Mormon church makes anti-war statement

["Hunter Gray" <hunterbadbear@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Note by Hunterbear:

This news -- reported by CNN and also featured on the front page of  our
local/regional Idaho newspaper -- will be surprising only to those who know
little or nothing of the Mormon church.  The 172nd Semi-Annual General
Conference has just been completed at Salt Lake -- and included 20,000
Mormon leaders.  The LDS church is now one of the largest Christian
denominations.  Other major denominations have just taken similar positions:
Roman Catholics, Episcopalians, United Methodists, etc.


Mormon church makes anti-war statement
Sunday, October 6, 2002 Posted: 3:50 PM EDT (1950 GMT)  SALT LAKE CITY, Utah
(AP) -- The Mormon church issued a strong anti-war message at its semiannual
General Conference, clearly referring to current hostilities in the Middle
East, advocating patience and negotiation, and urging the faithful to be
peacemakers.

"As a church, we must renounce war and proclaim peace," said Russell M.
Nelson, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' Quorum
of the Twelve Apostles, which acts under the direction of church President
Gordon B. Hinckley.

Nelson never directly referring to Iraq or current moves toward war, but he
mentioned the conflict in the Middle East and said "resolution of present
political problems will require much patience and negotiation."

The Golden Rule's prohibition of one interfering with the rights of others
was equally binding on nations and associations and left no room for
retaliatory reactions, Nelson said at the meeting Saturday.

Descendants of Abraham -- Christians, Jews and Muslims -- "are in a pivotal
position to emerge as peacemakers," he said.



Hunter Gray  [Hunterbear]
www.hunterbear.org
Protected by Na´shdo´i´ba´i´
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