: Religious leaders and organizations should seek peaceful solutions to seeming conflicts between religious freedom and nondiscrimination.

I earnestly invite all religious leaders and associations to coalesce more effectively—and that often means out of court—to seek peaceful resolution of painful conflicts between religious freedom and nondiscrimination. This does not require an examination of doctrinal differences or even our many common elements of belief. All that is necessary for unity and a broad coalition to promote our common need for religious freedom is our shared conviction that God has commanded us to love one another, including our neighbors with different beliefs and cultures. This invites all believers, as President Russell M. Nelson has challenged our members, to ‘expand our circle of love to embrace the whole human family.’”

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See also Religious Freedom Library