You can watch/read Elder Cook’s full talk here

We live in a time when “peaceable followers of Christ”experience unique challenges. Those who believe in, humbly worship, and testify of Jesus Christ have always experienced trials, tribulation, and adversities. My wife, Mary, and I are no different. In the last few years, we have seen many of our close high school friends, missionary companions, some of their precious wives, and former work associates pass away, or, as President Russell M. Nelson has said, graduate to the other side of the veil. We have seen some who were raised in faith and belief step off the covenant path.

What does it mean to be a peaceable follower of Christ? 

President Gordon B. Hinckley said: “We must not only be tolerant, but we must cultivate a spirit of affirmative gratitude for those who do not see things quite as we see them. We do not in any way have to compromise our theology, our convictions, our knowledge of eternal truth as it has been revealed by the God of Heaven. We can offer our own witness of the truth, quietly, sincerely, honestly, but never in a manner that will give offense to others. … We must learn to accord appreciation and respect for others who are as sincere in their beliefs and practices as are we” (“Out of Your Experience Here” [Brigham Young University devotional, Oct. 16, 1990], 6, speeches.byu.edu).]

Peacable followers are not exempt from life’s tribulations, but they know that God will one day “wipe away all tears” and make things right again. In the meantime, He can strengthen us to pass through our trials with confidence, good cheer, and peace.

Sadly, we lost a grandson of 23 who died in a tragic single-car accident. Some dear friends, family members, and colleagues have also endured significant health challenges.

Whenever trials occur, we mourn and strive to bear one another’s burdens. We lament things that will not be accomplished and songs that will not be sung. Bad things happen to good people on this mortal journey. The devastating fires on Maui in Hawaii, southern Chile, and Canada are examples of horrendous events good people sometimes face.

In his October 2011 General Conference talk Elder Cook also addressed the question of why bad things happen to good people:

‘While we do not know all the answers, we do know important principles that allow us to face tragedies with faith and confidence that there is a bright future planned for each of us. Some of the most important principles are:

First, we have a Father in Heaven, who knows and loves us personally and understands our suffering perfectly.

Second, His Son, Jesus Christ, is our Savior and Redeemer, whose Atonement not only provides for salvation and exaltation but also will compensate for all the unfairness of life.

Third, the Father’s plan of happiness for His children includes not only a premortal and mortal life but also an eternal life as well, including a great and glorious reunion with those we have lost. All wrongs will be righted, and we will see with perfect clarity and faultless perspective and understanding.’

How can understanding these important principles help us?

We read in the Pearl of Great Price that the Lord revealed to Abraham the eternal nature of spirits. Abraham learned of our pre-earth life, foreordination, the Creation, the choosing of a Redeemer, and this mortal life, which is the second estate of man. The Redeemer declared:

“We will make an earth whereon these may dwell;

“And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them.” (Abraham 3:24-25)

In what ways does our mortal life ‘prove’ us?

Now all of us are here in the second estate of our journey of progression toward a kingdom of glory as part of God’s great plan of salvation and exaltation. We are blessed with agency and subject to the trials of mortality. This is the time allotted for us to prepare to meet God. We are blessed to know of Jesus Christ and His role in the plan. We have the privilege to become members of His restored Church—The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As peaceable followers of Christ, we strive to live His commandments. It has never been easy for His followers. Nor was it easy for the Savior to faithfully fulfill His mortal mission.

Joseph Smith said: “All persons are entitled to their agency, for God has so ordained it. He has constituted mankind moral agents, and given them power to choose good or evil; to seek after that which is good, by pursuing the pathway of holiness in this life, which brings peace of mind, and joy in the Holy Ghost here, and a fulness of joy and happiness at His right hand hereafter; or to pursue an evil course, going on in sin and rebellion against God, thereby bringing condemnation to their souls in this world, and an eternal loss in the world to come.” The Prophet also noted: “Satan cannot seduce us by his enticements unless we in our hearts consent and yield. Our organization is such that we can resist the devil; if we were not organized so, we would not be free agents” (Teachings: Joseph Smith, 213).] 

Why is agency so central to Heavenly Father’s plan for us?

The scriptures are clear: many will succumb to an “eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die” approach. Other nonbelievers retreat to somber enclaves of like-minded participants who advocate for the next “new thing” and philosophies of men. They know not where to find the truth.

Peaceable followers of Christ do not follow either path. We are warm, engaged members of the communities where we live. We love, share, and invite all of God’s children to follow Christ’s teachings. We follow the counsel of our beloved prophet, President Nelson: we choose the role of “a peacemaker, now and always.” This inspired approach is consistent with both the scriptures and prophetic direction.

In what ways can you love, share and invite?

In 1829 the restored Church had not yet been organized, nor had the Book of Mormon been published. A small group of struggling people, moved by the Spirit of God, followed the Prophet Joseph Smith. The Lord revealed to Joseph counsel for difficult times: “Fear not, little flock; do good; let earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are built upon my rock, they cannot prevail.” (D&C 6:34) He also counseled them:

“Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not.

“… Be faithful, keep my commandments, and ye shall inherit the kingdom of heaven.” (D&C 6:36-37)

These are significant promises but how do we conquer fear?

Clearly, our heavenly destiny is not altered when we suffer adversity. In Hebrews we are counseled to “come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Jesus Christ is “the author of eternal salvation.”

In his April 2021 General Conference talk, Elder Dale G Renlund said:

‘Even while we suffer inexplicably, God can bless us in simple, ordinary, and significant ways. As we learn to recognize these blessings, our trust in God will increase. In the eternities, Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ will resolve all unfairness. We understandably want to know how and when. How are They going to do that? When are They going to do it? To my knowledge, They have not revealed how or when.’

I love the words of Mormon, quoted by his son Moroni, commending “the peaceable followers of Christ … because of your peaceable walk with the children of men.” (Moroni 7:3-4)

For those of us in the Church striving to be peaceable followers of Christ, a brighter day awaits us as we focus on our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Trials are a part of mortality and occur in everyone’s life throughout the world. This includes major conflicts between countries and individuals.

Our life here on the earth is an opportunity for us to grow, learn, and progress through the experiences that come to us. When we understand this truth we can find hope and meaning in the midst of life’s trials.

Church leaders are frequently asked, “Why does a just God allow bad things to happen, especially to good people?” and “Why are those who are righteous and in the Lord’s service not immune from such tragedies?”

We do not know all the answers; however, we do know important principles that allow us to face trials, tribulation, and adversities with faith and confidence in a bright future that awaits each of us. No better example exists in scripture with respect to passing through tribulation than the word of the Lord to Joseph Smith, the Prophet, while he was a prisoner in Liberty Jail.

The Lord in part declared:

“If the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.

“The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he?

“… Fear not what man can do, for God shall be with you forever and ever.” (D&C 122:7-9)

It is clear we have a Father in Heaven who knows and loves us personally and understands our suffering perfectly. His Son, Jesus Christ, is our Savior and Redeemer.

See my blog on Why do I have so many challenges?

President Russell M. Nelson and President M. Russell Ballard have both strongly emphasized the significance of the new second edition of Preach My Gospel. I share their enthusiasm. This new edition, amplifying sacred scripture, powerfully proclaims:

“In His atoning sacrifice, Jesus Christ took upon Himself our pains, afflictions, and infirmities. Because of this, He knows ‘according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities’ (Alma 7:12; see also verse 11). He invites, ‘Come unto me,’ and as we do, He gives us rest, hope, strength, perspective, and healing (Matthew 11:28; see also verses 29–30).

“As we rely on Jesus Christ and His Atonement, He can help us endure our trials, sicknesses, and pain. We can be filled with joy, peace, and consolation. All that is unfair about life can be made right through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.”

We can joyfully be peaceable followers of Christ.

How does it make you feel when you consider that Jesus Christ took upon Himself all of our infirmities, sicknesses and afflictions? How does it help you?

Our Father’s plan of happiness for His children includes not only a premortal and mortal life but also a potential for eternal life, including a great and glorious reunion with those we have lost. All wrongs will be righted, and we will see with perfect clarity and faultless perspective and understanding.

Church leaders have compared this perspective with someone walking into the middle of a three-act play. Those without knowledge of the Father’s plan do not understand what happened in the first act (or the premortal existence) and the purposes established there; nor do they understand the clarification and resolution that come in the third act, which is the glorious fulfillment of the Father’s plan.

Many do not appreciate that under His loving and comprehensive plan, those who appear to be disadvantaged, through no fault of their own, are not ultimately impacted.

Elder Cook’s footnotes to his talk contain the following:

See Boyd K. Packer, “The Play and the Plan” (Church Educational System fireside for young adults, May 7, 1995 [printed 1997]), 2: “In mortality, we are like actors who enter a theater just as the curtain goes up on the second act. We have missed act 1. … ‘And they all lived happily ever after’ is never written into the second act. That line belongs in the third act, when the mysteries are solved and everything is put right.” See also Neal A. Maxwell, All These Things Shall Give Thee Experience (1979), 37: “[God] sees the beginning from the end. … The arithmetic … is something we mortals cannot comprehend. We cannot do the sums because we do not have all the numbers. We are locked in the dimension of time and are contained within the tight perspectives of this second estate.”

I particularly like the Neal A Maxwell quote; we just do not have the information or the perspective to fully understand the Lord’s purposes.

The scriptures are clear: peaceable followers of Christ who are righteous, follow the Savior, and keep His commandments will be blessed. One of the most important scriptures for those who are righteous, regardless of their situation in life, is part of King Benjamin’s address to his people. He promises that those who faithfully keep the commandments are blessed in all things in this life and “are received into heaven … [and] dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness.” (Mosiah 2:41)

Elder Cook, in his April 2022 General Conference talk said:

‘The banquet of consequences and blessings that flow from conversion is true and permanent peace and the personal assurance of ultimate happiness—despite the storms of this life.’

We recognize that almost all of us have experienced physical and spiritual storms in our lives, some devastating. A loving Father in Heaven and His Son, Jesus Christ, who is the head of His restored Church, have provided us scriptures and prophets to prepare us, warn us about dangers, and give us guidance to prepare and protect us. Some directions require immediate action, and some provide protection for many years in the future. The Lord’s preface to the Doctrine and Covenants, section 1, admonishes us to “give heed to the words of the prophets.”

Section 1 also cautions us, “Prepare ye, prepare ye for that which is to come.” The Lord provides His people a chance to prepare for the challenges they will face.

What warnings, guidance and cautions have we recently received from the Prophet?

The Lord gave a powerful revelation to President Brigham Young on January 14, 1847, at Winter Quarters. This revelation is a classic example of the Lord preparing people for that which is to come. The faithful Saints had begun their exodus to the mountain sanctuary of the Salt Lake Valley. They had successfully built the Nauvoo Temple and received sacred saving ordinances. They had been driven out of Missouri, and their persecutors had driven them out of Nauvoo in a terrible winter season. The revelation to Brigham gave practical counsel on how to prepare for the exodus. The Lord placed special emphasis on taking care of the poor, the widows, the fatherless, and the families of those serving in the Mormon Battalion as the main body of Saints proceeded on their perilous journey.

In addition to providing other advice to live righteously, the Lord emphasized two principles that continue to be applicable today.

First, He encouraged them to “praise the Lord with singing, with music, with dancing, and with a prayer of praise and thanksgiving.”

Second, the Lord counseled if they were “sorrowful, call on the Lord thy God with supplication, that your souls may be joyful.”

These two admonitions are great counsel for our own day. Lives full of praise, music, and thanksgiving are uniquely blessed. Being joyful and relying on heavenly help through prayer is a powerful way to be peaceable followers of Christ. Striving always to be of good cheer helps avoid being cast down in spirit.

The final line of a perceptive hymn conveys the ultimate answer in a beautiful fashion: “Earth has no sorrow that heav’n cannot heal.”

As an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, I testify that “peaceable followers of Christ” will find personal peace in this life and a glorious heavenly reunion. I bear a sure witness of the Savior’s divinity and the reality of His Atonement. He is our Savior and Redeemer. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

What truths particularly impressed you in Elder Cook’s talk?

NB: Passages in italics are direct quotes from Elder Cook’s talk.