Whereas, The World Conference of Community of Christ has not passed legislation concerning nuclear weapons since 1982, at that time a) urging members and administrative representatives to “inform the appropriate governmental officials of the need for responsible reduction and eventual elimination of nuclear armaments,” b) encouraging members to “set aside one day per month to pray and fast for peace and disarmament,” c) urging “the conversion of resources of war to productive forms of human development,” and d) urging the church to “join with other organizations that are constructively promoting a reduction of instruments of mass destruction” (World Conference resolution 1178); and

Whereas, The threat of nuclear weapons in the nearly three decades since has grown significantly, as measured by the “Doomsday Clock” of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, which in 1980 was set at seven minutes to midnight to symbolically represent the imminent threat of catastrophic nuclear destruction, and has since advanced to five minutes to midnight when last adjusted in 2007 (www.thebulletin.org); and

Whereas, There are an estimated 20,000 nuclear weapons or more in the world’s arsenals today, most with destructive capacities far greater than the atomic bombs that destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan—even a thousand of which could arguably result in global nuclear winter and the omnicide of planet earth (The New Nuclear Danger, Dr. Helen Caldicott, p. 11); and

Whereas, The number of nations that have nuclear weapons has grown from six in 1982 to eight or more today, with numerous other nations and groups actively seeking to join them (Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, www.wagingpeace.org); and

Whereas, The possession of nuclear arms provokes proliferation, which in turn heightens the possibility of their acquisition and use by terrorist groups, leading many observers like Jonathan Schell to conclude that “with each year that passes, nuclear weapons provide their possessors with less safety while provoking more danger” (The Seventh Decade: The New Shape of Nuclear Danger, Jonathan Schell, p. 204); and

Whereas, Numerous informed policymakers from nuclear-weapons nations like the United States of America—such as former Secretary of Defense William Perry; former Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee Sam Nunn; and former Secretaries of State George Shultz and Henry Kissinger—have in recent years declared in favor of “A World Free of Nuclear Weapons,” saying, “Reliance on nuclear weapons for [deterrence] is becoming increasingly hazardous and decreasingly effective” (The Wall Street Journal, January 4, 2007); and

Whereas, The World Council of Churches, a global fellowship of some 340 denominations collectively representing about 550 million Christians, has declared: “We believe that the time has come when the churches must unequivocally declare that the production and deployment as well as the use of nuclear weapons are a crime against humanity and that such activities must be condemned on ethical and theological grounds. Furthermore, we appeal for the institution of a universal covenant to this effect so that nuclear weapons and warfare are delegitimized and condemned as violations of international law” (www.oikoumene.org); and

Whereas, Numerous mainline Christian denominations have condemned the production, possession, or use of nuclear weapons, such as the United Methodist Church, declaring: “We reaffirm the finding that nuclear weapons, whether used or threatened, are grossly evil and morally wrong. As an instrument of mass destruction, nuclear weapons slaughter the innocent and ravage the environment. When used as instruments of deterrence, nuclear weapons hold innocent people hostage for political and military purposes. Therefore, the doctrine of nuclear deterrence is morally corrupt and spiritually bankrupt. Therefore, we reaffirm the goal of total abolition of all nuclear weapons throughout Earth and space” (The Book of Resolutions of the United Methodist Church, p. 503); and

Whereas, Community of Christ has been specifically commissioned to “lift up an ensign of peace, and make a proclamation for peace unto the ends of the earth” (Doctrine and Covenants 102:11) and instructed to “be in the forefront of those who would mediate this needless destruction while there is yet day” (Doctrine and Covenants 150:7); therefore, be it

Resolved, That Community of Christ calls for abolition of all nuclear weapons throughout Earth and space, and joins other faith communities in declaring, on ethical and theological grounds, that the production, deployment, use, or threatened use of nuclear weapons are crimes against humanity; and be it further

Resolved, That, wherever possible, Community of Christ administrators, members, and friends contact appropriate government officials in those nations where the church has a presence—particularly the nuclear-weapons nations—to convey the church’s support for abolition of all nuclear weapons, urging them to pass legislation and to adjust national policies toward that end; and be it further

Resolved, That Community of Christ administrators, members, and friends be urged to envision and support interim steps toward the eventual elimination of nuclear weapons, such as (but not limited to) reduction of nuclear weapons stockpiles, no-first-strike pledges by nuclear-weapons states, election of world leaders who envision a world without nuclear weapons, no expanded use of nuclear weapons, signing of a comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty, additional nuclear-weapons-free zones like enacted in most of the southern hemisphere, and support for a mutual and verifiable freeze on the development, testing, production, and deployment of nuclear weapons and delivery systems; and be it further

Resolved, That resources be developed and made available for distribution by 2011 to church administrators, members, and friends to foster consciousness-raising and responses of conscience to the growing threat of nuclear weapons and the imperative of their abolition; and be it further

Resolved, That a copy of this legislation, approved by delegates of the 2010 World Conference and representing 240,000 members of the international church in more than 50 nations, be delivered as a witness of Community of Christ to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Conference to be held in New York City in May 2010 and other such events in ensuing years, as deemed appropriate by the First Presidency; and be it further

Resolved, That this resolution become a part of the World Church Peace and Justice Team agenda.