Peace or Stress


Traveler
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I have noticed a lot of interest in peace.  However, it seems to me that the opposite or peace is stress.  Thus this thread.  I am going to suggest that both peace and stress are not something in and of themselves but rather the awareness and alignment with truth and principles of truth or the lack of awareness (ignorance) to truth or the inability to align with truth.  In case there is confusion – I am going to suggest that peace comes from knowledge of and alignment to truth.  Stress is either ignorance (not knowing) or discovering (knowledge) that one is mistaken in their understanding of the truth.  Knowing you are doing the right thing = peace – anything else is stressful.

These are my thought – what are yours.  Is being an active member of the church stressful or peaceful?  What is more stressful for you – keeping covenants or being able to fudge a little realizing the consequences are not all that bad?

 

The Traveler

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3 hours ago, Traveler said:

I have noticed a lot of interest in peace.  However, it seems to me that the opposite or peace is stress.  Thus this thread.  I am going to suggest that both peace and stress are not something in and of themselves but rather the awareness and alignment with truth and principles of truth or the lack of awareness (ignorance) to truth or the inability to align with truth.  In case there is confusion – I am going to suggest that peace comes from knowledge of and alignment to truth.  Stress is either ignorance (not knowing) or discovering (knowledge) that one is mistaken in their understanding of the truth.  Knowing you are doing the right thing = peace – anything else is stressful.

These are my thought – what are yours.  Is being an active member of the church stressful or peaceful?  What is more stressful for you – keeping covenants or being able to fudge a little realizing the consequences are not all that bad?

 

The Traveler

I get far more stressed when I slack on my duty to God.

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3 hours ago, Traveler said:

I have noticed a lot of interest in peace.  However, it seems to me that the opposite or peace is stress.  Thus this thread.  I am going to suggest that both peace and stress are not something in and of themselves but rather the awareness and alignment with truth and principles of truth or the lack of awareness (ignorance) to truth or the inability to align with truth.  In case there is confusion – I am going to suggest that peace comes from knowledge of and alignment to truth.  Stress is either ignorance (not knowing) or discovering (knowledge) that one is mistaken in their understanding of the truth.  Knowing you are doing the right thing = peace – anything else is stressful.

These are my thought – what are yours.  Is being an active member of the church stressful or peaceful?  What is more stressful for you – keeping covenants or being able to fudge a little realizing the consequences are not all that bad?

 

The Traveler

Since stress can be very helpful, I'll suggest that it is distress that the Gospel delivers us from. There are a series of articles in this month's Ensign that touch upon perfectionism, which I think gets to your question in relation to covenant-keeping. I think the principle that "wickedness never was happiness" also covers it.

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On 9/24/2019 at 1:10 PM, Traveler said:

Is being an active member of the church stressful or peaceful? 

Both.    Being an active member can be peaceful, but it can be stressful.    I would assume that anyone who has kids and has had to try and get them to sit quietly through sacrement meeting or stake conference would agree.  

Sometimes callings can be stressful.   Sometimes other members can be stressful.   For a lot of people, giving a talk in sacrement meeting is stressful.   Or even giving a lesson in Sunday school.   Or preparing primary children for the primary program.   Or teaching teenagers in priesthood.     New active members may feel stress for dealing with things like not drinking coffee or smoking.   

There are a lot of things that can be stressful in church, especially if you are active.   

Then there is peace.    Being an active member can bring peace when grieving a loved one.    Or dealing with guilt.   Or addictions.   Or the peace that comes with helping others.

Being an active member in the church does not equate to no stress in my opinion    Peace and stress are both there.

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15 hours ago, Scott said:

Both.    Being an active member can be peaceful, but it can be stressful.    I would assume that anyone who has kids and has had to try and get them to sit quietly through sacrement meeting or stake conference would agree.  

Sometimes callings can be stressful.   Sometimes other members can be stressful.   For a lot of people, giving a talk in sacrement meeting is stressful.   Or even giving a lesson in Sunday school.   Or preparing primary children for the primary program.   Or teaching teenagers in priesthood.     New active members may feel stress for dealing with things like not drinking coffee or smoking.   

There are a lot of things that can be stressful in church, especially if you are active.   

Then there is peace.    Being an active member can bring peace when grieving a loved one.    Or dealing with guilt.   Or addictions.   Or the peace that comes with helping others.

Being an active member in the church does not equate to no stress in my opinion    Peace and stress are both there.

 

8 hours ago, priesthoodpower said:

Church brings me stress, no different then the amount of stress that work/family produce.
Church has taught me about Jesus.
Jesus brings me peace.

 

Perhaps we ought to introduce the concept of "rest" - that the Sabbath day is a day of "rest" and "peace".  I am going to suggest that "rest" and "peace" comes from and through the Holy Ghost and that "stress" comes from and through the "natural man".  Also that being led by the Holy Ghost and the natural man is incompatible - or as Jesus taught - the impossible attempt to serve two masters.

 

The Traveler

 

The Traveler

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On 9/24/2019 at 5:57 PM, CV75 said:

Since stress can be very helpful, I'll suggest that it is distress that the Gospel delivers us from.

A semantic argument.  But I think it is a good one.

Stress simply means that we are carrying a load.  People go jogging to put stress on their bodies so they can get into better shape.  And overall, they feel better.  It works.  This level of stress is a good thing.

Stress turns into "distress" when the level of stress is damaging.  It is said that the tremendous pressure applied to coal can create a diamond.  But it is also said that when it is applied in the wrong way, it will crush the coal to dust -- no diamond.

I believe the Gospel provides us the proper stress to turn us lumps of coal into a diamond.  But pressure from the outside...(say, a particular mental health professional who wishes that the Prophet would no longer tell LGBT that they are sinning) ... applies the wrong pressure and destroys.  Then they blame it on the Church.

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It makes me think of the scriptural principle if you are prepared you shall not fear. In a perfect world we would be so filled with faith and so utterly prepared for any given situation that we would experience no stress or fear of failure. We would be completely confident that everything would work together for our good and find complete peace in that knowledge. But we obviously don't live in a perfect world. And so as @Mores points out some stress is good because it helps us. As we are taken out of our comfort zone and stretched beyond what we would prefer we in the process become more and thus better prepared in the future for what caused that stress in the past.

Edited by laronius
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