Even when our world is engulfed in turmoil, we can find personal peace through the Prince of Peace.
About a year and a half ago, my family uprooted our entire lives and moved into a new home with my very ill grandparents. On top of the emotional stress of leaving our home behind and adjusting to a new life, the COVID-19 pandemic raged, causing extreme difficulty. My family was struggling to find contractors and buyers for our house, my mom was dealing with a traumatic eye injury that resulted in vision loss, and my grandparents were making regular trips to every kind of doctor imaginable.
This situation left me with a heavy emotional burden, and I wondered how I could possibly find peace in the midst of it. In his general conference address “Personal Peace in Challenging Times,” Elder Quentin L. Cook answers my question. He reminds us that “peace is anchored in the life and mission of Jesus Christ.… The Savior can provide protection and peace to guide [us] ultimately to safety and shelter from life’s storms.”
When you feel the pain and turmoil of your afflictions, remember Christ’s words to his Apostles before he suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane: “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).
PHOTO BY MATHEUS VIANA
Even in the midst of our contentious world and personal tribulations, there is peace to be found. As we let the Savior into our lives through sincere prayer, thoughtful scripture study, and righteous obedience to the commandments, he will calm our troubled hearts and carry us through our trials.
I found peace in the midst of my troubles by trusting in the Lord. As I focused on including the Savior in my struggles, I realized that my life contained more blessings than trials. I also discovered that my burdens were lifted, my anxieties were lessened, and my sorrows were lightened. My experience is a living testimony that the Prince of Peace will always provide us with peace and comfort.
Read the rest of Elder Quentin L. Cook’s talk “Personal Peace in Challenging Times” for more tips on finding peace in Christ.
Source: ChurchofJesusChrist.org
—Emma Campbell, Latter-day Saint Insights
FEATURE IMAGE BY STEPHAN SEEBER
Find more insights
Take a look at Kenzie Holbrook’s article “3 Steps to Find Peace in Trying Times” for additional ways to find peace in your life.
Watch and read President Russell M. Nelson’s talk “Joy and Spiritual Survival” for the Prophet’s advice on being happy in trying times.
Read Elder Clark G. Gilbert’s devotional “Christ’s Peace in Perilous Times” to know how to lean on Christ in times of trial.