Peace

By Judy Edwards

“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 14:27).

What is peace?

True peace is a feeling of love and safety and quiet that comes from the Lord. It is a feeling that you have when you know that Heavenly Father and Jesus love you and that they have a plan for you.

When Jesus lived on the earth, he taught his followers that they could have peace, that Heavenly Father loved them, and that he, Jesus, had been sent to help them.

Jesus’ message of peace is the same today as it was long ago: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you. … Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27).

Jesus promises us inner peace—a feeling of love and safety that can be felt even in times of difficulty. This kind of peace is a special blessing from the Lord.

Elder F. Enzio Busche of the Quorum of the Seventy learned about peace when he was a boy. He says, “During World War II in my home country of Germany, I lived with my mother and four sisters far away from home in southern Germany in two very small, humble rooms. We had fled from our home because of the many air attacks that had destroyed our city and threatened our lives. My father was separated from us because he had been drafted into the army. And I was too young to understand the dramatic events happening around me during that terrible war.

“Lying in bed one night in the room I shared with two of my sisters, I remember an intense feeling of loneliness. …

“I was awake until early in the morning, and I was so overcome with despair that I began to cry. I wept and wept.

“Suddenly something changed. A comforting power enveloped me, and a small voice said to my soul, ‘You are My child. Have trust in Me.’

“Immediately joy and happiness filled my heart. All my fear, loneliness, and despair were changed into feelings of warmth and comfort. That night I learned for the first time that there is some unseen but loving Person who is concerned about me” (Blazer A manual, page 126–127).

Elder Busche experienced the peace that comes from the Lord.

Instructions

Look up each scripture; then match each statement about peace with the person(s) who said it or to whom it was said.

People of King Benjamin		1. “The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace” (Ps. 29:11).
Paul		2. “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).
David		3. “And thus we see that, when these Lamanites were brought to believe and to know the truth, they were firm, and would suffer even unto death rather than commit sin; and thus we see that they … buried the weapons of war, for peace” (Alma 24:19).
Martin Harris		4. “Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you” (2 Cor. 13:11).
People of Anti-Nephi-Lehi		5. “Learn of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my Spirit, and you shall have peace in me” (D&C 19:23).

Sharing Time Ideas

Sing the song “My Heavenly Father Loves Me” (Sing With Me, B–59), then discuss the feeling of peace that comes from knowing that Jesus loves us and that he cares for us. Ask what we can do to keep this feeling of peace.
Discuss the examples of peace on the following page. Have the children dramatize, pantomime, or illustrate the stories or the circumstances of the examples.
Help each child create a “Book of Peace” to use throughout the year. One page could be the child’s own illustrated definition of peace. The examples of peace found on the next page could be enlarged and reproduced for the children to label, color, and keep in their books.

Illustrated by Lori Wing