Shalom: Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you

In Hebrew, the word for peace, “shalom,” is also used as a greeting and as a farewell.  Thus, when people say goodbye, in essence, they are really saying “go in peace.”  I  really like the idea of using the word “peace” more often in everyday language, in this example, as common as saying “hello” and “goodbye.”   How different would the world be if people more frequently reflected on what this word means, and if people strove to “publish peace?”  We can create and feel peace daily through taking advantage of the atonement, living the gospel, and through being peacemakers in our families.

It is important that we establish peace within our homes.  In Mosiah, we read, “And how blessed are they!  For they did publish peace; they did publish good tidings of good; and they did declare unto the people that the Lord reigneth.”(1)  We will be blessed by the Lord for “publishing peace.”  There are so many ways we can establish peace in our homes.   Peace comes with daily scripture study, prayer, and church attendance.  Peace also comes from the little things we do for our family members, such as keeping your mouth shut when you want to yell at your little brother, or even from simply striving to have a positive attitude.  I have found that staying optimistic and encouraging even when things aren’t going exactly the way we want them too can make a big difference in your family.  It is hard to stay pessimistic for too long when you are around someone who looks on the bright side of things and sees the good in everything.  Matthew 5:9 reads “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.”(2)  As children of God, we are expected to establish peace within our homes and communities. 

Living the gospel is essential if we want to have peace.  In John we read, “The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.  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.”(3)  Through the Holy Ghost, we can experience this peace that John talks about.  The Holy Ghost will envelope us within a blanket of comfort in times of hardship if we are living the gospel.  In Mosiah 4:3 we read, “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.”(4)  If we exercise our faith, we will be able to feel comfort in trials and relief from sin. 

We can feel peace even after sin because of the gift of the Atonement.  One day when I was about five, I went shopping with my mom and saw a small toy that I immediately wanted to have.  I asked my mom if we could by the toy, to which she replied no.  So, I decided to steal the toy—after all, I could just hide it from my mom and she would never know.  I proceeded to slip the toy into my pocket, and couldn’t wait to show my friends.  The joy from having this toy however was short lived.  After we returned home, I realized what a big mistake I had made.  I knew that what I had done was wrong, and it bothered me so much that I couldn’t even look at the toy.  Eventually, I ended up telling my mom what I had done.  She took me back to the store where I apologized for taking it.   This is one of the first experiences where I learned the feeling of peace after sin and repentance.  Even though I got in trouble for taking the toy, I felt as if I had had a huge burden lifted off my back—immediately after returning the toy and saying sorry, I was overcome by a huge feeling of peace within myself.  The topic definition of peace from the LDS website says this: “Many people think of peace as the absence of war, But we can feel peace even in times of war, and we can lack peace even when no war is raging.  The mere absence of conflict is not enough to bring peace to our hearts.  Peace comes through the gospel—through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, the ministration of the Holy Ghost, and our own righteousness, sincere repentance, and diligent service.”(5)  It is thanks to our beloved Savior, who atoned for our sins, that we are able to feel this sense of peace after we have committed a sin.  If we remember and follow the Savior, we can experience this peace. 

I know that we can feel peace if we have faith in the Lord.  I am so grateful for Christ’s atoning sacrifice in my life, and for the peace that I can feel after I have sinned.  I know that when we establish peace within our homes and communities, we are following His example, and that we will be blessed for it.  I know the Savior lives, and I take great comfort in his words, “Peace be unto you.”(6)  In the name of Jesus Christ, amen. 

 

(1) – Mosiah 27:23

(2) – Matthew 5:9

(3) – John 14:26-27

(4) – Mosiah 4:3

(5) – LDS Website—Topic Definitions—“Peace”

(6) – John 20:19