Isn’t the promise of “rest” wonderful? And isn’t it a wonderful feeling “to rest” when you are tired and worn out from something difficult? Just think about how good it feels to finally lie down in bed after a particularly tiring day – when all of the stress escapes from your body when your head hits the pillow.
I was amazed at how many different ways the word “rest” is used in English.
- to lean on for support, such as “rest, or relax, your arm on something”
to be supported by, such as “the column rested on its pedestal” - to lean or trust in something, such as “to rest on someone’s promise, be ‘rest assured’”
- to abide or remain with, such as “the spirit rested on him”
- to be calm or relaxed—not moving, such as “he was at rest”; or think of Newton’s first law: an object at rest tends to stay at rest
With all of these meanings for the word “rest”, what then is the “rest” spoken of by the Lord? Or thinking about it another way, when we speak of the “rest of the Lord” (which appears in the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine & Covenants) or “rest in the Lord” (which appears in Psalms), what kind of rest are we referring to? Certainly there is the “eternal” rest that we are all hoping for after this life.
“Eternal” rest: In the eternal sense, this rest is to gain the fulness of the Father. It is eternal life, living in the Celestial Kingdom.
President Harold B. Lee said: “Those of you who have lived a righteous life and die without having become the servants of sin, or who have truly repented of your sins, will enter into the "rest of the Lord," which rest "is the fulness of the glory of the Lord (D&C 84:24).”
But I think the Lord’s promise of rest is not just reserved for life after death – there is also a mortal rest that can come to us.
“Mortal” rest: We are not disturbed by every wind of doctrine – because we have firm testimonies.
President Joseph F. Smith taught how to achieve this rest: “The rest here referred to is not physical rest, for there is no such thing as physical rest in the Church of Jesus Christ. Reference is made to the spiritual rest and peace which are born from a settled conviction of the truth in the minds of men. We may thus enter into the rest of the Lord today, by coming to an understanding of the truths of the gospel.” (GD, 126.)
President Joseph Fielding Smith, reiterating what his father taught, added: [Entering into the rest of the Lord] means entering into the knowledge and love of God, having faith in his purpose and in his plan, to such an extent that we know we are right, and that we are not hunting for something else; we are not disturbed by every wind of doctrine, or by the cunning and craftiness of men who lie in wait to deceive. It is rest "from the cry that is going forth, here and there—lo, here is Christ; lo, there is Christ." (Gospel Doctrine, pp. 58, 125-126.)
Where mortals are concerned, the rest of the Lord comes from:
- understanding the gospel truths
- having faith in his purpose and his plan
- entering into the knowledge and love of God (having a testimony)
Only faithful members of the Church find perfect peace and rest to their souls. Achieving this status requires faith and hope. It includes gaining a perfect knowledge of the divinity of the Lord's work and the hope of eternal life in the world to come.
