Peace

I have been contemplating peace this whole week and how we are all yearing for peace in our lives and that peace brings us comfort. There have been times in my life where I have searched for peace and have not found it but I look back at those moments in life and I asked myself, was I looking at the right source for peace? President David O. McKay said, “The peace of Christ does not come by seeking the superficial things of life, neither does it come except as it springs from the individual’s heart.” He said further that this peace is “conditioned upon obedience to the principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. …No man is at peace with himself or his God who is untrue to his better self, who transgresses the law of what is right either in dealing with himself by indulging in passion, in appetite, yielding to temptations against his accusing conscience, or in dealing with his fellowmen, being untrue to their trust. Peace does not come to the transgressor of law; peace comes by obedience to law, and it is that message which Jesus would have us proclaim among men.”
I realized then, that the peace that I was looking for was not found in things of the world but the things of God. The gospel of Jesus Christ brings us that peace that we all yearn for, that we search for. It brings us the comfort that all will be well through our times of grief, strife, struggles and trials. Peace can be found when we start to change our lives for the better, when we seek to do what has been asked of us by our Heavenly Father. To take his council and to follow through with it! Living righteously blesses our lives with peace knowing that because we are living righteously we will be well.

A story that I love in the New Testament is of Christ calming the seas, it says: (http://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/matt/8.26?lang=eng#25)

23 And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him.

24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep.

25 And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.

26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.

27 But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea; obey him!

 Joseph B. Wirthlin said, The phrase “Peace, be still” (Mark 4:39), that the Savior uttered when he calmed the storm-tossed sea, can have the same calming influence upon us when we are buffeted by life’s storms. During the Passover feast, the Savior taught his disciples: “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 14:27.) There will always be times of trial, but how we must know that all will be well when we rely on the Savior. That his army of mercy is extended towards us and he will bring us that peace and comfort we are seeking. As I examined my life, I am so grateful that I changed my view of peace. That I looked toward the one source that brought me that peace. The savior himself said, "Peace, be Still."(Mark 4:39) How still must we be in order to have those promptings that he has prepared for us in order to continue moving forward in this life. I know this to be true, life is hard. I have faced many hard circumstances that have brought me clsoer to my Savior and how grateful I am for those moments in my life. I know that as we strive to look towards the Savior that he will bring peace to our times of strife! May we all look towards Christ!

He is always there to guide us to peace through life's storms.

http://www.lds.org/general-conference/1991/04/peace-within?lang=eng&query=peace 

(Peace Within-Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin April 1991 General Conference)