Like many of you, I have been disturbed and disheartened by recent headlines. I worry about the future and I wonder if there is anything I can do to make this world a better place. But the world, it seems, is riddled with problems. I often feel overwhelmed just thinking about all the things I maybe could and should do.
But finding peace in this world is actually much simpler than we tend to believe. Instead of looking outward—at events and circumstances over which we have very little control—we must first look inward then upward; we should examine our own hearts and see if there is anything that needs to be changed, then ask God for help to make those changes. Those changes—toward a heart at peace—could make all the difference in a world rife with conflict.
Not long ago, I interviewed Nathan Mitchell, the actor who portrayed Joseph Smith in the LDS Church History films. Nathan is currently a co-director of Anasazi Foundation—a wilderness therapy program for at-risk youth. When I asked Nathan how to resolve conflicts at home and abroad, Nathan said that the pathway to peace begins within our own hearts. He then shared the "Legend of the Two Wolves"—a Native American parable about an epic battle that takes place within each of our hearts.