This two-day conference on “War and Peace in Our Times: Mormon Perspectives” was jointly hosted by the Claremont LDS Council of Mormon Studies and the Joan B. Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame. The conference was held at the Claremont Graduate University on March 18-19, 2011.

The welcome from Deborah A. Freund, president of Claremont Graduate University, and Richard L. Bushman, Hunter Chair of Mormon Studies, is here.

The closing plenary session with comments by Richard Bushman, Kerry Kartchner, and Patrick Mason is here.

Conference Schedule

Friday, March 18

Welcome from CGU representative Richard Bushman

1:15 – 2:30 Session 1 – The Book of Mormon I

F. R. Rick Duran, “Pax Sanctorum: From the Plates, a Pacifist Manifesto,”
Joshua Madson, “A Nonviolent Reading of the Book of Mormon,” and Robert Rees, “Children of Light: How the Nephites Sustained Two Centuries of Peace”

2:45 – 4:00 Session 2 – The Book of Mormon II

Morgan Deane, “The Narrow Strip of Wilderness in the Modern Age: Strategic Lessons from the Book of Mormon,” Graham St. John Stott, “Reading Gaza in the Book of Mormon,” and J. David Pulsipher, “The Ammonite Conundrum”

4:00 – 4:30 Plenary discussion of Sessions 1 & 2

4:45 – 6:00 Session 3 – Doctrine & Covenants 98

Ron Madson, “Section 98: The Immutable ‘Rejected’ Covenant,” Gordon Thomasson, “‘Renounce War and Proclaim Peace’: Reflections on Mormon Attempts at Peacemaking,” and Kerry Kartchner, “The Lord’s Promise to Fight Our Battles: A Commentary on D&C 98:33-37”

6:30 – 7:30 Dinner

8:00 – 9:00 Keynote speaker – Elder Lance B. Wickman, Emeritus General Authority and decorated Army veteran

Saturday, March 19

9:00 – 10:15 Session 4 – Historical Perspectives

Jennifer Lindell, “Fall from Grace: Mormon Millennialism, Native Americans, and Violence,” Mark Ashurst-McGee, “Zion as a Refuge from the Wars of Nations: Cultural Resource or Impediment?” and Robert Hellebrand, “General Conference Addresses during Times of War”

10:30 – 11:15 Session 5 – In Defense of Peace

A panel discussion led by Eric Jensen and Kerry Kartchner

11:30 – 12:45 Session 6 – Prominent Voices

D. Michael Quinn, “Pacifist Counselor in the First Presidency: J. Reuben Clark, 1933-61,”
Boyd Petersen, “‘The Work of Death’: Hugh Nibley and War,” and Loyd Ericson, “Eugene England’s Theology of Peace”

1:00 – 2:45 Lunch; View and discuss film Trouble in Zion

3:00 – 4:15 Session 7 – News from the Front

Chaplain Kathryn Stucki, “The Physical, Mental and Spiritual Impact of Serving in the Military and in War on Modern Day Mormons,” Eric Eliason, “Latter-day Saint Views on Current Conflicts: An LDS Chaplain’s Perspective,” and Major Jonathan Petty

4:30 – 5:45 Session 8 – International Perspectives

Jesse Fulcher, “Nonviolent Responses and Mormon Attitudes: Reasons and Realities,”
Ethan Yorgason, “Negotiating War and Peace in Korea: A Comparison of U.S. Military and Korean Latter-day Saints,” and Chad Ford, “From This Place: International Worldviews of War and Peace at BYU Hawaii”

5:45 – 6:30 Closing plenary discussion, with introductory comments by Kerry Kartchner, Richard Bushman, and Patrick Mason.

Papers from the conference were later published by Greg Kofford Books: