From two of my favorite people who I admire and respect:

An excerpt from a speech given by President Gordon Hinkley during the April 2003 General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints:

"I believe that God will not hold men and women in uniform responsible as agents of their government 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."

Hinkley came to this conclusion after, in his own words, "As I discuss the matter I seek the direction of the Holy Spirit. I have prayed and pondered much concerning this."

Here are a few excerpts from Albert Einstein's writings in January of 1928 and in the spring of 1929:

"Every thoughtful, well meaning and conscientious human being should assume, in time of peace, the solemn and unconditional obligation to not participate in any war for any reason. No one has the right to call himself a Christian or a Jew if he is prepared to commit murder upon the instruction of a given authority. As far as I am concerned the welfare of humanity must take preference over loyalty to one's own country--in fact over anything and everything."

Einstein came to his conclusions without any help from the supernatural. In his words "My pacifism is an instinctive feeling, a feeling that possesses me; the thought of murdering another human being is abhorrent to me. My attitude is not the result of an intellectual theory but is caused by a deep antipathy to every cruelty and hatred."

--Rolf Kay