Righteousness and Peace

In the Priesthood session of this last general conference, President Monson quoted this powerful verse from Isaiah: “And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever” (Isaiah 32:17).  The connection between righteousness and peace is a common theme in Isaiah and the scriptures in general.  The world would claim to offer peace by all sorts of mechanisms, but there is really only one way for true peace: righteousness.  To the world peace is freedom to do whatsoever one desires, but as Isaiah said, “There is no peace, saith the Lord, unto the wicked”—true peace is only for those who keep the commandments of God (Isaiah 48:22).  In the same chapter the prophet cried, “O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea” (v18).  Peace and righteousness go hand in hand.  

                Here are a few other places where we see how peace and righteousness go hand in hand.  The Lord revealed to the Prophet Joseph, “Learn that he who doeth the works of righteousness shall receive his reward, even peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come” (D&C 59:23).  President Joseph F. Smith saw that this promise indeed follows us out of this life, for in the Spirit World he observed that “darkness reigned” among the rebellious but that “among the righteous there was peace” (D&C 138:22).  This is similar to Isaiah’s teaching that when the “righteous perisheth… he shall enter into peace” (Isaiah 57:2).  The prophet similarly promised that in the day of the righteous at the Millennium “great shall be the peace of thy children” because they would be taught of the Lord and “in righteousness” we would “be established” (3 Nephi 22:13-14).  James wrote that “the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace” (James 3:18).  This seems to give a different order to the pair: sow peace and you will have the fruit of righteousness.  The Psalmist also connected the two principles: “Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other” (Psalms 85:10).  I’m not sure that I completely understand what it means for “righteousness and peace” to “kiss”, but clearly there is a strong relationship between the two principles. 

                Perhaps King Benjamin said it most comprehensively, “And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual” (Mosiah 2:41).  Being blessed in all things surely includes an inward peace that cannot be granted by the world.  As we struggle to find peace in our own challenges, we should focus first on doing all of those things that the Lord had commanded us—as we seek to be righteous, peace will surely follow.