I’ve been thinking about peace. We often hear the phrase, “peace on earth, goodwill to men.” I’ve always thought of those words to mean something more global and bigger than anything that has to do with me personally. This year, however, these words have new meaning.

I believe that God wants us all to have our own individual peace. Imagine how the world would change if every one person could find their own peace. Why, we would actually experience goodwill toward all men and women!

Marion D. Hanks alluded to something similar when he said, “How to make the season wholesome? Why, by glancing healthfully inward for a moment. By seeking to bring ourselves more nearly to that measure of wholeness, of integrity, of unity with loftiest desires, of congruence with richest spiritual feeling, of harmony with that person that I would fondly like to be.”

Elder Hanks then said, “The angelic message was “Peace on earth, goodwill to men.”  . . . There is something we can do about peace in our lives and peace between us and our families and our neighbors—something—but we cannot control an insatiable world and the decisions of many men . . . .”

We can do something about creating peace in our own lives. That is what I would like for myself and for the many others who are working on healing from trauma. Peace. Peace is the ability to be in “harmony with that person that I would fondly like to be.” I think that sums up the healing path very well.

And after finding peace, let us share it with others. That’s called goodwill!

The original source of Elder Hanks’ talk (BYU Devotional, 11 Dec 1973) can be found here. It’s a great talk to read before Christmas!