The War in Iraq

Whereas:

The decision of the United States government to invade Iraq was based on deception and manipulated intelligence to falsely convince the American public that the Iraqi regime was a threat to United States national security;

There was never an operational link between foreign forces who attacked the United States on September 11, 2001 and the Iraqi government;

The United Nations inspection team was never allowed to determine if weapons of mass destruction existed in Iraq by President Bush before ordering the invasion of that country;

The United States armed forces are now embroiled into a sectarian conflict among competing ethnic factions of the Iraqi people;

The United States continued armed presence in Iraq has created an enclave for terrorist forces to exist in the country and is threatening regional and international security;

The protracted conflict in Iraq initiated by the US invasion of that country has led to the unnecessary slaughter of at least 150000 Iraqi civilians and the deaths of well over 3,000 American servicemen and women;

And whereas:

The Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are commanded to..."sue for peace, not only to the people that have smitten you, but to all people; And lift up an ensign of peace, and
make a proclamation of peace unto the ends of the earth." (D&C 105:38-39);

The First Presidency of the LDS Church issued a proclamation in 1942 that the "Church is and must be against war. The Church cannot wage war unless and until the Lord shall issue new commands. 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." (A message from the First Presidency: 112th Annual General Conference of the Church. Conference Report, Apr. 1942, 88-97);

"While recognizing the need for strength to repel any aggressor, weare enjoined by the word of God to Renounce War and Proclaim Peace!" (First Presidency: Spencer W. Kimball, N. Eldon Tanner & Marion G. Romney, Church News; 20 Dec.1980);

Nations should not rush to war; for the Nephites were…"taught never to give an offense, yea, and never to raise a sword except it were against an enemy, except it were to preserve their lives". (Book of
Mormon: Alma 48:14);

Our current Prophet stated; "We call upon the Lord …to bring an end to the conflict, an end that will result in a better life for all concerned…" (Discourses of President Gordon B. Hinckley; April, 2003, Vol. 2);

Now therefore let it be resolved that:

As Latter-day Saints we call upon the United States government to work out an exit strategy from Iraq that withdraws United States armed forces from Iraq as soon as possible;

The United States should declare through the UN an all Arab international peace keeping stabilization force in Iraq;

The Iraqi government must promote national reconciliation among all the country’s indigenous ethnic factions and their affiliated armed groups and/or militias;

We call on the United States government to return total control of Iraqi natural resources to the hands of the Iraqi government.

We call on the United States Government to provide financial support to an independent Iraqi government to rebuild the country's infrastructure and create jobs so as to somewhat alleviate the economic destruction brought on by U.S. military involvement in Iraq.

adopted 9 August 2007