John C. Wright has announced the Last Crusade. It is mostly silly, of course. But on the other hand, it is what most of us who have children are already doing. One has to stand against the great maw of modernity that is gaping wide to eat your kids up. It is easy to be gloomy and despairing about it.

In a 1975 conference talk, Brother H. Burke Petersen recited the usual gloomy statistics. Divorce, illegitimacy, and so on. They are all much worse now.

Then he turned to the words of the Lord.

But learn that he who doeth the works of righteousness shall receive his reward, even peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come.

Learn of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my Spirit, and you shall have peace in me

Our idea of peace is usually inactive. Peace of the grave, making a desert and calling it peace, a peace of victory won or victory lost, a peace of a house with no children and nothing to do.

But the Lord’s peace passeth all our understanding.

It is powerful and great. It moves.

A home with peace is like an infection of health. It draws people in. It sends strength and influence out.

P.S. I couldn’t pass over Ezra Taft Benson’s 1975 talk, “The Book of Mormon is the Word of God.” Shades of things to come.

Other Posts from the Saturday Afternoon Session of the April 1975 General Conference

• People To Match Our Message by Jan Tolman

• The greatest satisfaction by Marilyn Nielson