President Nelson has been known for many great messages and achievements, from urging us to “think celestial” to reminding us to take our spiritual vitamins; from to announcing 200 new temples to inviting us to follow a higher and holier way. To me, one of his lasting legacies will be his promotion of peacemaking, even during difficult times. He taught peacemaking in many talks over the years, including his 1989 sermon “The Canker of Contention” and his 2002 talk “Blessed Are the Peacemakers.” It is clear that promoting peace was an important Christlike characteristic to him.

Perhaps his most prominent peace promotion was his life-changing 2023 Palm Sunday talk “Peacemakers Needed,” when he urged listeners to “be peacemakers, now and forever.” He began by recounting an angry outburst by a fellow doctor during a surgery decades ago, resulting in an infected scalpel landing in young Dr. Nelson’s arm. President Nelson said, “I find myself wondering if the contaminated scalpel…was any more toxic than the venomous contention that infects our civic dialogue and too many personal relationships today.”

He continued to outline how true disciples strive to follow the Savior’s teaching from the Sermon on the Mount: “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God” (Matthew 5:9). After all, Jesus is the Prince of Peace. President Nelson expounded on this principle by teaching that peacemakers strive to be kind and respectful toward fellow human beings, even when they disagree with them. It is normal to feel strong emotions, but the prophet emphasized that it is important that we do not turn to hostility and contention in these moments. He said, “I bless you to replace belligerence with beseeching, animosity with understanding, and contention with peace.”

The most important times to promote peace are in times of great disagreements and tragic events–when it is especially hard to be a peacemaker. In just the past month alone, we have experienced horrible events where people have tragically lost their lives because of the unimaginable decisions of others. Strikingly, these events happened mere days and weeks after President Nelson delivered his last public message in TIME magazine, wishing for people to recognize human dignity and strive to be peacemakers.

President Nelson’s TIME article urged us to “[i]magine how different our world could be if more of us were peacemakers–building bridges of understanding rather than walls of prejudice–especially with those who may see the world differently than we do.” Peacemaking is

not sitting back without advocating for change, but rather advocating with kindness and understanding–the only way we can make the necessary changes to improve the world.

He stated, “[a] century of experience has taught me this with certainty: anger never persuades, hostility never heals, and contention never leads to lasting solutions. Too much of today’s public discourse, especially online, fosters enmity instead of empathy.”

Latter-day saint speaker Sheri Dew famously taught that “prophets can see around corners.” I do not believe that President Nelson’s peacemaking messages were merely a coincidence, but rather timely prophetic revelations for us to become more like the Prince of Peace in a time when hostility and division are at such a high level.

Engaging in hostility and contention is a stain on President Nelson’s memory. I am confident that he would want us to instead stand firm as peacemakers as we endure these heartbreaking tragedies, rather than stoop down to more violence, uninhibited anger and resentment, and cutting retorts. His last birthday wish was for us to remember the dignity of all people and to strive to be peacemakers. In a time when a terrible tragedy affected our ability to truly mourn the passing of our prophet, may we honor his wonderful memory by striving to follow his example.

Audrie King is a resident of Salt Lake County, Utah, where she lives with her husband and two young children. She is a member of MWEG (Mormon Women for Ethical Government).