Of all the gifts we can receive at God’s hand, few are more needed and wanted in the world today than peace—feelings of peace and the good relationships they beget. Satan cannot counterfeit peace.
George Q. Cannon stated, “I will tell you a rule by which you may know the Spirit of God from the spirit of evil. The Spirit of God always produces joy and satisfaction of mind. When you have that Spirit you are happy. The spirit of doubt is the spirit of the evil one; it produces uneasiness and other feelings that interfere with happiness and peace” (Journal of Discourses, 15:375).
Inner harmony between heart and mind and attendant peaceful feelings are marks of true revelation from righteous sources. Some of the first revelations in this dispensation are about discernment, learning to recognize revelation and its sources.
“Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart.
“…this is the spirit of revelation…” (D&C 8:2-3).
“…you must study it out in your mind…if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you…” (D&C 9:8).
“…if you desire a further witness, cast your mind back upon the night that you cried unto me in your heart…
“Did I not speak peace to your mind concerning the matter? What greater witness can you have than from God?” (D&C 6:23). Peace in the mind and heart is evidence that the Spirit is with us, and evidence of the validity of revelation.
Sin makes us “like a troubled sea…There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked” (Isa. 57:20).
There is no such thing as a spiritual void. Either we have “a portion” of the Lord’s Spirit with us, or we have an unworthy spirit with us. If we sense that loss of the Lord’s Spirit, we can repent and get worthy again. “Yea, why should I give way to temptations, that the evil one have place in my heart to destroy my peace and afflict my soul? Why am I angry because of my enemy?” (2Ne. 4:27).
Fear and anger and guilt all disrupt our peace and afflict our souls, and they are all evidence (not full proof) that we are off the track.
“…if [we] should transgress and go contrary to that which has been spoken, that [we] do withdraw [ourselves] from the Spirit of the Lord, that it may have no place in [us] to guide [us] in wisdom’s paths that [we] may be blessed, prospered, and preserved…
“…the demands of justice do awaken [our] immortal soul[s] to a lively sense of [our] own guilt, which doth…fill [our] breast with guilt, and pain, and anguish…” (Mosiah 2:36, 38). We need not wait for the afterlife to experience a foretaste of justice. To lose the Spirit is to lose our peace.
My Peace…
Savior means Rescuer. Christ can save us from distress in our hearts. One title He bears is “Prince of Peace.”
“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:26-27).
The Savior’s peace is therefore unlike peace this world offers. It is unnatural or supernatural peace. Unlike worldly kinds of peace, His peace can come independent of our outward circumstances. No barriers can block the Holy Ghost. The promise of both consolation and revelation is reiterated in modern scripture:
“…put your trust in that Spirit which leadeth to do good—yea, to do justly, to walk humbly, to judge righteously; and this is my Spirit.
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, I will impart unto you of my Spirit, which shall enlighten your mind, which shall fill your soul with joy” (D&C 11:12-13).
These verses show the Spirit comforting us in at least two ways—first, by the warmth of His presence in us; secondly, by giving us information that fills us with hope about the unseen future, knowledge of how to act for our benefit.
In one instance, the Lord literally whispers peace to the struggling missionaries in the Book of Mormon without changing their circumstances (yet): “And it came to pass that the Lord did visit them with his Spirit, and said unto them: Be comforted. And they were comforted” (Alma 17:10). Instead of changing their circumstances, the Lord changed His missionaries’ hearts.
Anyone could have told them, “Be comforted,” but only the Lord’s voice would actually still their souls. This kind of peace is available through the Atonement. It comes from living the Gospel of repentance and doing our duty, and then as we ask for it. The Lord takes care of those who are invested in taking care of His flock.
Inviting His Peace
We should learn the rules that govern the things we are seeking. The scriptures teach us rules that govern receipt of peace in Christ. (Many of these are rules we obey internally.)
“Learn of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my Spirit, and you shall have peace in me” (D&C 19:23). Meekness allows us to experience the Lord’s peace.
One of the meekest men I have ever known brings healing peace with him everywhere he goes, and it seems to fill whatever room he enters. There is nothing shrill or harsh about him; he is not devoid of whimsy or unable to loosen up and joke, but kindness and tenderness characterize all his words and actions.
“Peace, peace be unto you, because of your faith in my Well Beloved, who was from the foundation of the world” (Hel. 5:47). Faith in Christ brings peace, probably both cognitive and spiritual. Thinking about the Savior can cause us to hope, and calm us down in a cognitive, natural way. As the sacrament prayers teach, however, remembering the Savior also allows us to “have his Spirit to be with” us.
As Nephi indicates, our sin exposes us to the attacks of Satan, which include destroying our peace and afflicting our souls. Grudges and despair, fear and anger, characterize our thoughts when we lose the Spirit through sin. In other words, sin leads to the opposites of peace. Repentance is our part in the process of extricating ourselves from this bondage of misery sin invariably brings.
Sins need not be obvious to destroy our peace. One sin we can commit even when we are locked in a closet is the sin of wishing to override other people’s agency, their God-given freedom to choose.
Even if we are right in assuming that what another person is doing is wrong, that still does not give us the right to try to compel others to conform to what we believe. When we do exercise unrighteous dominion, even think about doing so, “the Spirit of the Lord is grieved” and “withdrawn.”
Our emotional trajectory begins to resemble Satan’s, who “sought to destroy the agency of man” (Moses 4:3) which God gave us: “Behold, ere he is aware, he is left unto himself, to kick against the pricks, to persecute the saints, and to fight against God” (D&C 121:37-38). Unless we are guided by the Holy Ghost to offer correction, our attempts to help might send us, and the people we criticize, flying off into sin and everything that is the antithesis of peace.
(We can see this kind of thing happening daily as we read and hear political discourse. The tone is one of anger arising from the will to compel others, to force others to correct their behavior through whatever means are available. Self-righteousness and criticizing others can lead to misery as quickly as flagrant sin and ignoring God’s commandments.)
Cheer Up Your Hearts
Sometimes the Lord commands us to simply stop wallowing in misery and despair—to perk ourselves up by remembering blessings and just choosing gratitude over despair. Rejoicing, lifting up our hearts for gladness, silencing our own fears—sometimes the Lord expects US to still ourselves before He will step in. Imagine a small boy squirming and thrashing as his mother tries to put clothes on him. His job is simply to hold still so she can apply the clothes, to calm himself down so she can give him what he needs.
The Spirit brings peace, but acting calmly and choosing to have a peaceful, hopeful, thankful, positive attitude also invites the Spirit.
“Therefore, let your hearts be comforted concerning Zion; for all flesh is in mine hands; be still, and know that I am God” (D&C 101:16).
The Lord freed a group of Nephites in slavery as soon as they began to bear their burdens cheerfully:
“And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.
“And it came to pass that so great was their faith and their patience that the voice of the Lord came unto them again, saying: Be of good comfort, for on the morrow I will deliver you out of bondage” (Mosiah 24:15-16).
Section 19 of the Doctrine and Covenants provides some sobering views of just how deep human misery can get, especially in the next life. The Lord seems to end this revelation by shaking the reader out of the dire stupor caused by this brief glimpse into hell:
“Pray always, and I will pour out my Spirit upon you, and great shall be your blessing—yea, even more than if you should obtain treasures of the earth and corruptibleness to the extent thereof.
“Behold, canst thou read this without rejoicing and lifting up thy heart for gladness?
“…canst thou be humble and meek…?” (D&C 19:38-39, 41).
The Lord describes things that are both true and potentially discouraging, but He does not leave us on a sour note—He reminds us that we have great cause to hope.
Sometimes we can just choose to be positive. There are other times when burdens are so heavy, when the fire is so hot, that the Lord comforts us when we cannot console ourselves.
Here is another moment when the Lord consoles His missionaries:
“O Lord, my heart is exceedingly sorrowful; wilt thou comfort my soul in Christ. O Lord, wilt thou grant unto me that I may have strength, that I may suffer with patience these afflictions which shall come upon me, because of the iniquity of this people…
“…And the Lord provided for them that they should hunger not, neither should they thirst; yea, and he also gave them strength, that they should suffer no manner of afflictions, save it were swallowed up in the joy of Christ” (Alma 31:30, 38).
Elder Maxwell once related the notion that, rather than fix all our problems, the Lord would often drown out the pain with the roar of His peace.
Alma teaches his son Helaman:
“…I do know that whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be lifted up at the last day” (Alma 36:3).
An angel visited Alma and chastened him, rebuked him for his attacks on the church and his many sins, and he fell into a coma. His body was limp, but his mind was awake in hell.
“And it came to pass that as I was thus racked with torment, while I was harrowed up by the memory of my many sins, behold, I remembered also to have heard my father prophesy unto the people concerning the coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the world.
“Now, as my mind caught hold upon this thought, I cried within my heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death.
“And now, behold, when I thought this, I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more” (Alma 36:17-19).
Repentance and faith bring peace.
The Temple
Jesus prophesies to the Nephites about the restoration and the last days—our time. He quotes Isaiah to describe the youth and members of the Church:
“And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children.
“In righteousness shalt thou be established; thou shalt be far from oppression for thou shalt not fear, and from terror for it shall not come near thee” (Isaiah 54:13-14).
The Lord is watching over the Latter-day Saints and their children. The Temple is not just a hiding place to retreat from the world; we carry some of its peace with us, like the flame of a lighted torch, as we exit the Temple. It steadies us, and the more often we go to the Temple, the more peace we enjoy.
Perhaps more amazing than any difference between the Latter-day Saints and the rest of the world will be the peace we exhibit when the rest of the world is sucked into the vortex of anger and despair engendered by sin. Rather than make us immune to problems, perhaps the Lord will make us a light to the world by demonstrating how differently we carry the common burdens of mortality.
