There was a great article in the Ensign magazine this month about what we can learn about happiness from the Book of Mormon. Even for those not of our faith, these principles hold true in our lives.
1. WHO DO WE HANG WITH
A major source of our happiness is our social circle. Are we spending time with those who are uplifting and positive? Do we spend time with those who have similar goals and philosophies of life? Have you ever struggled with having a friend who you loved, but their negative attitudes about life tended to bring out the worst in you, causing you to become more critical and judgmental of others?
2. DO WE WALK THE WALK AND NOT JUST TALK THE TALK?
Mosiah encourages us to "Consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God". (Mosiah 2:41) Mahatma Gandhi said, "Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony". I found in my own life that the hardest times for me were when I knew certain things to be true, but I was not living in alignment with those principles.
3. LEARN TO WORK HARD
Work is a critical factor in obtaining happiness. President Monson has counseled, "God left the world unfinished for man to work his skill upon. He left the electricity in the cloud, the oil in the earth. He left the rivers unbridged and the forests unfelled and the cities unbuilt. God gives to man the challenge of raw materials, not the ease of finished things. He leaves the pictures unpainted and the music unsung and the problems unsolved, that man might know the joys and glories of creation." The exhilaration of being creative and the feeling of accomplishment that often accompany hard work brings happiness.
4. SHARING WHAT WE HAVE
Multiple studies have shown that time spent serving and money spent on others have a direct impact on our happiness. Kim Benjamin told his people, "I would that ye should impart of your substance to the poor, every man according to that which he hath, such as feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and administering to their relief, both spiritual and temporally, according to their wants." (Mosiah 4:26)
5. BEING A PEACEMAKER
Contention and happiness are polar opposites---one leads away from the other. Jesus said, "He that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention." (3 Nephi 11:29) Often contention arises from impatience. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf taught, "Impatience is a symptom of selfishness. It is a trait of the self-absorbed. It arises from the all-too-prevalent condition called 'center of the universe' syndrome, which leads people to believe that the world revolves around them and that all others are just supporting cast in the grand theater of mortality in which only they have the starring role." Our homes need to be places of peace and support. Gordon B. Hinkley invited us to "cultivate the art of the soft answer. It will bless your homes, and it will bless your lives."
We are reminded in 2 Nephi 2:25 that "men are that they might have joy". God wants for each of us to find and choose happiness in our lives. Taking to heart the principles above I believe can help us in achieving that goal.
1. WHO DO WE HANG WITH
A major source of our happiness is our social circle. Are we spending time with those who are uplifting and positive? Do we spend time with those who have similar goals and philosophies of life? Have you ever struggled with having a friend who you loved, but their negative attitudes about life tended to bring out the worst in you, causing you to become more critical and judgmental of others?
2. DO WE WALK THE WALK AND NOT JUST TALK THE TALK?
Mosiah encourages us to "Consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God". (Mosiah 2:41) Mahatma Gandhi said, "Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony". I found in my own life that the hardest times for me were when I knew certain things to be true, but I was not living in alignment with those principles.
3. LEARN TO WORK HARD
Work is a critical factor in obtaining happiness. President Monson has counseled, "God left the world unfinished for man to work his skill upon. He left the electricity in the cloud, the oil in the earth. He left the rivers unbridged and the forests unfelled and the cities unbuilt. God gives to man the challenge of raw materials, not the ease of finished things. He leaves the pictures unpainted and the music unsung and the problems unsolved, that man might know the joys and glories of creation." The exhilaration of being creative and the feeling of accomplishment that often accompany hard work brings happiness.
4. SHARING WHAT WE HAVE
Multiple studies have shown that time spent serving and money spent on others have a direct impact on our happiness. Kim Benjamin told his people, "I would that ye should impart of your substance to the poor, every man according to that which he hath, such as feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and administering to their relief, both spiritual and temporally, according to their wants." (Mosiah 4:26)
5. BEING A PEACEMAKER
Contention and happiness are polar opposites---one leads away from the other. Jesus said, "He that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention." (3 Nephi 11:29) Often contention arises from impatience. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf taught, "Impatience is a symptom of selfishness. It is a trait of the self-absorbed. It arises from the all-too-prevalent condition called 'center of the universe' syndrome, which leads people to believe that the world revolves around them and that all others are just supporting cast in the grand theater of mortality in which only they have the starring role." Our homes need to be places of peace and support. Gordon B. Hinkley invited us to "cultivate the art of the soft answer. It will bless your homes, and it will bless your lives."
We are reminded in 2 Nephi 2:25 that "men are that they might have joy". God wants for each of us to find and choose happiness in our lives. Taking to heart the principles above I believe can help us in achieving that goal.
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