Finding the Peace of Christ in a Noisy World

Introduction: The World’s Definition vs. The Savior’s

There is a specific kind of silence that only happens at 5:00 in the morning when the house is finally still. We often mistake that silence for peace.

We tend to treat peace like a luxury—something we can finally afford once every bill is paid, every child is finally behaving, and every conflict is resolved. We’ve been conditioned to believe that peace is the reward for a perfect life, rather than a tool for a difficult one. We see peace as the absence of the storm. We think, “If I can just get through this week, then I’ll have peace.”

But the Savior offers something entirely different. In John 14:27, on the very night He would walk into the agony of Gethsemane, He told His apostles:

“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”.¹

Notice that He didn’t promise them that the soldiers wouldn’t come. He offered a peace that is “not as the world giveth.” Today, I want to explore how we find that specific peace—the kind that doesn’t wait for the storm to pass before it shows up.

Section 1: The Storm at Lake Powell (The Reality of Trials)

A few years ago, I was serving as a Young Men leader in my ward and we were on our summer camp at Lake Powell. If you’ve been there, you know it’s a place of incredible contrast—the deep blue water against the red rocks is the very definition of serene. It was a perfect, glass-calm afternoon, and I was out on the ski boat pulling some of the youth on a tube.

But Lake Powell has a reputation for “micro-bursts.” Without warning, a sudden squall hit us. I watched the horizon go from bright blue to a bruised, angry brown in a matter of seconds. Before I could even pull the tube in, those “ripples” on the water turned into four-foot walls of white foam.

Within minutes, we were in what felt like a washing machine. The boat began to take on water over the bow. I looked at the young men in the boat—boys I was responsible for—and I could see the color draining from their faces. One of them was white-knuckling the side rail so hard his hand was shaking.

Every time we hit a swell, the engine would scream as the prop left the water, followed by a bone-jarring slam as we crashed into the next trough. In the middle of that roar, I realized I was waiting for the wind to stop so I could pray. I was waiting for the water to calm so I could feel the Spirit.

I was gripped by the thought, “I’m in over my head.” My prayer wasn’t a formal one. It was a desperate, internal plea: “Heavenly Father, please help me. I need to get these boys home.”

In that moment, I realized I could not “wish” the storm away. Bishop Christopher Waddell taught this exact principle:

“Peace of mind, peace of conscience, and peace of heart are not determined by our ability to avoid trials, sorrow, or heartache. Despite our sincere pleas, not every storm will change course, not every infirmity will be healed, and we may not fully understand every doctrine, principle, or practice taught by prophets, seers, and revelators. Nevertheless, we have been promised peace” ².

We eventually made it to a bay and found shelter. But that safety was only available because we kept moving toward the refuge even when the water was pouring over the bow.

Section 2: The Two Paintings (Internal Peace)

To understand the kind of peace the Savior offers, we have to look past the surface. There is a famous story about a king who offered a prize to the artist who could best paint a picture of “Peace.”

Many artists submitted beautiful, serene works—mirror-still lakes and quiet meadows. But the king chose a painting that surprised everyone. It depicted a rugged, bare mountain under a sky filled with an angry storm and lightning. Down the side of the mountain tumbled a foaming, violent waterfall.

But when the king looked closely, he saw a tiny bush growing in a small crack in the rock, tucked safely behind the waterfall. There, in the midst of the thundering water, a mother bird had built her nest. She was sitting on her eggs in perfect peace.

The bird wasn’t safe because the waterfall stopped; she was safe because of where she was nested. As Sam mentioned earlier, “God has a plan for it all.” That doesn’t mean God is the one causing the storm, but He did have a plan for how to keep us safe while it was happening.

If we are waiting for our “waterfalls” to stop before we permit ourselves to feel peace, we might be waiting a long time. But if we can find the “crack in the Rock,” we can find rest today. The Apostle Paul described this in Philippians 4:7 as:

“the peace of God, which passeth all understanding.”³

It “passeth understanding” because it doesn’t make sense to the world! To the world, that bird should have been terrified. But the Spirit points us to that hidden refuge in the Rock—Jesus Christ.

Section 3: Spiritual Noise-Canceling (The Temple)

If the bird found her refuge in the rock, where do we find ours? For me, the answer came in the form of a pair of headphones. After my mission in Argentina, I tried on noise-canceling headphones for the first time. I was shocked at how the world just… disappeared.

Later that week, I went to the temple. As I walked into the Celestial Room, I realized I was feeling “spiritual noise-canceling.” President Gordon B. Hinckley promised this:

“Do you have problems and concerns and worries? … Go to the house of the Lord and there feel of His Spirit … and you will know a peace that you will find nowhere else” ⁴.

In recent years, President Russell M. Nelson has expanded on this, pleading with us to “seek” the temple. He has made incredible promises, saying:

“The temple is the place of revelation. There you are shown how to progress… There you are blessed with priesthood power. And there, the Savior… will increase your ability to withstand the pressures of the world”⁵.

He even promised that time in the temple will “bring more peace to your life than anything else can” ⁶.

Section 4: The Pattern for Peace (Action & Obedience)

This brings us to the “how.” How does the Savior actually deliver this peace? It is through our ordinances and covenants. President Henry B. Eyring taught that:

“the gift of peace is given after we have the faith to keep His commandments. For those who are covenant members of the Lord’s Church, obedience is what we have already promised to do” ⁷.

When we participate in an ordinance, like the sacrament, we are physically acting out our commitment. In return, He binds Himself to us. President Eyring explains that as we keep our covenants, we actually feel the love of the Father and the Son for each other and for us.

This is the “pattern for peace” that Bishop Waddell spoke about ⁸. When we are bound to Him by covenant, we are no longer alone in the boat at Lake Powell. As the Children’s Songbook says: “Keep the commandments; keep the commandments! In this there is safety; in this there is peace” ⁹.

This week, when your personal “Lake Powell storm” hits, I invite you to stop. Don’t just pray for the storm to vanish. Pray for the strength to find your place in the Rock.

Conclusion: An Offer of Peace

The “noise” of the world is waiting for us outside these doors. But the Savior’s promise is that we don’t have to wait for the lake to turn to glass before we can feel safety again. If you feel you have lost your peace, remember President Eyring’s promise:

“The Lord wants you to come back. Your promised blessings are still in place… The Savior’s invitation to come to Him is an offer of peace” ¹⁰.

I testify that while He may not always choose to calm the storm around us, He will always calm the heart within us if we look to Him. The Master of the Ocean is also the Passenger in your boat. He is with you in the surf. He is the Rock, He is the Refuge, and He is the Prince of Peace.

In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

References

John 14:27, The New Testament. ↩
Waddell, Christopher S., “A Pattern for Peace,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2016. ↩
Philippians 4:7, The New Testament. ↩
Hinckley, Gordon B., “Of Missions, Temples, and Stewardship,” Ensign, Nov. 1995 (See also similar temple-focused addresses from Oct. 2000). ↩
Nelson, Russell M., “The Temple and Your Spiritual Foundation,” Liahona, Nov. 2021. ↩
Nelson, Russell M., “Focus on the Temple,” Liahona, Nov. 2022. ↩
Eyring, Henry B., “The Gift of Peace,” Liahona, May 2017. ↩
Waddell, Christopher S., “A Pattern for Peace,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2016. ↩
“Keep the Commandments,” Children’s Songbook, 146–47. ↩
Eyring, Henry B., “The Gift of Peace,” Liahona, May 2017. ↩