Peace Palaces: Edifices of Peace and Justice
Thoughts on the Hague Temple and the Peace Palace

by Robert Poort

Above pictures of two buildings in The Hague, The Netherlands: the The Hague Temple and the Peace Palace. The temple, "the House of the Lord," is the residence of the Prince of Peace: the Lord Jesus Christ. The Peace Palace is the seat of the International Court of Justice and the Permanent Court of Arbitration, the principle judicial organ of the United Nations.
The close proximity of the Temple and the Peace Palace provides beautiful symbolism of how peace and justice are inseparately connected.

A visit to the temple brings a profound feeling of peace to one's heart. Bringing peace to a troubled world, bringing peace to our communities, as we are called to do by the prophets, finds its deepest expression if this desire comes from within the soul, heart, and mind of an individual child of God, at peace with God and all people. In an individualistic and materialistic society, "the hearts of the children" are hardly inclined to turn to "their fathers," but rather turn to ego and greed. But in the house of the Lord, the abode of the Prince of Peace, we can come to our spiritual senses, put things in eternal perspective, obtain peace. Being at peace is a necessary component and prerequisite of justice, for without peace there cannot be justice.

President Heber C. Grant declared that "the Church . . . cannot regard war as a righteous means of settling international disputes; these should and could be settled--the nations agreeing--by peaceful negotiation and adjustment." The Peace Palace at The Hague houses the International Court of Justice and the Permanent Court of Arbitration. The main role of this United Nations organization is to decide legal disputes between countries and to give advisory opinions on legal questions.

Also at The Hague, in a different building, is the International Criminal Court: The vision of the International Criminal Court can be conveyed in these words of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan: "Our struggle is to ensure that no ruler, no state, no junta and no army anywhere can abuse human rights with impunity. Only then will the innocents of distant wars and conflicts know that they, too, may sleep under the cover of justice, that they, too, have rights, and that those who violate those rights will be punished."

Walking the halls of the Peace Palace, reading the proceedings of the trials of crimes against humanity, makes one realize how desperately this world is in need of justice. Without peace, there cannot be justice; without justice there cannot be peace.


Joseph F. Smith: For years it has been held that peace comes only by preparation for war; the present conflict should prove that peace comes only by preparing for peace, through training the people in righteousness and justice, and selecting rulers who respect the righteous will of the people.1

Heber J. Grant, J. Reuben Clark & David O. McKay: [T]he Church is and must be against war....It cannot regard war as a righteous means of settling international disputes; these should and could be settled--the nations agreeing--by peaceful negotiation and adjustment.2

George Albert Smith, J. Reuben Clark & David O. McKay: By building a huge armed establishment, we shall belie our protestations of peace and peaceful intent and force other nations to a like course of militarism...3

Spencer W. Kimball, N. Eldon Tanner & Marion G. Romney: While recognizing the need for strength to repel any aggressor, we are enjoined by the word of God to "renounce war and proclaim peace." We call upon the heads of nations to sit down and reason together in good faith to resolve their differences.4

Spencer W. Kimball: We are a warlike people...When enemies rise up, we commit vast resources to the fabrication of gods of stone and steel--ships, planes, missiles, fortifications--and depend on them for protection and deliverance. When threatened, we become anti-enemy instead of pro-kingdom of God; we train a man in the art of war and call him a patriot, thus, in the manner of Satan's counterfeit of true patriotism, perverting the Savior's teaching: "Love your enemies..."5

Spencer W. Kimball: Father, we are concerned with the political world of today and that nations seem to need only the lighting of a match to bring war and desolation and destruction. Bless, we pray thee, the leaders of nations, that they may rule wisely and righteously and give thy people freedom to worship thee in truth and righteousness. Stay the powers, our Father, that would bring us to the brink of annihilation. 5a

Russell M. Nelson: Because of the long history of hostility upon the earth, many feel that peace is beyond hope. I disagree. Peace is possible....Resolution of present political problems will require much patience and negotiation. The process would be enhanced greatly if pursued prayerfully.6

Eugene England: LDS theology offers a guide to better conduct. I believe its fundamental message is that "effective pacifism"--even unilateral disarmament if accompanied by massive efforts to extend intelligent, creative, tough-minded but loving help to other nations...--is the ideal solution, the only one that could make our enemies no longer enemies...7

Edwin Brown Firmage: Jesus knew that no dispute is finally solved by violence. The underlying cause usually remains, simply exacerbated by the evil progeny spawned by war: hatred of our brothers and sisters, as if they were somehow fundamentally different from ourselves; the teaching and glorification of violence; lust; ignorance; propaganda; and suffering, starvation, disease, and death.8

NOTES
1. Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine, comp. John Widtsoe (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1939), 421.
2. In Messages of the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, comp. James R. Clark, 6 vols. (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1965-75), 6:158.
3. In Messages of the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 6:241.
4. "Christmas Message from the First Presidency," Church News (20 Dec. 1980): 3.
5. Spencer W. Kimball, "The False Gods We Worship," Ensign (June 1976): 4.
5a Spencer W. Kimball, Temple Dedicatory Prayer Washington DC Temple 19-22 Nov 1974
6. Russell M. Nelson, "Blessed Are the Peacemakers," Ensign (Nov. 2002): 39.
7. Eugene England, "Can Nations Love Their Enemies?", Dialogues With Myself (Midvale, UT: Orion Books, 1984), 148.
8. Edwin Brown Firmage, "Violence and the Gospel: The Teachings of the Old Testament, the New Testament, and the Book of Mormon," BYU Studies 25 (Winter 1985):40.

5-2005 R.Poort MESJ/MVG