He urged each person to consider the small acts that nurture peace, such as softening words in moments of conflict, offering sincere apologies when warranted, and choosing to build up rather than tear down. He emphasized that children often model the pure inclinations we hope to cultivate, and that adults can learn from the simplicity and sincerity of a child s willingness to forgive and to extend kindness without calculation.

Elder Stevenson stressed that peacemaking is not weakness. He taught that peacemakers must sometimes show great courage, exercising strength to do what is right while also offering mercy and seeking reconciliation. He reminded listeners that the Lord s pattern for peacemaking includes persuasion, long suffering, gentleness, kindness, meekness and love unfeigned. When families practice those attributes, homes can become the primary training ground for peace.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.”

Peacemaking in the Home and Family

According to Elder Stevenson, the home is the first and most important place where peacemaking must be practiced. Families are the laboratory in which children learn to manage differences, show compassion and experience forgiveness. He counseled parents and children to create a home environment that intentionally reduces contention and increases opportunities for understanding and unity.

He offered practical counsel for creating a contention free home zone. When disagreement arises, pause and choose words and actions that restore rather than inflame. Simple habits of pausing, listening and replying with kindness will change the tone of family conversations and model for children how to treat others even under stress. When repeated consistently, those small responses become powerful influences that shape character and strengthen familial bonds.

Elder Stevenson shared examples of families who turned potential conflict into growth by choosing patience rather than quick reaction. In those families, individuals practiced asking for forgiveness and offering it freely. They learned to look past immediate hurt and to view each other as children of God, which helped them to repair wounds and to reunite in love. Such transformations are evidence that the Lord s pattern for peacemaking works when it is pursued with humility and persistence.

“Peacemaking still begins in the most basic place — in our hearts. Then in homes and families. As we practice there, peacemaking will spread into our neighborhoods and communities.”

Peacemaking in the Digital Age

The Apostle acknowledged the reality of the digital world and invited listeners to consider how online interactions can either build bridges or widen divides. He urged digital bridge building, a habit of pausing before posting, replying or commenting online and asking whether the message will build a bridge. If the answer is no, he encouraged individuals to refrain from posting and instead to share goodness and to publish peace in the place of hate.

Social media offers the opportunity to influence many. Elder Stevenson highlighted the responsibility that accompanies that opportunity. He asked members to guard their online words and to use digital platforms to uplift rather than to wound. The habit of choosing to build bridges will contribute to a healthier online environment and will reflect a Christlike commitment to love and to respect others.

He also reminded listeners that private digital interactions can be an extension of family ministry. Sending a kind message to a frustrated friend, offering support to someone who is struggling or choosing not to escalate an argument will all demonstrate the quiet power of peacemaking. Those small decisions reverberate and can soften hearts that once seemed unresponsive to kindness.

“Before posting, replying or commenting online, ask, ‘Will this build a bridge?’ If not, stop. Do not send. Instead, share goodness. Publish peace in the place of hate.”

The One Week Peacemaker Plan

Elder Stevenson invited families and individuals to participate in a simple, three step plan designed to build peacemaking habits over the course of one week. He presented an approach that is both intentional and achievable. The plan begins with creating an environment at home that seeks to avoid contention, followed by a purposeful effort to improve online behavior and finally by reaching out to repair relationships that are strained.

Part of the plan calls for each family member to seek out a strained relationship in order to apologize, to minister and to make efforts toward reconciliation. That outreach honors the Lord s emphasis on unity and on the necessity of making things right when they are broken. Reaching out in humility and with a sincere heart can heal wounds and restore trust.

Elder Stevenson emphasized that peacemaking requires both courage and compromise without ever surrendering basic principles. He taught that true peacemakers hold fast to truth and at the same time show compassion. Being a peacemaker therefore is a mark of spiritual maturity and of Christlike discipleship.

“When contention begins, pause and reboot with kind words and deeds.”

“Each family member could seek out a strained relationship in order to apologize, minister, repair and reunite.”

Notable Quotes from the Address

“To be peacemakers, we forgive others and deliberately build others up instead of tearing them down.”

“We fulfill our divine role as children of a loving Heavenly Father as we strive to become peacemakers.”

These words summarize Elder Stevenson s invitation to live peace in intentional ways. They emphasize forgiveness, deliberate building of others and the identity of every person as a child of God. Implementing those principles in homes and communities creates a ripple of gospel influence that strengthens society and blesses families.

His counsel is practical and applicable. It is rooted in scripture and in the example of the Savior. When individuals choose to act on those invitations, communities become kinder and more resilient. The practice of peacemaking produces real results in relationships that matter most.

Elder Stevenson s address was a clear call to make Christlike peace a daily discipline. He asked listeners to practice small acts consistently until they become habit and until they shape the culture of homes and neighborhoods into places where reconciliation is sought and where charity prevails.

About Elder Gary E. Stevenson

Elder Gary E. Stevenson was sustained as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in October 2015. Prior to that calling he served as Presiding Bishop. His life of service has included extensive missionary work, leadership positions overseas and active participation in temple dedications. He and his wife, Sister Lesa Jean Higley Stevenson, were married in 1979 and are the parents of four sons.

He has spent significant time living and serving in Japan where he first served as a missionary and later as mission president and area leader. Those experiences deepened his appreciation for international ministry and for the diverse cultures of the Church worldwide. He has also ministered extensively throughout the Americas and has participated in numerous Church events that focus on strengthening families and encouraging missionary service.

Elder Stevenson continues to emphasize the centrality of Jesus Christ in personal and family life. He consistently counsels members to center their lives on the Savior, to honor the covenants of the temple and to seek opportunities to serve others. His messages frequently blend doctrinal clarity with practical counsel that can be applied at home and in communities.

Recent Ministry Highlights

During 2025 Elder Stevenson participated in a variety of ministering and leadership assignments. He spoke at the April 2025 General Conference where he encouraged members to make Jesus Christ the center of their lives. He met with representatives of faith communities and civic organizations to strengthen mutual understanding and cooperation between groups.

He ministered in several countries in South America and took part in temple dedications and centennial events that highlighted the growth of the gospel in those areas. He has also addressed graduates at academic institutions and has participated in seminars for mission leaders where he emphasized the importance of personal conversion and missionary preparation.

Those assignments reflect a ministry that is global in scope and focused on helping families and individuals draw closer to Christ. His efforts emphasize the practical ways that doctrine can be lived daily through acts of service, reconciliation and faith.