{"id":606372,"date":"2026-04-25T22:28:13","date_gmt":"2026-04-25T22:28:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/606372\/"},"modified":"2026-04-25T22:28:13","modified_gmt":"2026-04-25T22:28:13","slug":"observing-a-master-class-in-peace-building-from-beyond-the-moon-church-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/606372\/","title":{"rendered":"Observing a master class in peace building from beyond the moon \u2013 Church News"},"content":{"rendered":"

As the world watched from 252,756 miles away, the Artemis II mission crew set a new record for human spaceflight on April 6, 2026. These four astronauts \u2014 Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen \u2014 traveled behind the moon, observed the lunar surface and emerged on the other side. <\/p>\n

The photos from their historic journey are awe-inspiring: intricate details of craters, the small sliver of the earth rising behind the moon, a glowing halo of sunlight and the smiling faces of the four astronauts. <\/p>\n

As their capsule approached the moon, Glover spoke in a livestream video about what he called \u201cone of the most important mysteries on earth.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cAnd that\u2019s love,\u201d he said. \u201cChrist said in response to \u2018what was the greatest command\u2019 that it was \u2018to love God with all that you are.\u2019 And he also, being a great teacher, said the second is equal to it, and that is \u2018love your neighbor as yourself.\u2019\u201d <\/p>\n

\"\"This image from video provided by NASA shows the Artemis II crew, from left, Commander Reid Wiseman, mission specialist Christina Koch, pilot Victor Glover and Canadian astronaut and mission specialist Jeremy Hansen as they answer media questions during a video conference Wednesday, April 8, 2026. | NASA via Associated Press <\/p>\n

While their mission was filled with dazzling and wondrous views, one of the most extraordinary achievements of the whole mission came as the world witnessed the friendship \u2014 the love \u2014 among the astronauts. <\/p>\n

These four individuals became one. <\/p>\n

\u201cI will miss this comradery,\u201d said Koch. \u201cWe are close like brothers and sisters, and that is a privilege.\u201d<\/p>\n

Said Hansen: \u201cWe\u2019re glad that we can remind people that we can do better as a human race by lifting one another up and collaborating.\u201d <\/p>\n

Said Wiseman: \u201cWe launched as friends, and we came back as best friends.\u201d<\/p>\n

After being welcomed home with a small parade in his hometown, Glover spoke to his neighbors from his front yard: \u201cLet\u2019s be this more. Let\u2019s be neighbors.\u201d <\/p>\n

This love in action is peacemaking in action \u2014 with life-changing results. Many people around the world observed the Artemis mission and have been inspired by their words and actions. <\/p>\n

\"\"This image provided by NASA, astronaut and Artemis II mission specialist Christina Koch peers out of one of the Orion spacecraft’s main cabin windows, looking back at Earth, as the crew travels towards the Moon on Thursday, April 2, 2026. | NASA via the Associated Press <\/p>\n

At the same time the four astronauts were approaching the moon, Church President Dallin H. Oaks<\/a> stood at the pulpit of the Conference Center in Salt Lake City and quoted the Savior\u2019s words on loving one\u2019s neighbors. <\/p>\n

From Matthew 5:43\u201344<\/a>: \u201cYe have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.\u201d <\/p>\n

Said President Oaks<\/a>: \u201cWhat a revolutionary teaching for personal relationships! Love even your enemies. But who are our enemies? The full meaning of enemies in the sources from which King James\u2019 translators chose the word \u201denemies” includes military foes but even extends to any who actively oppose one another. Today we might say that we are commanded to love our adversaries. All mortals are beloved children of God.\u201d<\/p>\n

We don\u2019t have to go to space to see the world change through this kind of peacemaking President Oaks is referring to.<\/p>\n

\"PresidentPresident Dallin H. Oaks and President Henry B. Eyring talk prior to the Sunday afternoon session of the 196th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, held at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, April 5, 2026. | Jeffrey D. Allred for the Deseret News <\/p>\n

\u201cHow it would change the world if followers of Christ would forgo harsh and hurtful words in all their communications,\u201d he said<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Jesus Christ has given us the greatest example to follow.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can follow the example of Jesus Christ, who is our role model, by choosing to love others \u2014 even if they show little or no love toward us,\u201d President Oaks taught.<\/p>\n

While studying his talk, I\u2019ve reflected on the people who have had an impact on my own life because of their peacemaking efforts: the Young Women leaders who encouraged our class to be kind to each other, the mission companions who sought to build friendships even when it wasn\u2019t easy, the family members who have forgiven each other for past disagreements. <\/p>\n

Even as I watch peacemaking on the global stage, it is the peacemaking among my own friends and family that is truly humbling.<\/p>\n

\"\"This image from video provided by NASA shows a view of earth taken by NASA astronaut and Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman from one of the Orion spacecraft’s four windows after completing the translunar injection burn, Thursday, April 2, 2026. | NASA via the Associated Press <\/p>\n

As President Oaks has echoed the Savior\u2019s command to \u201clove your enemies,\u201d I\u2019ve had to take a real look at my own words and actions toward others, and I\u2019ve felt a need to do more to be a peacemaker.<\/p>\n

This desire to improve can become overwhelming or discouraging. But the more I\u2019ve prayed to Heavenly Father for help, the more my thoughts have turned to His grace through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. <\/p>\n

The need for improvement that we all experience is the reason for our Heavenly Father\u2019s plan of salvation and the Savior Jesus Christ\u2019s Atonement. He knew we would fall short and need a Savior \u2014 even for the day-to-day mistakes in our efforts to become peacemakers. He knew and He provided the way. <\/p>\n

The Savior declared: \u201cI am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. …<\/p>\n

\u201cPeace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid\u201d (John 14:6, 27<\/a>). <\/p>\n

\u2014 Aimee Cobabe is a reporter for the Church News.<\/p>\n

\"\"The hands of the Christus statue in the Conference Center during the Saturday afternoon session of the the 196th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 4, 2026. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As the world watched from 252,756 miles away, the Artemis II mission crew set a new record for…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":606373,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[250622,79],"class_list":{"0":"post-606372","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-science","8":"tag-living-faith","9":"tag-science"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/606372","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=606372"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/606372\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/606373"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=606372"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=606372"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=606372"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}