Happiness

The past couple of weeks I have thought a lot about happiness and the nature of it. I have talked with many friends and family about the subject. I asked many questions life how they define happiness, what makes them happy, and where it comes from. I have been enlightened with so many different answers and ideas and I am fascinated with it all! I wanted to share a thought or two on happiness. (Not to mention, I just got back from Disneyland where you can't help but feel happy!)

I found a talk given by President James E. Faust a number of years ago called "Our Search for Happiness". In his talk he said a few things that I don't think we recognize on our own. President Faust said, "Having lived quite a few years now, I have concluded that since we don't always desire that which is good, having all our desires granted to us would not bring us happiness. In fact, instant and unrestrained gratification of all our desires would be the shortest and most direct route to unhappiness." 


The Prophet Joseph Smith taught,"Happiness is the object and design of our existence; and will be the end thereof, if we pursue the path that leads to it; and this path is virtue, uprightness, faithfulness, holiness, and keeping all the commandments of God" (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, selected by Joseph Fielding Smith [1976], 255–56).


In closing this is a poem given in President Faust's talk with an unknown author:


Success is speaking words of praise,

In cheering other people’s ways,

In doing just the best you can

With every task and every plan.

It’s silence when your speech would hurt,

Politeness when your neighbor’s curt.

It’s deafness when the scandal flows

And sympathy with others’ woes.

It’s loyalty when duty calls.

It’s courage when disaster falls.

It’s patience when the hours are long.

It’s found in laughter and in song.

It’s in the silent time of prayer,

In happiness and in despair.

In all of life and nothing less,

We find the thing we call success.

Not Our Home

"This earth is not our home. We are away at school, trying to master the lessons of "the great plan of happiness" so we can return home and know what it means to be there." - Bruce C. Hafen

I find this quote to be so profound and enlightening to the soul. I love this reminder that we are here to master the lessons of the plan of happiness which could not be here without the sacrifice of our Savior Jesus Christ. But it's the last phrase that hit home. "so we can return home and know what it means to be there." Life may be hard and the world may be troubled but this is not our home. God has sent us here to TRY to master the lessons of His great plan so that we may surely know what it means to be there with Him at home.

Have a great weekend!:)

You Are My Hands

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf gave a talk in last year's April conference entitled "You Are My Hands". This talk is one that teaches us the ways of the Savior and the love He has for each one of us. I wanted to focus on the importance of Love within the church. As quoted from the talk, "Love is what inspired our Heavenly Father to create our spirits; it is what led our Savior to the Garden of Gethsemane to make Himself a ransom for our sins. Love is the grand motive of the plan of salvation; it is the source of happiness, the ever-renewing spring of healing, the precious fountain of hope."(emphasis added)

It is very obvious that Love plays a key role in our existence and it also plays a role in our salvation. It is up to us to love others as Christ does. It is up to us to serve others with all purpose of heart and with charity. Love is more than a four-letter word... it is an action that we should be extending to all of God's children. This next quote gives us just a few of the blessings we receive by reaching out to others with Christlike love. "As we extend our hands and hearts toward others in Christlike love, something wonderful happens to us. Our own spirits become healed, more refined, and stronger. We become happier, more peaceful, and more receptive to the whisperings of the Holy Spirit." (emphasis added)

In closing, “Let our hearts and hands be stretched out in compassion toward others, for everyone is walking his or her own difficult path. As disciples of Jesus Christ, our Master, we are called to support and heal rather than condemn.” I can testify that when I forget myself and go to work I can see just a minuscule of the love Christ has for me. I feel happier and I feel that my spirit is stronger. EVERYONE around us is walking on a difficult path and there are those that need our help. Let us extend our hands and our hearts.

Its a new week! Make it good :)

Good Vs. Evil

Done by John Fackler

" The future of this world has long been declared; the final outcome between good and evil is already known. There is absolutely no question as to who wins because the victory has already been posted on the scoreboard. The only really strange thing in all of this is that we are still down here on the field trying to decide which team's jersey we want to wear!" - Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

I love this quote so much! It is so true! Who's side are you on....? We already know who wins so why are we still trying to decide which jersey to wear and which team to represent? God has give us His jersey... are we wearing it?

Look Unto Me... Doubt Not, Fear Not

D&C 6:36- 37 reads: 36 "Look unto me in every thought: doubt not, fear not." 37 " Behold the wounds which pierced my side, and also the prints of the hands and feet; be faithful, keep my commandments, and ye shall inherit the kingdom of heaven. Amen."

A quote given by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland Concerning the Atonement from the book, Trusting Jesus: "As a reminder of those days, Jesus has chosen, even in a resurrected, otherwise perfected body, to retain for the benefit of His disciples the wounds in His hands and in His feet and in His side--signs, if you will, that painful things happen even to the pure and the perfect; signs, if you will, that pain in this world is not evidence that God doesn't love you; signs, if you will, that problems pass and happiness can be ours."

The theme for seminary this year has been D&C 6: 36-37 and as I came across this quote, this scripture theme immediately came into my mind. Christ has chose to retain those wounds in His hands, feet, and side to remind us that we are NOT alone. Even the purest and most perfect being, our Savior Jesus Christ, went through painful and hard things. May times when we go through a hard time, we think that God hates us or doesn't love us. Christ chose to retain those wounds so that we can remember that pain in our day is NOT evidence that God doesn't love each of us! God loves each of us in a way that we cannot comprehend in this life. He loves His son Jesus Christ and was willing to let Him go through the worst of pain so that we might be able to return to Him. I feel like the scripture theme goes so well with this quote because as we think of Christ's wounds we may be reminded that painful things happen to perfect people. Let us not doubt what Christ can do for us as our friend and as our Savior. Let us not fear the trials that may come our way because we CAN endure them and we are NOT alone. Let us not doubt the love that Christ has for each one of us. Let us remember that we are all here for a reason and here to make a difference. Remember, " God so loved the world that He gave His Only Begotten Son..."

Always remember Him... Its a new week! Make it good :)

D&C 132:12

D&C 132: 13 reads:

"And everything that is in the world, whether it be ordained of men, by thrones, or principalities, or powers, or things of name, whatsoever they may be, that are not by me or by my word, saith the Lord, shall be thrown down, and shall not remain after men are dead, neither in nor after the resurrection saith the Lord your God."

President Spencer W. Kimball taught about D&C 132: 13 as follows:

"How final! How frightening! Since we know well that mortal death does not terminate our existence, since we know that we live on and on, how devastating to realize that marriage and family life, so sweet and happy in so many homes, will end with death because we fail to follow God's instructions or because we reject his word when we understand it.

"It is clear in the Lord's announcement that righteous men and women will receive the due rewards of their deeds. They will not be damned in the commonly accepted terminology but will suffer many limitations and deprivations and fail to reach the highest kingdom, if they do not comply. They become ministering servants to those who complied with all laws and lived all commandments.

"[ The Lord} then continues concerning these excellent people who lived worthily but failed to make their contracts binding:

"'For these angels did not abide my law; therefore, they cannot be enlarged, but remain separately and singly, without exaltation, in their saved condition, to all eternity; and from henceforth are not gods, but are angels of God forever and ever.' ( D&C 132:17)

"How conclusive! How bounded! How limiting! And we come to realize again as it bears heavily upon us that this time, this life, this mortality is the time to prepare to meet God. How lonely and barren will be the so-called single blessedness throughout eternity! How sad to be separate and single and apart through countless ages when one could, by meeting requirements, have happy marriage for eternity in the temple by proper authority and continue on in ever- increasing joy and happiness, growth and development toward godhood....

"Are you willing to jeopardize your eternities, your great continuing happiness, your privilege to see God and dwell in his presence? For the want of investigation and study and contemplation; because of prejudice, misunderstanding, or lack of knowledge, are you willing to forego these great blessings and privileges? Are you willing to make yourself a widow for eternity or a widower for endless ages--a single, separate individual to live alone and serve others? Are you willing to give up your children when they die or when you expire, and  make them orphans? Are you willing to go through eternity alone and solitary when all of the greatest joys you have ever experienced in life could be 'added upon' and accentuated, multiplied, and eternalized? Are you willing, with the Sadducees, to ignore and reject these great truths? I sincerely pray you stop today and weigh and measure and then prayerfully proceed to make your happy marriage an eternal one. Our friend, please do not ignore this call. I beg of you, open your eyes and see; unstop your ears and hear." (" Temples and Eternal Marriage," Ensign, August 1974, page 6)

All I can really say is WOW! There are no words to express the power and spirit that resides within this quote! I hope you can take this one to heart and share it with others! " I love to see the temple, I'm going there someday..." Have a great weekend! Make it good! :)

The Purpose of Life

A quote given by Ezra Taft Benson in the year 1979 is one of remarkable words and thoughts about our generation. The generation who is preparing the way for Christ's second coming. I love this quote so much because it depicts the fact that there are strong people in the world and with our generation together we have a special impact. I know often times we look at this world as a world of fear, terror, hurt, sadness, and unbelief but this quote goes to show that there is so much good. There are amazing people in this world preparing the way and that is you and I.. We are all here in a time where the gospel is here to stay. We are here in a time where God needs our help to build His kingdom. So as Ezra Taft Benson speaks to you today through this quote I hope more importantly that God may speak to you of just how important you are in His work. You are SO important to Him!

" For nearly six thousand years, God has held you in reserve to make your appearance in the final days before the Second Coming of the Lord. Every previous gospel dispensation has drifted into apostasy, but ours will not... God has saved for the final inning some of his strongest children, who will help bear off the kingdom triumphantly. And that is where you come in, for you are the generation that must be prepared to meet your God.

"All through the ages the prophets have looked down through the corridors of time to our day. Billions of the deceased and those yet to be born have their eyes on us. Make no mistake about it--you are a marked generation. There has never been more expected of the faithful in such a shot period of time as there is of us" (emphasis added)