Downtown Salt Lake City got calm Tuesday. For an hour, from noon to 1 p.m., you could hardly hear a wrecking ball drop as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and other admirers of the life of President James E. Faust, who died last Friday at the age of 87, gathered in the Salt Lake Tabernacle to pay their respects.

In keeping with LDS beliefs of a life better than this one awaiting the departed, the funeral service was celebratory rather than mournful.

Still, being firmly ensconced here in the mortal phase, I couldn't help but lament the loss of a truly great LDS ambassador.

In a world that seems to be growing increasingly skeptical of Mormons and their agenda, where other churches debate whether the LDS Church is "Christian," where Mitt Romney's presidential campaign is viewed with considerable askance, President James E. Faust was the kind of church leader LDS people were always proud to point at and say: That's who we are.

Or at least who we'd like to be.

President Faust was a peacemaker. He was devoid of controversy. As understated as the guy in the back room who folds the parachute. A friend to the world.

Whenever I met him — he served on the Deseret News board for many years — he always made it feel like it was a big deal for him to see me. He was unobtrusive, self-effacing, unassuming, kind, gracious and patient. He couldn't start a riot if he tried.

He gave his religion a good name. He gave all religion a good name. As an LDS general authority, he preached from the church's tallest pulpits and it never seemed like he was preaching. Leadership made him neither arrogant nor authoritative.

He could tell you to do what is right in a way that you didn't mind him telling you to do what is right.

Disagreeing with him was tantamount to disagreeing with your grandfather.

He capped his man-of-peace legacy with his final churchwide address that was delivered this past April at the LDS Church's general conference.

His topic was forgiveness.

"I believe in the healing power that can come to us as we follow the counsel of the Savior to forgive all men," he said as he stood at the podium in the same Tabernacle where he was eulogized yesterday.

He cited recent examples of unconditional forgiveness, including an Amish community in Pennsylvania that forgave the man who murdered five Amish schoolgirls and an LDS bishop who forgave the man whose erratic driving killed the bishop's pregnant wife and two children.

"We need to recognize and acknowledge angry feelings," President Faust counseled. "It will take humility to do this, but if we get on our knees and ask Heavenly Father for a feeling of forgiveness, He will help us.... Only as we rid ourselves of hatred and bitterness can the Lord put comfort into our hearts.

"The folly of rehashing long-past hurts does not bring happiness," he said. "Some hold grudges for a lifetime, unaware that courageously forgiving those who have wronged us is wholesome and therapeutic."

And although no one knew it at the time, with those calm words of counsel President James E. Faust bid us all farewell.

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Lee Benson's column runs Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Please send e-mail to benson@desnews.com and faxes to 801-237-2527.