Project

For my weekly project I wrote an essay about the topic peace. It was really interesting to see how many times peace is spoken of in the scriptures and the fact that all of the references are different situations and different types of peace. Below is a copy of the essay.

In 4 Nephi 1:4 it says, “And it came to pass that the thirty and seventh year passed away also, and there still continued to be peace in the land.” For this assignment I have decided to study the topic of peace. In the guide to the scriptures, it says that peace can mean either freedom from conflict and turmoil or the inner calm and comfort born of the Spirit that God gives to His faithful Saints. Peace is an important part of the scriptures. It is referenced many times after a war or conflict. The people experience peace in their hearts and minds from the Holy Spirit also.
There are many scriptures to choose from that speak of peace. Predominantly, they are words from the Savior unto the people, reassuring them that He is there for them and they should have peace in their souls because of that fact. In Alma 38:8 Alma cried unto the Lord and found peace. Pleading unto the Lord in a time of need is a great way to receive peace and comfort for our troubled and aching hearts. Situations may arise that we never believed would happen and praying to our Heavenly Father and asking for His help is the only way our souls will feel peace and be at rest.
The many ways peace can be described varies from person to person and situation to situation. In Alma 44, the people are told that they shall “fall to the earth except ye will deliver up your weapons of war and depart with a covenant of peace.” Peace in the time of war is a thing wished and prayed for but rarely ever seen. Peace comes during these times from the faith we have in our savior Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father. In the Book of Mormon, many wars ensued and a large amount of the time, there was not peace in the land. This was due largely to the wickedness of the people. Peace for a community or people comes from their righteousness and their obedience to the commandments from our Heavenly Father.
One of my favorite stories in the Book of Mormon is the story of Moroni and the title of liberty. On that title of liberty Moroni wrote, “In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace…” Although there isn't peace during a battle or fighting, peace should be one thing that we are willing to fight for and something that we indeed do fight for. Heavenly Father wants us to feel peace in our lives but because of our agency this doesn't always happen. We need to be willing to fight for that peace that we are entitled.
In Helaman 5, a cloud of darkness is overshadowing many people. They are scared and crying unto the Lord and into the Heavens. Suddenly they hear the words, as if whispered, “Peace, peace be unto you, because of your faith in my Well Beloved, who was from the foundation of the world.” Peace from the Lord does indeed come through the darkness into our hearts and lives and calms us. We have a loving Father in Heaven who cares so much for us. If we turn to Him with our troubles, He will give us peace in our lives.
I have gone through many things in my life and have not always felt the peace that can come from our Heavenly Father. But when I have felt it, it is the greatest blessing anyone could ever receive. To know that the feelings of peace we feel occasionally in this life will be a constant companion during the millennium is such a blessing in my life. It helps me know that the trials and troubles we are experiencing now will not always be here. We are loved and peace will be given to us if we obey the commandments that are put in front of us. There are many different types of peace that we can enjoy. It may not always be peace on earth or in our souls; I can’t even imagine the many ways we experience peace in our lives. What I do know is that we do experience it and that it is contingent upon our righteousness. God loves us and will bless us with this wonderful gift if we obey His commandments and live in the way He would have us live.