A significant amount of peace that God offers is found in his promises. No matter how bleak the situation may seem, God’s promises remain unalterable: “Who am I, saith the Lord, that have promised and have not fulfilled?” (D&C 58:31)
God’s promises will be fulfilled to the letter, every time, no matter what anyone else says or does, and no matter how hopeless a situation may seem:
God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? (Numbers 23:19)
Because of his power and reliability, God’s promises are the greatest source of peace available. They are a strong support in times of trouble, especially when joy is not readily apparent, because they can be leaned on to empower you to endure all things.
Abraham leaned on God’s promises, and because of it derived great strength and peace in spite of the fact that he still lacked a son in old age:
2 And Abram said, Lord God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?
3 And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.
4 And, behold, the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.
5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.
6 And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness. (Genesis 15)
Paul leaned on God’s promises, and was able to not only be of good cheer himself, but to encourage others to do the same in spite of a terrifying shipwreck and subsequent struggle to stay alive:
22 And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship.
23 For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,
24 Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.
25 Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.
26 Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island. (Acts 27)
It is easy to dismiss Paul and Abraham as exceptional, suggesting that God’s promises are out of reach for so-called “normal people.” However, God is no respecter of persons. He does not vary.
There exist situations in life that are too hard to endure without trust in God. “I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” (Psalm 27:13) Those without promises from God will fail to obey him in all things and in all situations. Their trust in him will be overcome by the difficulty of the situation. Therefore, it is critical to obtain promises from God.
The good news is that these promises abound. The scriptures are full of them. But do these promises apply to anyone?
God is perfectly fair and consistent. He provides the same blessings to anyone willing to fulfill their preconditions:
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. (James 1:17)
God’s promises are merely the explicit statement of the relationships of cause and effect of which he is aware. Therefore, all you need to do to receive his promises is the same thing anyone else did to receive them. The receipt of God’s promises—and therefore of God’s peace—is not a factor of obtaining arbitrary favor with God, but of seeking out the conditions of the promises, and following them. God’s promises are available to all those who love God, seek him, and obey him in spite of opposition: “For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.” (Hebrews 10:36)
God’s peace requires adhering to your sincere understanding of his character in your actions, beliefs, and feelings. His promises require that we conform to the conditions appointed: “I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise.” (D&C 82:10) In order to receive his promises, you must actually do what he says.
The greatest of God’s promises is the gift of eternal life, which is the promise of all he has to give. Those who possess this promise, available to all who love and obey him, will have strength to overcome all things in life and obtain all joy.
There is no earthly power that can stand against God's will and word. As you follow him, you will see situations as impossible as the Israelites’ escape from Egypt, and you will see God’s promises cut right through them. The key to injecting this power into your life is to keep all of God's commandments, to seek and yield to his will in all things.