My Peace I Give Unto You

Peace is something that we have all heard of. It is everywhere, everyone is always talking about peace. You can hardly watch ten minutes of the news now-a-days without hearing them talk about "how to solve contentions in (blank)". It is a subject that people have been talking about for thousands of years, and yet no one seems to find the solution to this question. No matter what happens, this world continues in conflict and contention.

Jesus Christ himself taught much about peace, and in one of my favorite scriptures he says "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you." (John 14: 27) This peace he was teaching about was a different peace, not one that would solve world contentions, but a personal peace. One that I have seen in my life as I have lived the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

I remember the months right before my mission. Never before in my life had I been more scared. Everything in my life was about to change. Everything I was comfortable with, my family, my girlfriend, my hobbies, everything. I was leaving my comfort zone completely, and I was scared. During the weeks leading up to  my mission, I spent much time in supplication to my Heavenly Father asking for help. I spent hours in prayer pleading help from my Him during this scary time. Each time I went to my Father in Heaven, I felt an overwhelming sense of joy, peace, and comfort. It was as if someone said "It's okay, I understand. Everything will be okay." While I he did not appear to me and say this, this was the feeling that he gave me, one that I had never before felt.

My Comfort

This was the first time in my life where I began to understand what "peace" is. This peace was a new peace, one from Christ through his Atonement and suffering. It did not give me the answer to know how to stop wars in the Middle East, but I was at peace. This peace is not the peace the "world" can give you, but one straight from our Creator. It was a sense of comfort and internal peace that is irreplaceable and can only come through Him. Now that I have found this peace, it protects me from all of the pain in this world. No matter the sorrow, pain, trial, or affliction, I am at peace knowing that He is there and understands.

This is the peace Christ teaches about. There will always be contention on this earth, because "it must needs be, that there be an opposition in all things," (2 Nephi 2) but EVERYONE can have personal peace from our Savior Jesus Christ. That is why I am serving a mission, to offer this personal peace to everyone. I have been blessed to be the instrument in helping many people find this personal peace, and they too can testify of the peace the Savior offers. It is the most beautiful thing in my life to know that He is in charge, and that He has a plan for me. No matter the trials, challenges, and pains that come in my life, I can be at comfort knowing that He is in charge. This is what Christ offers to us, and why I am serving a mission. To help others have that peace that I have.