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Your Peace And Strength Are Not Contingent On Your Circumstances Or Environmental Factors"It does not matter the circumstances, trials, or challenges that might surround us; an understanding of the doctrine of Christ and His Atonement will be the source of our strength and peace-yes, brothers and sisters, that internal tranquility that is born of the spirit and which the Lord gives to His faithful Saints. He nourishes us, saying: "Peace I leave with you…Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (John 14: 27)" Called To Be Saints; Elder Benjamin De Hoyos The Atonement Is The Source Of Our Strength And PeaceThe source of our strength and peace is not contingent on circumstances, trials or challenges. President Monson has said in other General Conference addresses that you can find profound peace in the middle of your sorest trial. That is an extremely powerful statement. This means that happiness comes from within not what is going on around you. Peace is based on a large measure on your beliefs. Clearly you can have peace and strength regardless of your circumstances, challenges and trials. The way Satan takes away your agency is through lies and false beliefs. These false beliefs can be like rivets firmly attached to your heart and mind. Christ through His gospel and atonement are the secret to unloosing those rivets. Rivets are designed to be permanent. You need both peace and strength. Were much is given much is expected. The Lord doesn't need fence sitters. He needs people who will get in the fight and create righteousness. It is possible to be at peace without getting in the fight. I also don't think you can be strong without having peace. If you are not at peace within yourself your ability to create righteousness and be an instrument in God's hands is greatly limited. Knowing how to access His atonement is the key to increasing your strength and peace. You can't trust in the arm of flesh, and you can't go it alone. You have to seek after Him and know how to invite Him into your life. Temple attendance is one of the promises of gaining greater access to the Lord's atonement. Neither Let Your Heart Be AfraidLife can be quite fearful. The causes of the fear can be in many ways. Fear in general is a sign that you don't really know the Lord. Fear is also an indication of a false belief that something else is more powerful than Christ; otherwise there would be no reason to fear. The scriptures teach that faith and fear can't exist at the same time. In my mind two of the great causes of fear other than failure are pain and being mistreated. Expect to be mistreated and feel pain, no one escapes it. Expect also to be healed which should override your fear of pain. John 14: 27 also says to not let your heart be troubled. Christ through His atonement has the power to heal everyone and anything. If you knew that no matter what happens to you in this life you would be healed by Christ you would have zero fear of anything. If you knew Christ would heal you; it wouldn't matter if people mistreat you, reject you, betray your trust, and abuse you or whatever else they do to you. You don't have to be a victim. Don't fall victim to the false belief that the atonement is only or primarily for the sinner and not the victim. The atonement is especially for the victim. There is another belief that should destroy any fear you have about anything that could happen in your life. If you know Christ descended below all things and is now resurrected should eliminate all fear. This means Christ is currently alive and active. The atonement is not a past tense, or something He did. The atonement is present tense, something that He is doing NOW in your life. |