“Where Sin Causes Chaos, Christ Brings Peace,” Liahona, Jan. 2026.
From YA Weekly
Where Sin Causes Chaos, Christ Brings Peace
Even in the middle of life’s chaos, Christ can bring light, order, and peace to your soul.
Illustration by Kate Birch
Does life ever feel a bit … chaotic?
Feeling a sense of chaos is something we all experience at times. The complexities of the world make it easy to forget that we are spiritual beings having mortal experiences—something we’ve never done before.
Two miraculous gifts God gave us are mortal bodies and agency. Those gifts allow us to feel, desire, and act for ourselves. So naturally, things can feel messy or uncertain because of the choices the natural woman or man is prone to making.
We all make mistakes. But when we struggle with sins or habits that we can’t seem to overcome, no matter how hard we try to change, it’s easy to feel a sense of disarray. With the spiritual side of us pulling toward heaven and the mortal side tugging us toward the world, it can feel like a constant internal tug-of-war.
Whether we struggle with things like gossip, anger, unrighteous judgment, engaging with too much media, pornography use, or anything else, the adversary is quick to fan flames of shame, hopelessness, and ultimately, spiritual chaos.
Fortunately for us, Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ know how to handle chaos.
Seeking His Light Is the First Step
During the Creation—the beginning of everything we know—the universe is described as being in a chaotic, unorganized state: “The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep” (Genesis 1:2). This chaos and hopeless darkness are reminiscent of how the adversary can make us feel when we sin or make choices that go against our values. He enjoys making us feel trapped and often encourages us to hide.
But as Sister Tamara W. Runia, First Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency, taught: “Jesus Christ gives light to those who sit in darkness. So, on those days when you feel that voice telling you to hide, that you should hide in a dark room all by yourself, I invite you to be brave and believe Christ! Walk over and turn on the Light—our Perfect Brightness of Hope.”
Under the direction of God, during the Creation the first thing Jesus Christ did to dispel the darkness of chaos was to bring light (see Genesis 1:3; Moses 2:2–5). From there, He went on to organize every chaotic part of matter, from the vast heavens to the smallest seedling.
If He could bring order to the universe, imagine what can happen when you turn to His Son for healing and redeeming power each day. When you feel like you’re burdened by your struggles and the darkness of the world, reaching for Christ’s light is the first step toward peace and divine organization.
Next, Remember Who You Are
After the heavens and earth were organized and beautified, Heavenly Father prepared the way for His spirit children to come to earth and receive physical bodies. But during our time on earth, the adversary works hard to make us forget who we are.
We can see his efforts to sway us from our divine identity in the moment when God speaks to the prophet Moses and shares knowledge with him. In Moses 1, God speaks to Moses by name and repeatedly calls him His son.
But as soon as God departs, Satan appears and calls Moses a “son of man” (Moses 1:12), tempting him to forget who he really is.
Satan wants us to forget who we truly are. He instills doubt in our ability to change. He wants us to believe we are natural, unchangeable men and women and always will be.
But Elder Patrick Kearon of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles reminds us: “You can come to Christ with confidence in His loving-kindness and receive all His gifts of joy, peace, hope, light, truth, revelation, knowledge, and wisdom. … You are a beloved daughter of God, you are a cherished son of God, and He has gifted you His perfect, holy Son to redeem you, justify you, and sanctify you.”
Redemption is something Satan will never have. And when we lean into our spiritual identity, we can say, as Moses did:
“Who art thou? For behold, I am a son [or daughter] of God, in the similitude of his Only Begotten. …
“Get thee hence, Satan; deceive me not; for God said unto me: Thou art after the similitude of mine Only Begotten” (Moses 1:13, 16).
If life feels chaotic, pause. Remember your divine identity. Let that truth, that you are a beloved child of God, pull you toward heaven. Turn to Jesus Christ so He can help you restore order to your soul.
Finally, Allow Christ to Turn Chaos into Peace
When Adam and Eve left the Garden of Eden, the simplicity they had always known there was replaced by a lone and dreary world. But Heavenly Father promised that they could have peace because He prepared a Savior to redeem them from their sins and sorrows (see Moses 5:7–10).
When you’re feeling overwhelmed by mortality, remember this truth: Heavenly Father knew we were going to face temptations, make mistakes, and sin throughout this journey back home to Him—that was all part of the plan.
Through Jesus Christ, Heavenly Father can always help us repel the powers of darkness in life and replace them with light. No matter how many times we mess up, because of our Savior, we can trade chaos for peace within our souls when we repent.
President Russell M. Nelson testified:
“[Jesus Christ] will strengthen you. He will bless you with peace, even amidst chaos. …
“Jesus Christ took upon Himself your sins, your pains, your heartaches, and your infirmities. You do not have to bear them alone! He will forgive you as you repent. He will bless you with what you need. He will heal your wounded soul.”
Whatever you might struggle with, when you turn to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ for help, They can always restore what is in shambles, free you from the chaos of sins and temptations, and beautify your life.
They’ve done it time and time again.