One month after the outbreak of World War I, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson asked Americans of all faiths to join in prayer, seeking the blessing of peace for Europe and the world. In Salt Lake City, perhaps as many as 10,000 Latter-day Saints gathered in the Tabernacle on Temple Square during General Conference and joined in prayer.
That prayer for peace, offered by President Charles W. Penrose of the First Presidency, is as relevant today as it was a century ago.
A Prayer for Peace
O God, our Eternal Father, the Father of the spirits of all men, we come unto thee in the name of Jesus Christ, our Redeemer, and worship thee, and render thanks unto thee for all things that we have received, both spiritual and temporal, for our sustenance, for our guidance, for our enlightenment, for our understanding and knowledge that we may be prepared to come into thy presence eventually and be crowned with eternal lives. Wilt thou accept of our thanksgiving, this morning, for all thy favors; look in mercy upon us and unite our hearts together under the influence of thy Divine Spirit, that we may be one in very deed, and that our supplications may come up unto thee acceptable. Forgive us of all our sins, our follies, our imperfections, our unworthiness, our lack of obedience unto thy commandments and thy counsels; and wherein we have in any way offended thee, we crave thy pardon and forgiveness.