Finding Pieces of Peace

A compass helps us find our way. Being aware and following our internal compass brings peace to our hearts and enables us to become peacemakers in our interactions at home, work, church, and online. As polarization and contention increase, our best response is to bury our weapons of war and become warriors for peace. We can agree without being disagreeable, and try to see each others’ hearts and recognize that each person has worth and deserves to be treated with dignity and civility. I love this compassionate advice on interacting with others when it’s difficult: assume nobility of intent!

The key ideas of this article began with Russell M. Nelson*, the president of the church I belong to, who has repeatedly requested that we be peacemakers. Most recently as he marked his 101st birthday, he issued invitations on social media and in an op-ed in TIME Magazine for us to renew our efforts at peacemaking. He especially emphasized that the way we treat others is the most important measure of our devotion to God. This felt like a call for me to study and apply his counsel.

I struggle to identify truth with all the loud voices of contention around me. I learned the hard way that the more I interact with angry and accusing social media posts and pundits, it simply increases my distrust, anger, and confusion. Online algorithms fuel the fire of antagonism. Lisa’s article this month offers multiple remedies and suggestions. 

Trying to find personal peace reminded me of solving a difficult jigsaw puzzle. There are so many pieces that don’t fit neatly together. I came to believe that there are two separate puzzles we can complete. Two online images in the graphic represent this idea. One creates an image of peacemaking, the other creates contention. Of course, you can’t mix the pieces from both puzzles and end up with the resulting peace you seek. Note that the pieces of the contention puzzle are dark and they don’t fit. If you encounter ideas and actions that fill you with anger and darkness, you can be sure they will not result in peace and harmony. On the other hand, the Bible teaches, “Blessed are the peacemakers,” and working to add more pieces to this peacemaking puzzle will enable you to change your heart and your behavior with added kindness and patience. Note that the key peacemaking piece is the heart, symbolic of God’s pure love (or charity) we can seek and share. 

I decided to work on piecing together peace by looking at how I treat others. I especially looked at the example of Jesus Christ and other leaders who emphasize kindness, dignity, and wisdom. I could quickly see they could provide puzzle pieces in my life’s picture that would lead to peace and understanding. These pieces of peace help me work to overcome pride, jealousy, or anger as I interact with others. The more I look to those models of civility, the easier it becomes to choose to treat others with respect and kindness.

This model works as I identify peacemakers among those who respond compassionately to tragedies of violence in our society, those I interact with in my daily activities, and especially in my home and with my own family. As I tried to turn the volume down on the raging contention in the world, my internal compass filled my soul with a desire to begin my peacemaking efforts at home. It was like building the border of this puzzle of peace. By working to be a peacemaker at home, I set boundaries and expectations for myself to help me also complete this quest at work, church, and online. 

This framework helped me find pieces of peace in other contexts, including friends in my neighborhood and congregation. I found myself remembering their identity as children of God and my brothers and sisters, recognizing they are worthy of respect and surely have unseen struggles and difficulties hidden from me. 

As I was looking for pieces of peace, I was touched by this article by Austin that described how a woman’s willingness to be a peacemaker completely changed the outcome of a bitter custody battle. I chose to have conversations with people I would usually avoid, and I shared a social media post by a friend who very civilly encouraged and demanded more respect and kindness on her page from those with differing political persuasions and opinions.

The best part for me was the peace in my home. My compass confirmed that I do not appreciate and applaud my husband enough. The harder I tried, the better look I got inside his heart and his unseen needs. Peacemaking definitely needed to begin at home for me. But it can’t stop there. I need to apply the same love, effort, and commitment to being a peacemaker in every way at all times and places. The most important piece, having peace in my heart, enables my internal compass to work in recognizable ways which I can apply to how I treat others, no matter how differently we see things. 

I end with this short video of President Nelson depicting some vital adjustments that can help us become peacemakers and change the world, a piece at a time. Please consider yourself invited to add more peace to your life’s puzzle. 

*President Nelson passed away peacefully at home on September 28, 2025 after this article was written.