Peace Because of Your Faith

As Nephi and Lehi were in the Lamanite prison after attempting to preach the gospel to the people in the land of Nephi, there came a “cloud of darkness which did overshadow” the Lamanites who were there as well (about 300). Mormon described that “an awful solemn fear came upon them” as they watched Nephi and Lehi and the prison shook while they were in this cloud of darkness. They heard a voice from heaven which told them how to escape the darkness they were in: “Repent ye, repent ye, and seek no more to destroy my servants whom I have sent unto you to declare good tidings.” Aminadab, a former Nephite among them, emphasized again to these Lamanites how to overcome this darkness: “You must repent, and cry unto the voice, even until ye shall have faith in Christ, who was taught unto you by Alma, and Amulek, and Zeezrom; and when ye shall do this, the cloud of darkness shall be removed from overshadowing you.” They did exactly that and “they all did begin to cry unto the voice of him who had shaken the earth; yea, they did cry even until the cloud of darkness was dispersed.” The account doesn’t tell us how long they prayed, but I imagine that it was not a quick one minute prayer that caused the darkness to disperse. They undoubtedly cried unto the Lord in great earnestness for some time until at last they found the relief they were seeking and the darkness was removed. They finally heard these words, words which we all seek to not just hear but truly feel from the Lord: “Peace, peace be unto you, because of your faith in my Well Beloved, who was from the foundation of the world” (Helaman 5:28-34, 41-42, 47). It is our repentance and faith in the Savior, shown in our sincere seeking, that ultimately brings us the peace we are seeking and dispels the darkness from our lives.  

               Peace is precisely what the Savior promised us in his final teachings in mortality. He said to His disciples, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me…. 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 14:1,27). In the most recent general conference Elder Holland quoted these scriptures and said this: “How do we find what He called ‘the covenant of … peace’? We find it by turning to Him who said He would have mercy on us and ‘with everlasting kindness’ would grant peace to our children. In spite of frightful prophecies and unsettling scriptures declaring that peace will be taken from the earth generally, the prophets, including our own beloved Russell M. Nelson, have taught that it does not have to be taken from us individually!” I believe that peace comes as we focus on Jesus Christ and truly believe that He is able to help us through all our challenges. No matter what is happening around us or in the world, we can find peace in our hearts through Him. It is a lesson that I must continually learn, for I often let my own anxieties and fears dominate my heart when I should simply do my best and trust in Him. Several years ago I took a college course for which I felt inadequate and unprepared. But I had felt inspired to take the class and in faith started out. I attended the first few classes, but my fear of failure and my perfectionism got the better of me and I dropped the class. I thought that would bring me peace—not having to worry about it—but it didn’t. I still regret it today for I see how that class would have been beneficial to me and perhaps even very important for my future in doors it might have opened. But I chose to follow my fears instead of trusting that the Savior could get me through anything I needed His help with. I hope that in the future when I face darkness and fears I can instead, like those Lamanites, turn to the Lord and cry unto Him for His peace. I know that He can indeed say to all of us who will trust in Him, “Peace, peace be unto you, because of your faith in my Well Beloved, who was from the foundation of the world.”