This evening, it was announced that President Russell M. Nelson had passed away at the age of 101. He has been the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since January 2018. His biography and ministry are readily available online; therefore, I won’t reference them here.

I wanted to share three key messages that President Nelson emphasised that will benefit the moral leader.

Peacemakers Needed

In April 2023, President Nelson urged all people to be peacemakers. As our world has become more venomous and contentious, “civility and decency seem to have disappeared during this era of polarisation and passionate disagreements.” President Nelson said, “I am greatly concerned that so many people seem to believe that it is completely acceptable to condemn, malign, and vilify anyone who does not agree with them. Many seem eager to damage another’s reputation with pathetic and pithy barbs!“

• Anger never persuades.
• Hosility builds no one.
• Contention never leads to inspired solutions.

Instead, our standard of communication to a person’s face or behind their back should be:

• Virtuous.
• Lovely.
• Of good report.
• Praiseworthy.

“How we treat each other really matters! How we speak to and about others at home, at church, at work, and online really matters.”

The Power of Spiritual Momentum

In April 2022, President Nelson suggested five actions that can build and maintain positive spiritual momentum.

• Get on the covenant path and stay there.
• Discover the joy of daily repentance.
• Learn about God and how He works.
• Seek and expect miracles.
• End conflict in your personal life.

Ending personal conflict is essential to being a peacemaker. “I repeat my call to end the conflicts in your life. Exercise the humility, courage, and strength required both to forgive and to seek forgiveness.” By resolving our internal conflict, we are better able to resolve external conflicts that exist. We are better able to act with stability and fortitude as moral leaders.

Confidence in the Presence of God

President Nelson’s April 2025 message invites everyone to approach God with confidence right now by following the Lord’s instruction to “Let thy bowels … be full of charity towards all men, … and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God.”

He taught that “true charity towards all men is the hallmark of peacemakers! It is imperative that we have charity in our discourse, both public and private.”

“The Lord tells us to garnish our thoughts unceasingly with virtue. Virtue makes everything better and happier! On the other hand, imagine what will happen when you add virtue to an impure thought, a cruel thought, or a depressing thought. Virtue will drive away those thoughts. Virtue will free you from anxious, troublesome thoughts.

“Our thoughts, words, and actions need to be unfailingly virtuous and filled with the pure love of Jesus Christ towards all men. The great opportunity before us is to become the people God needs us to be.”

Conclusion

We can learn from President Nelson’s teachings and life that a hallmark of a moral leader is to be a peacemaker in all we do. When we seek to resolve personal conflict, communicate with goodness, and become virtuous, having charity towards all, we lead with power and light.