Jet Mariano

Tag: Peacemakers Needed

  • President Russell M. Nelson (1924–2025) — A Tribute | Marked In Time

    One of yesterday’s frames at Deseret Peak. Thank you, President Nelson, for teaching me where peace lives—inside the temple, inside covenants.

    Excerpt

    Nearly eight years he pointed us to Christ, the temple, and higher thinking. I saw one change up close: the move from LDS.org to ChurchofJesusChrist.org—sacred identity, careful work, and no lost mail.

    Intro

    Last night I felt both loss and gratitude. President Nelson’s invitations—think celestial, be a peacemaker, focus on the temple—have become a rhythm for me. One moment from his ministry is personal: I was on the support email engineering team during the transition from LDS.org to ChurchofJesusChrist.org and the updated Church symbol. Behind the scenes, we prayed, planned, and tested so identity would be clear and messages wouldn’t drop. MX, routing rules, list servers, SPF, DKIM, and countless aliases—all touched, all safeguarded so the Lord’s work could keep moving without a missed heartbeat.

    Notes from President Nelson

    • Correct the name of the Church and center everything on Jesus Christ.
    • Focus on the temple; go more often; live inside your covenants.
    • Home centered, Church supported worship; two hour Sunday schedule.
    • From home teaching to ministering—people over checklists.
    • Accelerate temple building; take covenants to more of God’s children.
    • Keep the Restoration moving; methods can adjust while doctrine remains.
    • Peacemakers needed; lift our gaze—think celestial.

    Witness — two moments that shaped him

    • 1976 flight: in a small prop plane, an engine “burst open and caught on fire,” the aircraft dropped in a spiral, the flames went out, and they landed safely.
    • 2009 Mozambique: armed robbers put a gun to his head and pulled the trigger—“the gun did not fire”—and he and Sister Wendy felt the Lord’s peace and protection.

    Foundation parallel — Salt Lake Temple and spiritual earthquakes

    President Nelson used the renovation of the Salt Lake Temple’s foundation as a living parable. Engineers are reinforcing stone to withstand earthquakes and time; likewise, we take “extraordinary measures” to strengthen our personal spiritual foundations so we can stand steady when life shakes.

    “Whenever any kind of upheaval occurs in your life, the safest place to be spiritually is living inside your temple covenants.”
    A simple promise, and it matches my experience: when I live inside covenants, spiritual earthquakes don’t topple me—they tutor me.

    Perspective — direct quotes

    “I promise that increased time in the temple will bless your life in ways nothing else can.”
    “Whenever any kind of upheaval occurs in your life, the safest place to be spiritually is living inside your temple covenants.”

    Practice — today, not someday

    • Temple rhythm: two visits a week when possible, with time to linger in the Celestial Room.
    • Ministering: one person to love and lift this week—quietly.
    • Peacemaking: choose the soft answer once a day.
    • Think celestial: make one decision with eternity in mind.

    Final Reflection

    Deseret Peak yesterday surprised me—the far drive, the light under the arch, and a whisper I needed. Layton’s pools, Syracuse’s grasses, Taylorsville’s familiar glow, Saratoga Springs where I first learned to notice the nudge—each room speaks differently, yet the message is the same: build on Christ. President Nelson’s legacy feels very close to the ground for me—temples and small daily choices that shape a life. Foundations strengthened. Identity clarified. The work moves forward.

    Pocket I’m Keeping

    Safest place spiritually—inside my temple covenants.

    What I Hear Now — direct quotes

    Focus on the temple.
    Think celestial.

    © 2012–2025 Jet Mariano. All rights reserved.
    For usage terms, please see the Legal Disclaimer.

  • “Peacemakers Needed” – President Russell M Nelson

    Salt Lake Temple, sunset from the JSB window. Waiting for the flare taught me: contention is toxic—anger never persuades; hostility builds no one. Be a peacemaker.

    BTS (behind the shot): From the Joseph Smith Building, shooting through the window glass with my trusty 14–24mm f/2.8 at 14mm. I bracketed exposures and waited for the sun to flare behind Moroni without losing the cloud detail. Patience, angle, and a clean pane made the rays sing.

    Excerpt

    When words run hot, the Spirit runs quiet. President Russell M. Nelson’s call—“Peacemakers Needed”—reminds me that covenant disciples build and bless, even under fire. Today I’m choosing to cool my speech, lift my neighbors, and let charity do the heavy lifting.

    Intro

    The world feels loud. But on the temple roofline tonight, light broke through and stitched the sky together. President Nelson’s sermon lands the same way: direct, steady, hopeful. Peacemakers aren’t passive; they’re disciplined disciples who speak higher and holier. This post is my small practice at that.

    Notes from President Nelson (Sep 2023)

    • Contention is toxic and common—even at home. “Anger never persuades. Hostility builds no one. Contention never leads to inspired solutions. Regrettably, we sometimes see contentious behavior even within our own ranks… spouses and children belittled, angry outbursts used to control, ‘silent treatment,’ youth who bully, and employees who defame colleagues.”
    • Contention is evil. “Make no mistake about it: contention is evil! Jesus Christ declared that those who have ‘the spirit of contention’ are not of Him but are ‘of the devil’… Those who foster contention are taking a page out of Satan’s playbook.”
    • What people really need from us. “If a couple in your ward gets divorced… a missionary returns early… a teenager doubts his testimony—they do not need your judgment. They need to experience the pure love of Jesus Christ in your words and actions.”
      “If a friend on social media has strong views that violate everything you believe in, an angry, cutting retort will not help. Build bridges of understanding.”
    • Peacemaking is a covenant choice. We can choose contention or reconciliation; charity is the antidote and the temple empowers us to cast the adversary out of our relationships.
    • Our standard of speech: If anything is “virtuous, lovely, of good report, or praiseworthy,” say that—to faces and behind backs.

    Perspective

    Peacemaking isn’t “peace at any price.” It’s covenant keeping with our mouths, our posts, and our reactions. The temple in view—Salt Lake—reminds me: God gathers, builds, and refines. If I’m with Him, my words should too.

    Practice (today, not someday)

    • Pause before post. If it won’t lift, it won’t live on my feed.
    • Bridge the gap. Ask one sincere question where I disagree.
    • Name the good. Offer one specific, praiseworthy sentence to someone who needs it.
    • Close the loop. Repair one relationship where my words cooled the room.

    Final Reflection

    Light rays don’t fight the clouds—they pass through and transform them. Peacemakers do the same with hard moments. Charity takes the sharpness out of sentences and puts strength back into souls.

    Pocket I’m Keeping (one-liner)

    “Charity is the antidote to contention.”

    What I Hear Now (direct quotes from President Nelson)

    • “Anger never persuades. Hostility builds no one. Contention never leads to inspired solutions.”
    • “Contention is a choice. Peacemaking is a choice.”
    • “Make no mistake about it: contention is evil!”
    • “If there is anything virtuous, lovely, of good report, or praiseworthy we can say about another… that should be our standard of communication.”
    • “Now is the time to bury your weapons of war. The pure love of Christ is the answer to the contention that ails us today.”

    Link to the talk

    President Russell M. Nelson — “Peacemakers Needed.” (Official text/video on ChurchofJesusChrist.org)

    © 2012–2025 Jet Mariano. All rights reserved.
    For usage terms, please see the Legal Disclaimer.

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