3 June 2007 Lesson: "Blessed Are The Peacemakers"

Today's lesson was taught by our very own Nan Mastie. We began by reading the Sermon on the Mount from Matthew 5. Nan referred to an article from the September 2001 Ensign by Robert Wells, "Peace on Earth." She read Elder Wells' description of the setting for the Sermon on the Mount:

"I like to think of when the sermon was first taught. In my mind’s eye, I see a scene of peaceful beauty: I envision an afternoon in early spring. The sky is softening toward dusk, with not even a breeze. White, wispy cirrus clouds stand almost motionless in the clear blue sky. And below, on the coast of the Sea of Galilee, soft waves lap against moored fishing boats. A group of people assembles on the side of the hill. Eager listeners sit on the grass or stand amidst the rocks and early spring flowers. All are hushed and thoughtful as every face is lifted up, every eye looking toward the Lord, and every ear listening as the Savior tells them what they need to do in order to have peace in their lives."

Then she read this statement by Elder Wells:

"To follow Christ and bring forth the blessings of heaven, we must actively make peace in the world, in the community, in the neighborhood, and above all, in the home we live in."

Nan said that sometimes a disruption in one area of our lives can mess up our peace in another area, like when we bring troubles from work home with us. She asked us how we pull back the reins and find peace when we are faced with trouble. What strategies work for us? Gwen said bite your tongue and pray for the correct words to come to you. Michelle R. said that when she has negative thoughts about herself it affects how she treats her children, the things she says, etc. She said I know I can change negative thoughts to positive with help from prayer. Nan told us that the Bishop had asked the Youth to be peacemakers at home for one month, and then report back on their efforts. Some of the things they found were that they didn't engage in argument as much, and they learned that they didn't have to have the last word.

Nan helps to run a child care center. She has a parent that is very argumentative that she has been dealing with. He confronted her at work, yelling at her and trying to catch her off guard. She had similar confrontations with him on the phone, which left her crying. She prayed for help before seeing him the next time. She asked for calmness and for the ability to speak clearly. She was surprised when he began their next encounter by apologizing for his argumentative style, excusing his behavior by saying that he is a lawyer (Nan thought of many other lawyers she knows that are not argumentative). But their talk ended peacefully.

Then Nan told the story from Elder Wells' article about when President Harold B. Lee was asked by the Press to make a statement about the Vietnam War. He said:

“We, together with the whole Christian world, abhor war. But the Savior said, ‘In me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation’ ” (John 16:33). President Lee then explained, “The Savior was not talking about the peace that can be achieved between nations, by military force or by negotiation in the halls of parliaments. Rather, he was speaking of the peace we can each have in our own lives when we live the commandments and come unto Christ with broken hearts and contrite spirits” (see “Be a Friend, a Servant, a Son of the Savior,” Ensign, Nov. 1982, 70).

Peace-making, said Nan, is about our peace inside, not about "making peace" between others. Nan said that she had felt the same feeling Sondra talked about last week when she saw the Mortensens in Sacrament Meeting the week before (Rob Mortensen is one of our former Bishops). The thing Sondra said, and Nan seconded, was that seeing old friends from the ward filled her with a sense of love and family, the peace of coming home, of being gathered together. Both women were moved to tears by when they unexpectedly saw old friends from the ward. One of the blessings of visiting teaching is the opportunity to come together and have peace with one another.

Nan asked us to share how we are able to find peace. Lisa said that as a former law enforcement officer, she always thinks of how the police call their batons "peace makers." And sometimes she wants to make peace that way, especially with certain people. But she remembers a time when she was having a conflict with some other members of the ward and President Quinn asked her if she wanted to be right, or if she wanted to be effective. Now she asks herself that question a lot, especially when interacting with her children. Usually she just waits until the right time, or her children come to the realization on their own.

Kathy told a story about an email she received from Marilyn this past week. Kathy had had a discouraging week, but Marilyn's email helped her feel better. Marilyn talked about how her daughter was visiting, and she prayed in the morning for a good experience with her. A few hours later her daughter got in an accident that ripped the bumper off of Marilyn's car. Marilyn made a conscious choice to believe that her prayer from that morning was effective, in spite of what had happened. Later that day, Marilyn's daughter was rear-ended in Detroit, in a more serious accident, but was not hurt. Marilyn saw that her prayer had been answered, and that her daughter had been protected from physical harm. The second accident put the ripped-off bumper into perspective. Kathy's comment was how important it is that we share with each other and try to be open and truthful.

Jill said that writing in her journal helps her find peace. Sondra said that before entering a difficult situation, she prays for compassion. By trying to choose compassion it got her mind off of herself and how difficult the situation was for her personally. Nan closed by saying that when we can find and hold on to our peace, the heavens open up, and we can receive revelation and comfort from our Heavenly Father.