Sis. Lisa Lara gave our lesson on Chp. 2 from our manual, My Peace I Give Unto You. Pres. Hunter was known as a man of 'extraordinary patience that comes from great inner peace." Pres. Hunter taught that a person can receive peace only by turning to God - by trusting Him, exercising faith, and striving to do His will. Who do you know that is at peace? That can be a peacemaker? Who do you know that has a sense of calm about themselves?
There were many times in Pres. Hunter's life where the inner peace he had sustained him. He tells of a story of when his wife Claire needed surgery and how the peace from the Savior helped him feel calm after so many days of uneasiness.
What is the opposite of peace? Fear. Fear of the unknown, the what-if's in life. Sis. Lara shared the story of when they recently bought their home. She didn't have any answers to any of her questions. Would their house sell for the right price, at the right time? Would they be able to fix up the new house in time to move in? Would all the hassle be worth it? She didn't have any answers to her questions, but she prayed for peace of mind to move forward to put their house on the market. She was expecting to feel uneasy and unsure, but surprised when she was blessed with peace. She still didn't have all answers, but she had peace, which helped her to move forward in faith.
In the book True to the Faith we are taught, "Even when the world is in turmoil all around you, you can receive the blessing of inner peace. This blessing will continue with you as you stay true to your testimony of the gospel and as you remember that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love you and watch over you."
In whom do we find the peace we are looking for? Jesus Christ is our source of true peace. Quote 1: "The peace for which the worlds longs is a time of suspended hostilities; but men do not realize that peace is a state of existence that comes to man only upon the terms and conditions set by God and in no other way."
At the Last Supper Christ gave His disciples, and all of us, a gift. In John 14:27 we read: "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." Peace is not the absence of something, Jesus leaves it with us. Peace is a thing, a gift from our Savior. You can take it with you to protect you.
Think of a time where you did not feel peace in your life. How did you find the peace you longed for?
How do we find peace? Pres. Hunter teaches us that "We cultivate peace as we live the principles of the gospel." Keeping the commandments and serving others will bring peace into our lives. Quote 2: "Consider, for example, this instruction from Christ to his disciples. He said, 'Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.' (Matt. 5:44) Think of what this admonition alone would do in your neighborhood and mine, in the communities in which you and your children live, in the nations which make up our great global family. I realize this doctrine poses a significant challenge, but surely it is a more agreeable challenge than the terrible tasks posed for us by the war and poverty and pain the world continues to face."
Pres. Hunter also teaches us that "....Indifference to the Savior or failure to keep the commandments of God brings about insecurity, inner turmoil, and contention. These are the opposite of peace. Peace can come to an individual only by an unconditional surrender - surrender to Him who is the Prince of Peace, who has power to confer peace."
Quote 3: It seems that two eternal truths must be accepted by all if we are to find peace in this world and eternal life in the world to come. (1) That Jesus is the Christ, the very eternal son of our Heavenly Father, who came to earth for the express purpose of redeeming mankind from sin and the grave, and that he lives to bring us back to the presence of the Father. (2) That Joseph Smith was his prophet, raised up in this latter-day to restore the truth which had been lost to mankind because of transgression. If all men would accept and live these two fundamental truths, peace would be brought to the world.
The Savior can help us find peace regardless of the turmoil around us. The teacher's 12 year old daughter shared an experience where she was not at peace, where she felt some turmoil. She was at Outdoor Lab last year and she said a particular day had been hectic. She was away from home for the first time, there wer lots of assignments to finish for the day, and she felt uneasy about some inappropriate music she had heard earlier. One of her bunkmates was also sick with the stomach flu and she was worried she was going to get sick too. She said she decided to take a few moments and read her scriptures. She said as she was reading she felt calm and at peace again. That doesn't mean all the problems she was facing were gone. It just means she found peace in her Savior, trusted in Him, and felt that peace through the Holy Ghost.
There is a wonderful article in the December 2015 Ensign by Elder D. Todd Christofferson entitled Be at Peace (Pg. 28). He encourages us to take time to reflect on our Savior, to just be with him and let him warm you like a fire warms you in the winter.
Because of the atonement of Jesus Christ, we can find the peace we are searching for. In Matt. 11:28-29 we read, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls."
Pres. Hunter recounts the story of when Peter walked on water to his Savior. It is a beautiful way to remind us that we can only find peace through Jesus, who offers us the atonement and loves us so infinitely. He is always there to succor us and bring us closer to Him.
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