The Art of Healthy Conflict

Several years ago a friend confided that she was completely disengaging from political discourse. She decided to not only stop reading the news but to stop talking about politics in any setting. She hated how toxic politics had become, and she disliked the discomfort of disagreeing with people she liked. Although hers is a common story, her solution—staying away from politics entirely—isn’t ideal.

One of the tragedies of America’s current politics is a vicious cycle where contemptuous and hateful discourse scares away many who are thoughtful, curious, and open-minded and leaves the battlefield of ideas to those who are most angry and opinionated. It’s worth contemplating how our politics might be different if town council meetings, school board meetings, state legislative hearings, and the inboxes of elected officials at every level were filled with peacemakers on all sides who debated their views with humility and respect. How might the ranks of legislative bodies look if more peacemakers showed up to town halls, caucus meetings, and meet-the-candidate events to ask candidates not only about their views on immigration, taxes, or healthcare policy but about their willingness to disagree with dignity? Surely we need more, not fewer, peacemakers choosing to participate in politics. 

As someone who works in public policy, I’ve been grateful for the clear guidance from my faith leaders on how to participate in politics without becoming bitter or hateful. As affective polarization, divisive rhetoric, and political violence in the United States have increased over the past ten years, leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have spoken with increasing frequency and urgency on the importance of unity and the responsibility of Christians to serve as peacemakers, not just in a faith setting but in the emotionally charged political arena. 

A few examples among many are helpful. In his April 2023 sermon, “Peacemakers Needed,” President Russel M. Nelson taught, “As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are to be examples of how to interact with others—especially when we have differences of opinion.”