Boston

The whole country is following what's going on with the Boston Marathon Bombing that took place earlier this week. Now one suspect is dead and the other is still at large. Most of Boston is in lockdown. Police in full body amour are searching for a 19 year old. His brother , 26, was shot and killed during a shoot out late last night. They both had explosives attached to their bodies and were throwing explosives at police during the shot out. It's all very intense serial information coming.

I don't know how people can have so much hatred in their bodies to kill innocent strangers. It's pretty scary to think about. The world is a strange scary place. But even with all the out of control things going on and the acts of violence and hatred there is still good in the world. It's easy to forget that when tragedies happen. It's easily to focus on the scary details and horrible things going on. I know that the Gospel is true. I know that the Savior lives and that our Father in Heaven knows and loves us. Even with the bad in the world and the evil going on we can have personal peace in them. This past conference there was a talk that really touched me. Well many talks but one comes to mind for the situation going on now. Personal Peace: The Reward of Righteousness
BY ELDER QUENTIN L. COOK

Some quotes from the talk that touched me are :

"Events often occur that rob us of peace and heighten our sense of vulnerability."

"In contemplating these events, I have been impressed with the doctrinal difference between universal or world peace and personal peace.
At the birth of the Savior, a multitude of the heavenly host praised God and proclaimed, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”4

However, it has been poignantly noted that even in this eternally significant period following the birth of the Son of God, Herod the king carried out the slaughter of innocent infants in Bethlehem.5

Agency is essential to the plan of happiness. It allows for the love, sacrifice, personal growth, and experience necessary for our eternal progression. This agency also allows for all the pain and suffering we experience in mortality, even when caused by things we do not understand and the devastating evil choices of others. The very War in Heaven was waged over our moral agency and is essential to understanding the Savior’s earthly ministry."

"We earnestly hope and pray for universal peace, but it is as individuals and families that we achieve the kind of peace that is the promised reward of righteousness. This peace is a promised gift of the Savior’s mission and atoning sacrifice."

"The peace to which I am referring is not just a temporary tranquility. It is an abiding deep happiness and spiritual contentment.16"

"We all long for peace. Peace is not just safety or lack of war, violence, conflict, and contention. Peace comes from knowing that the Savior knows who we are and knows that we have faith in Him, love Him, and keep His commandments, even and especially amid life’s devastating trials and tragedies."

"Remember, “God is not the author of confusion, but [the author] of peace.”20 For those who reject God, there is no peace. We all participated in the councils of heaven that provided for moral agency, knowing that there would be mortal pain and even unspeakable tragedy because of the abuse of agency. We understood that this could leave us angry, bewildered, defenseless, and vulnerable. But we also knew that the Savior’s Atonement would overcome and compensate for all of the unfairness of mortal life and bring us peace. Elder Marion D. Hanks had a framed statement on his wall by Ugo Betti: “To believe in God is to know that all the rules will be fair, and that there will be wonderful surprises.”


Elder Cook then spoke of the ways we can find peace through our Savior. We can stay close to Jesus Christ by being humble, repentance, temple attendance. Renewing our covenants we have made.

I am so very grateful for the Gospel and the presence the Saviors atonement has in my life. I know that Heavenly Father loves all his children and has an outstretched hand to all of us. Our Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ know us each personally and want us to be happy and to make correct choices and return to them. They have provided a way that we can do that. Even in a scary sometimes lonely world we can find peace in them. It may not be universal peace with no trials or scary things goin on but it is a personal peace. One that we can carry over to our family and friends.

My prayers go out for those in Boston and those with family or friends there. I hope you are able to find peace through our Savior and heal.

Here is the link for you to read the whole talk if you wish (I recommend it!)

http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/04/personal-peace-the-reward-of-righteousness?lang=eng