Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
By Jim Greer
LW contributor
In her Sunday morning address during the October General Conference, Lisa L. Harkness of the Primary General Presidency presented the topic “Peace, Be Still.” Harkness emphasized the savior’s teachings regarding how “to feel peace and calm even when the winds blow fiercely around usand billowing waves threaten to sink our hopes.”
Whether old or young, we can plead with the Lord during difficult times “Help me!” “Save me!” “Please, answer my prayer!”
Harkness retold a story from the book of Mark of Jesus preaching from the deck of a ship to a large crowd seated on the shore. When the evening came, and the multitude dispersed, Jesus instructed his disciples to take the vessel to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. Feeling weary, Jesus laid down in the back of the ship and fell asleep. The Scripture records “there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship so that it was nearly full (of water).”
Though many of his trusted disciples were experienced fishermen, the rage of the storm frightened them. And, fearing they would sink, they awakened Jesus, saying, “Master, carest thou not that we perish? Lord, save us: we perish.”
As the Scripture recalls, Jesus stood and rebuked the wind and sea, saying, “‘Peace, be still.’ And the wind did cease, and there was a great calm.”
Lovingly teaching his disciples a critical lesson, Christ asked, “Why are ye so fearful? Where is your faith?”
As mortals, we naturally cry to Heaven when faced with fearful trials. Just as the Prophet Joseph Smith did while in Liberty Jail, exclaimed, “O God, where art thou? And where is the pavilion that covereth thy hiding place?”
The savior understands our mortal frailties and teaches us how to feel peace and calm. To those with even little faith, Jesus invites, “Come unto me. Believe on my name. Learn of me, and listen to my words.”
The savior kindly instructs us to “Repent and be baptized in my name. Love one another, as I have loved you” and “always remember me.” His message of assurance is “in me, ye might have peace. In the world, ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
Harkness continued, “In times of turmoil, our faith can feel stretched to the limits of our endurance and understanding.” But, even in the most challenging journeys, our faith is both tried and fortified.
Trials are an opportunity to increase our faith in Jesus Christ and follow his teachings to “believe rather than doubt, forgive rather than judge, repent rather than rebel.”
This troublesome world is not our final, eternal destination. As followers of Jesus Christ, we have faith in his power and hope in his promises. Harkness concluded, “He is in our boat! He has given his life so that you and I will not perish. Trust him, obey his commandments, and with faith, hear him say, ‘Peace, be still.’”
