Steven J. Hafen teaches lasting personal peace is found through Christ’s Atonement

BYU’s administrative vice president and chief financial officer Steven J. Hafen addressed BYU students at a March 12 devotional, sharing how Christ’s Atonement provides peace as Latter-day Saints keep their covenants.

BYU’s administrative vice president and chief financial officer Steven J. Hafen addressed BYU students at a March 12 devotional, sharing how Christ’s Atonement provides peace as Latter-day Saints keep their covenants.

During his address, Hafen said finding peace is of utmost importance in this day and age.

“Living in a most complicated time in the history of the world, we can experience peace through the greatest manifestations of the Savior’s power that the world has ever seen,” Hafen said.

Hafen pointed out Christ spoke of peace before His Atonement and taught we can experience peace through trial as the Savior did.

“None of us will experience life absent of tribulation — even major trials at times — but by ‘overcoming the world’ Christ allows us to ‘be of good cheer’ even in the midst of personal anguish or challenge,” he said.

Hafen said the way to receive lasting peace is by experiencing five different qualities of Jesus Christ’s Atonement, which when put together form the acronym PEACE. He said Christ’s Atonement purifies, enables, assures, comforts and exalts us.

Eliza Barber, a senior from Atwater, California studying interdisciplinary humanities, said the acronym stood out to her. We should remember those blessings “not just because it spells peace, but because that will help you to experience peace,” she said.

Hafen shared the story of adopting his daughter Taya. Throughout that experience, these five blessings came into play in his life and brought him peace, he said.

Though there were many difficult experiences through the years-long process of adopting Taya, Hafen said trusting in Christ through the process led to something greater when they were finally sealed as a family in the temple in 2008.

“Exaltation is the reason for Christ’s Atonement. And it is the ultimate desire that Heavenly Father has for each of us,” Hafen said.

Hafen said the way to receive these blessings is through keeping covenants with God.

“If you really want to pursue your path to lasting peace, commit now, commit every day, to completely keep all your covenants. Remember, our covenants provide us with a direct divine connection to Jesus Christ,” Hafen said.

Ryan Bartholomew, a freshman from Highland studying electrical engineering, said Hafen’s invitation is something he wants to apply in his own life.

“I want to make it more intentional to keep my covenants and make that the source of power and help when I’m looking for it or in times of need,” Bartholomew said.

Hafen concluded by testifying of the Savior’s role in bringing peace.

“Our Savior’s Atonement is our path to lasting personal peace,” Hafen said.

The transcript for this devotional, “Our Path to Lasting Personal Peace,” can be found here.