WHAT REALLY BRINGS US HAPPINESS?

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.

THE MIRACLE OF FORGIVENESS

From my journal today, February 2, 2016

I read an inspiring article in the new Ensign Magazine today called "Forgiving My Ex-Husband".  The woman who wrote the article was in her early 40s when her husband divorced her, left her to finish raising their teenagers, and to work a full-time job.  She describes the incredible feelings of pain, rejection, and resentment she felt.  I personally cannot imagine going through that experience myself.

I have watched this same scene playing out with friends or loved ones.  Our daughter has watched this with LDS friends of hers.  Their seems to be two general reactions and outcomes to this type of situation.  With her friends she has mostly seen the wives become bitter, angry, and they get mad at God for what they are experiencing, feeling that since they were living the Gospel they shouldn't have to be subjected to such heartache and pain. They often turn from God and leave the Church.  They allow Satan to fill them with hatred and resentment. Now this isn't to say that you wouldn't naturally feel extreme anger and betrayal in such a situation.  The question is, how to deal with it.

Then there are those, like the author of this article, who do just the opposite and seek for the Lord's guidance and solace.  They look to the example of the Savior and studied how He dealt with rejection and betrayal by even His closest disciples.  With God's help this woman was able to forgive her ex-husband, and not belittle him before their children.  In time she forgave him and even though he had remarried, they developed a friendly, positive relationship as they shared in rearing their children.  It surely was the most challenging experience of her life, but she saw it through, finding new peace and joy in her life.  I am grateful to be reminded of how much our Father in Heaven loves us, is aware of our needs, and how with His help we can go through anything and come out victorious.  

OH THE COMPASSION AND THE LOVE

In Third Nephi 17 Jesus appears to the Nephites and is teaching them and the 12 apostles in the new world.  After instructing everyone to return to their homes to think about His words, He becomes aware of how much they desire to yet be with Him.  He exhibits His tender feelings of love for these people by having them bring all of their sick and afflicted so He can heal and bless them.  Jesus weeps as He does so.  Next he calls for the children to be brought before Him and again He blesses the children and heals those in need of help and does so tearfully.  What an astounding picture of the Savior, so completely filled with compassion, love, mercy and affection.  Oh that I could develop even a fraction of that unconditional love for others.

FAITH OF OUR FATHERS

January 9, 2016

I was reading in First Nephi about God coming to father Lehi and showing him the future of Jerusalem when most of the Israelites will be carried away into Babylon as a result of their wickedness. As with most prophets, he was not believed by those to whom he prophesied.  God warns him to take his family and leave Jerusalem and go into the wilderness, much as with Moses and the Israelites, taking only their basic provisions and leaving all else behind.  So I started wondering if I would have been willing to follow.  When I was a junior in high school my dad was preparing to retire in southern California and he and my mom were going to move to a rural town in Nevada.  When I found out the high school in Nevada held it's prom in the gymnasium instead of a place like the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, I said forget it.  My dad worked an extra year so I could remain in my home town before he retired.  Then I thought about the early Mormon pioneers who kept having to leave their homes, farms, businesses, etc. and move from place to place because of their faith in the restored Gospel and their prophet, whether it was Joseph Smith or Brigham Young.  They had the same kind of faith which Lehi and his family did back in 600 B.C.  I might take some occasional flak for being a Mormon, but I have never had to exhibit the kind of faith my predecessors did.

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WE BELIEVE IN BEING POSITIVE

As I was reading the Ensign Magazine this morning I was touched by a short article regarding happiness and cheerfulness.  Neal A. Maxwell once described cheerfulness this way, "A deep trust in God's unfolding purposes--not only for all of mankind, but for each of us as individuals."  The article went on to say that we will all face challenges as they are a natural part of mortality, but we don't have to be weighed down by discouragement and sadness.  We can put our trust in the Lord and be positive.  In John 16:33 it states, "Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world".  Richard G. Scott shared, "I witness that with faith in the Savior and obedience to His teachings, happiness never ends, but sadness does."  To me it comes down to this:  Do I REALLY believe God has a plan for mankind and do I REALLY believe He has a plan for me?  If I do, then I am free to chose happiness and cheerfulness, knowing that good can be found in all situations if we allow Him to reveal it to us.  As faithful believers we actually have no right to be going around with a long face, moaning about how the world is going to Hell in a hand basket, repeating the negative half-empty attitudes so many would have us believe in. If father Lehi and his son Nephi could find joy (and they did) in spite of the fact that they had family members who actually sought to take their lives from them, then what are we griping about????

IT'S ALL ABOUT ATTITUDE

First Nephi 1:1  Our Relief Society is doing a 40 day study of the Book or Mormon.  In the very first verse of First Nephi we learn so much.  Nephi reflects on his life then begins his record.  We see that Nephi has suffered many afflictions and challenges BUT nevertheless he recognizes how blessed he has been and gives thanks for great spiritual understanding.  He has seen the tender mercies of a loving Heavenly Father.  His older brothers,  Laman and Lemuel have been through many of the same experiences and challenges, yet they never seem to recognize the mercies of God and are always ungrateful and angry.  The difference in attitude makes all the difference in the life of Nephi, and God is able to use him in great ways due to his willingness to serve God and mankind.

Likewise we see this in our daily lives.  There are those people who make lemonade out of lemons when challenges come their way and there are those who simply become sourpusses.  Some deny personal responsibility for their actions while others take responsibility and seek to help everyone else along their path.  None of us escape sadness and hard times in this life, but as for me, I choose to yoke myself to the Lord and be happy in the midst of hard things.  Today I saw a great poster on Facebook.  Jesus is walking along the beach with his arms full of luggage, and He says something like, "I've got your baggage, come along and follow me."  That says it all.

KEEPING ON THE PATH OF DISCIPLESHIP

January 1. 2016

Seems like I see more people wandering off the path of discipleship these days.  Lots of distractions and temptations out there for us all.  We have lots of lessons at church about the basic things we need to do to remain on the path, but reading a recently published article,written almost 100 years ago by Melvin J. Ballard, gave one clear-cut piece of advice that rings so true to me.

"...No man goes away from the Church and becomes an apostate in a week, nor in a month.  It is a slow process.  The one thing that would make for the safety of every man and woman would be to appear at the sacrament table every Sabbath day.  We would not get very far away in one week--not so far away that, by the process of self-investigation, we could not rectify the wrongs we may have done.The road to the sacrament table is the path of safety for Latter-day Saints. "

I would say that this is true for all Christians, regardless of the denomination.  Different churches probably partake of the sacrament more or less often than others.  In the LDS Church we take the holy sacrament every single week.  In fact, it is the focus of our Sunday worship service, which we call sacrament meeting.  Partaking of the sacrament helps us to remember and be grateful for the Atonement Christ made for us.  It affords us the opportunity to renew our baptismal covenants every Sunday, to remember our covenant with God to follow the example of Jesus in all we do and say with the promise that in turn we will have His Spirit to be with us.  It is a time to reflect on mistakes we have made during the past week, to repent, and to ask God's forgiveness and help in doing better for the next week.  It means starting with a clean slate each week.  

I would really be interested in comments from any of you reading this who may not belong to the LDS Church and hear what taking the sacrament means to you.  How often do you take the sacrament? It's been a really long time since I took the sacrament at the Baptist Church, or the Episcopal Church, and my memory of it is pretty foggy.  

THE SPIRIT OF CONTENTION

New Year's Eve, 2015

I read 3 Nephi chapter 11 this morning and in verse 29 it reads, "For verily, verily, I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirrith  up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another."

Christ came to bring us the spirit of love, the spirit of healing, and the spirit of peace.  This theme carries over when we look at the difference we feel inside when God lovingly uses the Holy Spirit to nudge us when we need to leave a bad habit or pathway which is destructive to us and how we feel when the advisary is speaking to us.  ( For example, when we realize we are being judgmental of friends or neighbors. )  God makes us aware of our need to change and improve, then guides us in our efforts with encouragement and support.  Whereas Satan will whisper to us, "You're not good enough, you're not nice enough, you will never measure up, so just give up now.  Besides, you are justified in your attitude toward your neighbors who can be jerks!"

When those kinds of negative and destructive thoughts come into our minds, we need to recognize their source.  We need to ask Heavenly Father to help us feel of His love, and ask to know of His true desires for the ways He can help us change and become more like the Savior. God will never tear us down or try to make us feel worthless.  His desire is to help us see that we have divine DNA and divine potential.