These people had obviously had a problem with contention. The Savior kept reminding them, “There shall be no disputations among you, … as there have hitherto been” (emphasis added). The Lord explained, “He that hath the spirit of contention is not of me”; it is the devil who “stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger.”
The Spirit of God, on the other hand, promotes unity and harmony. President Henry B. Eyring, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, explained: “Where people have that Spirit with them, we may expect harmony. The Spirit puts the testimony of truth in our hearts, which unifies those who share that testimony. The Spirit of God never generates contention (see 3 Ne. 11:29). It never generates the feelings of distinctions between people which lead to strife… . It leads to personal peace and a feeling of union with others. It unifies souls. A unified family, a unified Church.”18