A Proclamation on Military Service

A Proclamation on Military Service and Pacifism

Society for Sagely Saints of Agape Love

(Formerly Society for Humanistic Mormonism)
(Proclamation originally composed in 2013 and revised in 2026).

We, the leaders of the Society for Sagely Saints of Agape Love (formerly Humanistic Mormonism), solemnly proclaim and declare that no Sagely Saint will serve in the armed forces in a war in which the murdering of other human beings will take place. We declare the Society for Sagely Saints of Agape Love to be completely pacifist in its core principles and moral vision. We further affirm the central importance of pacifism as being in accordance with Reason, Compassion, and Agape Love.

We teach that true Agape Love is not merely an emotion but an act of the will that seeks the good of others, even at personal cost. Within this framework, the intentional taking of human life is incompatible with the duty to love all persons, including one’s enemies. We therefore hold that a peaceful and pacifistic way of life is not optional but essential, and must be practiced by every Sagely Saint according to our Holy Tradition.

Our conviction is rooted in our understanding of the teachings of Jesus Christ and the moral law. While the Society for Sagely Saints of Agape Love recognizes the possibility of just war, we affirm that no person must ever act against a well-formed conscience. Through prayer, reflection, and study of Scripture, we have come to the firm conviction that participation in war violates the conscience when it requires the taking of human life.

Christ’s command to love one’s enemies and refrain from violence is binding upon us in a personal and absolute way. We affirm that all human beings possess inherent dignity, and we cannot reconcile the deliberate taking of life with our moral obligations before God. Violence stands in contradiction to the call to self-sacrificial Agape Love, and this conviction is not situational or political; it applies universally to all wars and all forms of organized violence.

We declare that religions or systems of thought that forsake pacifism in favor of war and the taking of human life fail to fully serve humanity and fall short of Compassion, Reason, and Agape Love. We therefore affirm, in no uncertain terms, that peace and pacifism are guiding principles that must shape both individual conduct and communal life.

We further proclaim with spiritual clarity and authority that war, death, destruction, and murder do not come from God but from the kingdom of darkness. These are the works of Satan and the demons, who delight in division, hatred, and the destruction of human life. We therefore renounce these works and stand firmly against them, not by returning violence for violence, but by resisting them through Reason, Compassion, and Agape Love.

We say “No!” to the spirit of war, and “Yes!” to Agape Love, to the path of Jesus Christ, and to the sacred command to forgive our enemies, for in this alone is true victory over evil.

We rebuke and cast down the spirits and demons of war, and we ask all the forces of darkness that delight in death, destruction, and murder to depart. In the name of Jesus Christ, we reject the lies of Satan and his demons, who sow hatred and division among the children of God. We choose instead the way of Agape Love, the path of Jesus Christ, and the sacred command to forgive our enemies; for by Agape Love alone is evil overcome, and by this victory the powers of darkness are put to flight. As it is written: “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor demons, nor the present, nor the future, nor any powers… shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38–39, Good News Translation).

We join with other traditions that have upheld peace and nonviolence, including the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), Amish, Mennonites, and the Church of the Brethren. We also recognize within the Roman Catholic tradition the words of St. John Paul II, who declared, “War is always a defeat for humanity,” and within the Eastern Orthodox tradition the teaching of St. Silouan the Athonite, who taught that the true Christian must love his enemies and that the soul loses grace when it hates, even in times of conflict. Above all, we affirm the words of Jesus Christ in the Holy Scriptures: “Love your enemies, bless those who curse you,” and “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.” We also stand in solidarity with voices in the humanist tradition, such as Desiderius Erasmus, who argued against warfare, as well as figures such as Mohandas K. Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Dalai Lama, who struggled for justice through nonviolent means. We affirm conscientious objection as an ethical duty and recognize the insights of Henry David Thoreau regarding civil disobedience in the face of injustice.

We acknowledge that, in rare historical circumstances, wars have been justified by some as necessary to restrain grave evil, such as the global conflict against tyranny in the Second World War. However, we affirm that such cases are exceedingly rare and do not override the primacy of conscience. Even in such circumstances, Sagely Saints would not participate in combat but would be limited to noncombatant service or service under civilian direction, consistent with their moral convictions.

We further affirm that, while it may be permissible for an individual to defend oneself or loved ones in immediate danger, such defense must strive to avoid the taking of life and must remain proportionate and restrained.

Finally, we call upon responsible citizens and leaders of government everywhere to promote peace and pacifism among all peoples, and to establish systems and policies that strengthen a culture of nonviolence in the world. We declare that Reason, Compassion, and Agape Love must guide humanity toward peace, and that those who abandon these principles will ultimately reap disappointment and disorder.