Blessed Are the Peacemakers: A Remembrance Day Tribute

Canadians, including members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, mark Remembrance Day at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. It is a time to reflect on the sacrifices of those in uniform who have sought to be makers of peace.

Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke about peacemaking during the October 2025 general conference: “In the troubled years of World War II, Elder John A. Widtsoe taught: ‘The only way to build a peaceful community is to build men and women who are lovers and makers of peace. Each individual, by that doctrine of Christ … holds in [their] hands the peace of the [whole] world’” (“Blessed Are the Peacemakers”).

Wisdom of a Father

Gail Haarsma of the Cole Harbour Ward describes her father, Alex Cuthbertson, a World War II veteran who joined the Canadian Armed Forces to protect our freedoms: “My father was raised on a farm in New Liskeard, Ontario, one of 12 children, who later moved with his family to Noranda, Québec, where his father worked in the mines. His early life was simple — hockey, baseball, school, work and music — but his experiences overseas changed him profoundly.”

Haarsma recalls her father’s wisdom, which he shared during a family oral history project: “Often we concentrate on the battles — the victories and defeats — and those who come back from war broken physically, psychologically and spiritually. My father also wanted to talk about things he experienced during the Italian conflict, his participation in the liberation of Holland and entry into Germany.”

Cuthbertson said, “I met people I never would have met otherwise. I’m a different person for having been in those situations. It’s a bigger world than the little place you live in. When I heard about atrocities, I formed opinions about people. I came to the realization after having met a bunch of these people, we have them in all societies, good and bad. And, they don’t have to be a nationality. They’re just people.”

That realization shaped the rest of his life. He learned to take people at face value and judge them by the content of their character.

Cuthbertson’s experiences also deepened his faith. He said, “I wasn’t religious, but I’d been taught there was a God in heaven, and I felt I was being looked after. I said, ‘If You’re up there, do your job and I’ll do mine.’ You can come to terms with it. It doesn’t make you less afraid, but it helps you go ahead and do what you have to — even if you’re scared to death, you do it anyway.”

Canadians Serving Overseas

Major Stephen D. Misner, also of the Cole Harbour Ward, has been serving in Canada’s Army Reserve for 29 years. He said Remembrance Day means more to him with each passing year.

“Early on, I experienced minimal attendance at Canada’s cenotaphs, and the only connection I had was the history that I was taught and my grandfather’s stories. This changed during the Afghanistan War and after, with the loss of friends. The dangers while operating outside of Canada became very real to me,” said Misner from his post in the Middle East. “The forces of evil are still there, and only the forces of good will hold back the tide. Our soldiers’ sacrifice continues to allow us to enjoy all our blessings, including the right to worship God as we choose.”

Learn Their Stories

Some people worry that future generations will forget these sacrifices. One way to make the sacrifices more meaningful is to learn stories like those of Cuthbertson’s and Misner’s.

Library and Archives Canada (LAC) is a key resource. Richard Provencher, LAC’s chief of media relations, said, “LAC is one of the most-consulted memory institutions for Remembrance Day. For some, we may be the best-kept secret in Canada.”

LAC maintains extensive Canadian service records. Learn more by visiting LAC’s Military History page.

Remembrance Day Traditions

One way to remember is through family traditions like those of Lisa and Greg Hall of the Coquitlam Ward in British Columbia.

“Each year, our family has participated in Remembrance Day services in our community. Our children have marched alongside veterans as Scouts and Girl Guides, and through those experiences, we’ve fostered a family culture of remembrance,” said Lisa. “Our hope has always been that our children would come to understand their responsibility to be not only peacekeepers, but also peacemakers as citizens and disciples of Jesus Christ.”

Remembering

Jay Glowa of the Montréal Québec Mount Royal Stake expressed gratitude for the legacies of those who have served, including his father, Fredrick Glowa: “I am proud to live in this country, proud of the heritage of those upon whose shoulders we stand,” Jay said. “Many paid the ultimate sacrifice. Others continue to suffer physically or mentally because they were willing to stand up for our rights and freedoms. What can we give to those who have given so much to preserve and sustain our way of life? Remembering may seem like a small thing in return. Remember them with gratitude, humility and a commitment to protect and preserve the freedoms.”

Fatima Glowa shares similar gratitude for the sacrifices of men and women in uniform: “As a woman, wife, mother, and now grandmother, my respect and gratitude for the sacrifices of all who have served have grown immeasurably with time. Each Remembrance Day, I offer a prayer of thanks — for their courage, their sacrifice and their love of country, given for everyone, even for strangers like me.”

Gary Palmer from the Winnipeg Manitoba West Stake’s Brandon Ward adds: “Remembrance Day memories should occupy a place front and centre in our minds. Remembrance is a close cousin to thankfulness because we are reminded of the blessings that we have received through not only our own efforts, but also the example, sacrifices, strivings and love of others, including the Saviour Himself.”

This Remembrance Day, may we learn from those who serve and protect us — and strive to become lovers and makers of peace in our own communities.