The gospel of Jesus Christ offers us the consummate gifts of peace, happiness, and joy. But to many, these eternal promises seem elusive, even unattainable. In his familiar, warm style, Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles shares truths we need to understand and embrace to truly have a life of peace, happiness, and joy.

“I have sought to write these things as though the two of us were alone together in an open and frank discussion of truth,” he writes in the book's preface. “At critically important times in my life the Lord has made it possible for me to be oriented, guided, and immensely blessed by exceptional mentors. While I can't help you directly in that capacity, my prayer is that the following chapters may be as close to a mentoring experience as I can make it.”

Filled with insightful stories and examples to illustrate doctrine and principles, the book encourages the reader while at the same time sharing profound apostolic counsel that will help us find true peace, achieve enduring happiness, and experience periods of immense joy.

As explained in more detail in the preface, the purpose of this book is to help you and others you love find true peace with enduring happiness and joy regardless of your circumstances in ­life.

What are peace, happiness, and joy? How can they be obtained in this mortal life? To what extent is it reasonable that one living in today’s world of declining values, demoralizing influences, and uncertain future can expect to enjoy the blessings of peace, happiness, and ­joy?

The Savior ­taught:

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

Learn of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my Spirit, and you shall have peace in me.2

The peace that the Master has promised is much more than the absence of strife, turmoil, conflict, and contention. Its greatest blessing is realized in the life of an individual. Its absence is also felt most profoundly in the human mind and ­heart.

An example will illustrate the meaning of peace. I once had an experience that caused me immense anxiety. I was severely troubled. It had nothing to do with disobedience or transgression but with a vitally important human relationship. I was so overcome with concern that I did something I never do. I left my office early and went home to pray. For some time I poured my heart out to the Lord. Try as I might, I could find no solution, no settling of the powerful stirring within me. I pled for help from that Eternal Father I have come to know and trust completely. I could see no path that would provide the calm that is my blessing to generally enjoy. Sleep overcame me. When I awoke I was totally at peace. I knelt again in solemn prayer and asked, “Lord, how is it done?” In my heart, I knew the answer was His love and His concern for me. That is consummate ­peace.

Happiness has its roots in obedience to the teachings of the Lord and in faith in His capacity to fulfill His promises. It can be enjoyed in an environment of poverty or wealth, sickness or health, scarcity or abundance, serenity or challenge. Happiness can and should be the general background in which life is lived. It can provide strength and comfort when periods of challenge, sorrow, and disappointment are encountered, though we cannot expect that blessing when we are guilty of premeditated disobedience. Happiness and joy are often used interchangeably and will be repeatedly in this work. However, the scriptures confirm that joy can be so intense as to overcome entirely all other feelings.3 Such joy is a gift of God when fully merited. That singular joy is not often felt in life, while the happiness that comes through application of truth can be the predominant state in which we ­live.

No formula can prescribe how every individual can be assured of continual peace with happiness and joy in this mortal life. I am a witness that with patience, some ­long-­suffering, and the help of the Lord, coupled with obedience to His commandments, those ­blessings can be enjoyed most of the time. You have seen a confirmation of that truth in others’ lives. My desire is that your prayers and ­faith—­and hopefully some of the insight and truth shared in this ­volume—­will permit you to have those consummate blessings in your own ­life.

Many in the world are convinced that wealth, power, influence, sexual pursuit, and the artificial stimulation of the mind and body through alcohol and drugs are the sources of happiness. Seeking that path to happiness is like looking for a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Not only will the treasure not be found, but the results will almost always be sadness and disappointment, eventually leading to grief, anguish, and addiction. Such are consequences of yielding to Satan’s alluring temptations with their hollow promise of “happiness.” Only our Father in Heaven and His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, have given the pattern to acquire real peace and happiness. That is why the Father’s plan is appropriately named the Plan of Happiness.4

For enduring peace, it is essential that you understand the relationship between peace of conscience and peace of mind. It is also vital that you live the principles upon which both of these blessings are founded. I will ­explain.

God wants each of His children to enjoy the transcendent blessing of peace of conscience.5 A tranquil conscience invites freedom from anguish, sorrow, guilt, shame, and ­self-­condemnation. It provides a foundation for happiness. It is a condition of immense worth, yet few on earth enjoy it. Why? Most often because the principles upon which peace of conscience is founded are not understood or adequately followed. My life has been so richly endowed from peace of conscience that I wish to share insights on how it can be ­obtained.

Peace of conscience is the essential ingredient to your peace of mind. Without peace of conscience you can have no real peace of mind. Peace of conscience relates to your inner self. Only you can take the action required to obtain it. Peace of conscience comes from God. Its fundamental requisite is a righteous, obedient life. It cannot exist otherwise. On the other hand, peace of mind is most often affected by external forces, such as concern for a wayward child, economic pressures, real or imagined offenses, world conditions, more to do than sufficient time to do it in, or, most pointedly, the transgressions of others. An unsettled mind should be temporary, transitory. Peace of mind is restored by resolving the external forces that disturb it. Not so with a troubled conscience, for it is unrelenting, ever present, a constant reminder of the need to correct your past mistakes, to resolve an offense to another, or to repent of transgression. Oh, a disturbed conscience can be temporarily masked by physical stimulation of the mind and body, where one yields to the ­temptations of alcohol, drugs, pornography, and worse. All this comes at the cost of an increased appetite for counterfeit methods to calm an aching conscience, and it brings the risk of incurring unrelenting addictions. Such actions will never restore peace of ­conscience.

The ability to have an unsettled conscience is a gift of God to help you succeed in this mortal life by being motivated to make needed change. It results principally from the influence of the Light of Christ on your mind and heart.6 The Light of Christ is that divine power or influence that emanates from God through Jesus Christ.7 It gives light and life to all things.8 It prompts all rational individuals throughout the earth to distinguish truth from error, right from wrong.9 It activates your conscience.10 Its influence can be weakened through transgression and addiction and restored through proper repentance. The Light of Christ is not a person. It is a power and influence that comes from God. When followed, it can lead a person to qualify for the more definitive guidance and inspiration of the Holy Ghost.11

It is well to recognize that even with peace of conscience you can have temporary periods when your peace of mind is interrupted by external concerns. Your understanding of the causes of those ­concerns can relieve much of the pressure they generate. As your personal life conforms to the teachings of the Lord, you can seek His help in resolving troubling issues. Thus, your faith in the Lord and His teachings will yield peace of mind. Your efforts will be stepping-stones to greater personal growth as ­Spirit-­guided solutions are found. In addition, such challenges, as they are resolved, can often bring blessings to those whose needs have caused the disturbed feelings in your ­mind.

There is a scriptural basis for what we have reviewed. It is found in the extraordinary experience of the people of King ­Benjamin:

And . . . the Spirit of the Lord came upon them, and they were filled with joy, having received a remission of their sins, and having peace of conscience, because of the exceeding faith which they had in Jesus Christ who should come, according to the words which king Benjamin had spoken unto them.12

In summary, you can obtain peace of conscience by living a righteous life or by repenting of personal transgressions that cause you internal turmoil. Then peace of mind can be secured by resolving or understanding the external pressures that cause you temporary anxiety, worry, and distress. Yet if in your life there has been significant violation of commandments, try as you might, you will not find enduring happiness until, through repentance, you satisfy personally broken law to restore peace to a troubled ­conscience.

In subsequent chapters we will review together principles which form the foundation for a life of peace with happiness and joy for yourself or for a loved one. A variety of circumstances will be covered, with suggestions of what helps and what hinders efforts to live in peace with happiness and joy. The next chapter reveals ways to have more of those blessings in your ­life.