At the beginning of February, the Deseret News published an op-ed written by Glenn Beck.

“Among the most important lessons I’ve learned is that you cannot truly pursue truth if you’re too in love with your opinions,” Beck wrote. “Opinions, like hypotheses, are (and should be) disposable; values and principles are not. I’ve made a concerted effort to be less divisive in my tone and more uniting in my language; but my values, my principles and my moral center remain unchanged.”

Stories about Beck sharing similar sentiments have appeared in The New York Times, The New Yorker and The Atlantic. A feature about Beck in The Washington Post on Tuesday further continues Beck’s attempt to address the divisiveness he feels he had a hand in creating.

In describing Beck’s agenda of days past, the Post writes, “Seven years ago, Beck was the fourth-most admired man in the country (just ahead of the pope). He shouted, he explained, he wept, he drew intricate charts on his chalkboard to show how evil forces were conspiring against good Americans. He sowed fear and gathered up his minions to form an army of righteous anger, who stormed the nation’s capital a hundred-thousand strong to stand tall for the Constitution, determined to fulfill the prophecy that Beck, a Mormon, had described to them: a stirring tale of the Mormon prophet Joseph Smith’s followers parading through the streets of Utah, with only the Constitution to protect them.”

But now, Beck is now preaching a message of love and acceptance, acknowledging that while “we’re not going to come together on politics ... we can come together on principles. It’s just time for the hatred to end, or we’re going to destroy ourselves.”

The article tells of his newfound friendship with Riaz Patel, a “secular, liberal, gay, Muslim and an immigrant,” who believes Beck’s remorse is sincere. Keith Ablow, a Fox News commentator and friend of Beck’s, also weighs in on the LDS convert’s change of heart, explaining, “Glenn is a searcher. He has a constant commitment to self-betterment, so I take him at his word when he says he’s had an epiphany.”

It also details a conversation with Beck that seems to show the inner turmoil the radio host, who has always been polarizing as a result of his emotion, is experiencing:

“Beck believes he has a duty to lead. ‘In my life, I’ve had so many come-to-Jesus pivot points,’ he says, ‘and I keep searching. Jesus and Hitler could both draw a crowd by saying, “You have pain. I have the way to make it stop.” ’

He stops. He says maybe he shouldn’t have said that.

And then he says, ‘You don’t want to live inside my brain.’”

Read the entire article here.

Email: mjones@deseretdigital.com