I Feel Peace in My Heart

By Junya Mizoguchi, Kyoto, Japan

As a nursing student, I felt that I didn’t have time for my Church calling and my studies. But I had learned in my youth that service and obedience to God’s commandments lead to a happy life.

In my early adolescence, I thought about separating myself from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. But at the same time, I realized I hadn’t been following all the teachings of the Church. I decided that if I was going to separate myself from the Church, I wanted to feel good about it.

So, I decided I would try to obey everything the gospel teaches. Then, if I felt within me that the teachings didn’t make sense, I could leave without any regrets.

With all my “might, mind and strength” (Doctrine and Covenants 4:2), I tried to obey what the Lord teaches and watched for what would result. Through that experience, I was given a period of happiness to a degree I had almost never before experienced. By remaining in the Church, I felt that I could live a happy life, knowing what true happiness is.

After that experience, I decided to go on a mission and share the peace I felt in my heart. Regardless of the trials I would face, I had learned that if I pray to God, He will sustain me, give me hope, and help me understand the reason for my difficulties.

What Should I Do?

After my mission, while studying to become a nurse, I spent a lot of time each day doing on-the-job training. Afterward, I would do homework assignments until 2:00 or 3:00 a.m. Then I would sleep a little before doing more on-the-job training the next day.

At the time, I was serving as ward Young Men president. It was very difficult for me to study and fulfill my Church calling. I knew if I quit my calling, however, I would not be able to teach the young men about the importance of following God’s path or receive the blessings He had in store for me.

“What should I do?” I asked Heavenly Father. “My body and mind are in shambles, and I don’t think I’m doing the kind of job Thou wouldst have me do.”

After my prayer, I was comforted. I felt that God was telling me, “This time you are spending working so hard is important for you. Your busy schedule may be difficult, but if you overcome this trial now, I will use you to bless and help many others in the future.”

This answer gave me assurance that I had a purpose, that if I endured, I would be able to do a special work in the future.

I admitted to the young men how difficult school was for me. But I also told them that the Church and the gospel are important and should be the center of our lives even amid difficulties. I expressed my love for them and told them I was trying hard to fulfill my calling because they were just as important to me as my studies. They shed tears as the truth of these things touched their hearts.

Blessed for Serving

As I continued to serve the young men and teach them the gospel, I thought a lot about their complicated adolescent feelings as they attended church and learned the gospel. I focused on their mental health and helped them with their individual needs.

Serving the young men helped me develop an ability to observe and notice small changes in people. Now that I am working as a nurse and caring for dozens of patients, I have leveraged that ability when interacting with others.

“That patient says you really understand his feelings,” coworkers tell me. Or a patient may say, “I find that you are easy to talk to.”

Serving in Church callings has blessed me at home too. I have learned to prioritize my wife as I’ve learned to become less self-centered.

“If I were Heavenly Father,” I ask myself, “how would He go about strengthening this family, and what should I be doing to achieve that?”

Because I have studied the gospel with all my heart, I know how and why to teach my children that the Church is important. My wife and I know how to nourish our family spiritually because we base our teachings on the Savior’s teachings.

I feel hope and peace in my heart by following the Lord’s teachings and listening to His promptings. He has been by my side the entire way, blessing me through my obedience and callings to bless and help others. Regardless of trials, I want to live my life in such a way that I can do what Jesus Christ desires (see 2 Nephi 32:3).