Peace in This Life

In the introduction to the Book of Mormon we read this: “It puts forth the doctrines of the gospel, outlines the plan of salvation, and tells men what they must do to gain peace in this life and eternal salvation in the life to come.” I studied today what the Book of Mormon specifically teaches us about how to gain peace in this life. The book speaks both of the peace of the soul and the peace of societies, and the Book of Mormon witnesses that the path to both comes through our righteousness and the Savior Jesus Christ.

                The connection between righteousness/keeping the commandments and peace (or wickedness and the lack of peace) is highlighted numerous times in the Book of Mormon. Nephi lamented his own failure to be as righteous as he wanted and how this took away his peace: “And why should I yield to sin, because of my flesh? 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?” (2 Nephi 4:27) On a macro level King Mosiah emphasized his efforts to help the people keep the commandments and thus live in peace: “And even I myself have labored with all the power and faculties which I have possessed, to teach you the commandments of God, and to establish peace throughout the land, that there should be no wars nor contentions, no stealing, nor plundering, nor murdering, nor any manner of iniquity” (Mosiah 29:14). For him, helping the people keep the commandments of God and not commit sin was part of creating peace in the land. After the fulfillment of Samuel the Lamanite’s prophecy we read, “And it came to pass that Nephi went forth among the people, and also many others, baptizing unto repentance, in the which there was a great remission of sins. And thus the people began again to have peace in the land” (3 Nephi 1:23). Repenting of their wickedness—or turning to righteousness and keeping the commandments—led to peace in the land. That peace was subsequently destroyed a few decades later when the people returned to their iniquity: “And thus Satan did lead away the hearts of the people to do all manner of iniquity; therefore they had enjoyed peace but a few years” (3 Nephi 6:16). Shortly after the death of the Savior the Nephites heard His voice lament the wickedness of the people that had taken away this peace: “That great city Jacobugath, which was inhabited by the people of king Jacob, have I caused to be burned with fire because of their sins and their wickedness, which was above all the wickedness of the whole earth, because of their secret murders and combinations; for it was they that did destroy the peace of my people” (3 Nephi 9:9). Wickedness leads to the removal of peace. Isaiah’s words in the Book of Mormon perhaps sum it up best: “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…. And notwithstanding he hath done all this, and greater also, there is no peace, saith the Lord, unto the wicked” (1 Nephi 20:18,22). Keeping the commandments brings peace.

                As we repent and seek to live righteously, the Book of Mormon witnesses that it is ultimately the Savior who grants us peace. Mormon described the experience of the people of King Benjamin this way: “And it came to pass that after they had spoken these words the Spirit of the Lord came upon them, and they were filled with joy, having received a remission of their sins, and having peace of conscience, because of the exceeding faith which they had in Jesus Christ who should come” (Mosiah 4:3). Peace came because of the remission of their sins, and that came through their faith in Jesus Christ. Alma described a similar experience for him: “And it came to pass that I was three days and three nights in the most bitter pain and anguish of soul; and never, until I did cry out unto the Lord Jesus Christ for mercy, did I receive a remission of my sins. But behold, I did cry unto him and I did find peace to my soul” (Alma 38:8). He found peace as he turned to Jesus Christ, and that is the invitation of the Book of Mormon for all of us. Helaman described a difficult time during the great war between the Nephites and the Lamanites when the Savior granted them peace: “Yea, and it came to pass that the Lord our God did visit us with assurances that he would deliver us; yea, insomuch that he did speak peace to our souls, and did grant unto us great faith, and did cause us that we should hope for our deliverance in him” (Alma 58:11). As they turned to Him He spoke peace to their souls. In a later story when the Lamanites who were overshadowed in darkness reached out to the Lord through repentance and faith in the Lord, “the cloud of darkness was dispersed” and they heard this voice from heaven: “Peace, peace be unto you, because of your faith in my Well Beloved, who was from the foundation of the world” (Helaman 5:47). Peace came because of Jesus Christ and their faith in Him. Isaiah described how “the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed” (Mosiah 14:5). Abinadi elaborated on Isaiah’s words and called the Savior “the founder of peace” (Mosiah 15:18). He is the “Prince of Peace” and through repentance and faith in Him we can indeed find peace in this life as the Book of Mormon repeatedly testifies (2 Nephi 19:6).