Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are people of peace who follow Jesus the Christ as the Prince of Peace. But some circumstances justify war, and church members then are obligated to follow the lead of those who govern them, President Gordon B. Hinckley said Sunday morning.

The war between Iraq and members of a United States-led coalition is sensitive for the church, President Hinckley said on the last day of the church's 173rd Annual General Conference. "I recognize it is a very sensitive subject for an international congregation, including those not of our faith." The church's 11.7 million membership is worldwide, and there are members on both sides of the controversial issue, he said.

He urged peace and good will among church members "regardless of what loyalties they may have to different governments or parties" and asked for prayers for those bearing arms for any government. He said the recent war-related death of 41-year-old Marine Staff Sgt. James W. Cawley — a Salt Lake City police officer and former LDS missionary who taught "the gospel of peace to the people of Japan" as a young man — represents "the contradictions of the peace of the gospel and the tides of war."

The war was an undercurrent throughout meetings Saturday and Sunday, with speakers proposing faith in gospel principles and adherence to God's commandments as the best way to understand and to cope.

President Hinckley stressed that "we have no quarrel with the Muslim people or with those of any other faith. We recognize and teach that all the people of the Earth are of the family of God. And he is our Father, so we are brothers and sisters with family obligations one to another."

Residents of all countries "are under the direction of their respective national leaders," to whom they must give allegiance, particularly those who are in the armed forces, he said. One of the church's 13 Articles of Faith, succinct statements of belief, states that LDS members "believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers and magistrates, in obeying, honoring and sustaining the law," he noted.

While members of coalition forces are feeling the grief of those who are casualties, the same griefs are being experienced by others, said President Hinckley. "There are other mothers, innocent civilians, who cling to their children with fear and look heavenward with desperate pleadings as the Earth shakes beneath their feet and deadly rockets scream through the dark sky."

President Hinckley cited Book of Mormon examples of justifiable conflict when family and liberty were at stake. "I believe that God will not hold men and women in uniform responsible as agents of their governments in carrying forward that which they are legally obligated to do. It may even be that he will hold us responsible if we try to impede or hedge up the way of those who are involved in a contest with forces of evil and repression."

Dissent, he said, is a privilege of those living under a democracy, "so long as they do so legally," although support of one's government remains "an overriding responsibility."

The current conflict is only "a chapter in the eternal plan of our Father," he said. The faith of Latter-day Saints must rest in "the comfort and peace of Christ our Savior, our Redeemer, the living Son of the living God."

Other Sunday speakers voiced the comfort inherent in faithfully living the gospel. President James E. Faust, second counselor in the First Presidency, offered consolation to parents struggling with children who have gone astray. If the parents have done their best, there is hope for a spiritual reunion either here or hereafter, he said. "To those brokenhearted parents who have been righteous, diligent and prayerful in teaching their disobedient children, we say to you, the Good Shepherd is watching over them. God knows and understands your deep sorrow. There is hope."

There is a sustaining power in faith in times of uncertainty and testing, said Elder Richard G. Scott of the Council of the Twelve, urging consistent nurturing of faith until it becomes a part of one's nature. Elder Neal A. Maxwell, also of the Twelve, reinforced the idea that external events should not be allowed to cloud the real purpose of man, which is to "care for the life of the soul."

Attention to strengthening family was also a common theme. In times of tribulation, parents have a greater obligation than ever to protect children and instill in them the gospel truths that will shield them from the turmoil of the world. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Council of the Twelve warned that parents who are lukewarm or half-hearted in living the gospel may find their children uninterested. "As parents, we can hold life together the way it is always held together — with faith, passed on to the next generation one child at a time."

President Boyd K. Packer, acting president of Twelve, carried the concept a step further by reminding grandparents of their obligations to serve as exemplars in the lives of their families.

As a parting admonition, President Hinckley called on Latter-day Saints to pray in all facets of their lives. "I offer a plea that each of us will seek to live closer to the Lord and to commune with him more frequently and with increased faith."

The thousands who crowded the church campus surrounding the Salt Lake Temple coped with alternating snow, rain and sunshine as typical Utah spring weather rotated among the three. At times, throngs of umbrellas vied for cramped space outside the Conference Center, but temperatures remained comfortable enough for those perched on concrete planters to listen to the sessions.

Despite the pervasive sense of world turmoil that underscored meetings, thousands of conferencegoers seemed to have found a sense of calm in the semiannual advice of church leaders.

"It was unforgettable," said Susanne Hart Call, Sacramento, Calif. She was walking arm-in-arm from the Conference Center with her father, Mark Hart, of Sandy. "I'm almost 40," said Call, "and this is my first time to attend conference here." She said she would particularly cherish remarks by Elder Scott, whose topic was faith. Her father appreciated the sentiments of President Faust, who offered consolation to parents whose children have chosen non-church paths in life. "I was impressed with his absolute faith that they will all come back," he said.

Brigham Young University students Brennan Owan and Char Lui, both from Hawaii, said the conference left them with a sense of optimism and happiness. "It's just special to be here in the presence of the prophets and apostles," Owan said.

Street preachers who held forth with signs and commentary on the sidewalks outside the Conference Center sometimes were drowned out by impromptu groups of young people who sang hymns as a counterpoint to the detractors.

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