I have been asked to speak on my thoughts specific to a quote from the May 23, 2009 Church News, the article "Smile every day". I pray that the Holy Ghost my attend to us today as I present my thoughts and as you receive them. I pray that the experience may be edifying for all of us and that what is communicated is what Heavenly Father would want our thoughts to ponder over, internalize, and encourage us to become more like Jesus Christ.
The segment in the article “Smile every day”, reads:
“…during this time of economic doom and gloom, Church members should find things to smile about.
"Be happy," said President Gordon B. Hinckley in a 1978 Church Educational System fireside address. "Let that happiness shine through your face and speak through your testimonies."
President Hinckley noted that he met many people "who constantly complain about the burden of their responsibilities."
"Of course," he said, "the pressures are great. There is much, too much, to do. There are financial burdens to add to all of these pressures, and with all of this we are prone to complain, frequently at home, often in public. Turn your thinking around. The gospel is good news. Man is that he might have joy."
President Hinckley said he enjoyed the words of Jenkins Lloyd Jones written in a June 12, 1973, Deseret News column: "Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he's been robbed.
"Most putts don't drop. Most beef is tough. Most children grow up to be just people. Most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration. Most jobs are more often dull than otherwise.
"Life is like an old-time rail journey — delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride."
Abraham Lincoln put it another way: "Most folks," he said, "are about as happy as they make their minds up to be" (http://www.quotesdaddy.com/).
Church members, said Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin of the Quorum of the Twelve, "have so much to smile about, be happy about, yes, even to laugh about."
Yet, often, he said, many of us wait to show our smile. "Don't wait for tomorrow. Don't wait for the right job, the right house, the right salary, the right dress size. Be happy today. Be happy now. (Joseph B. Wirthlin, "Lessons Learned in the Journey of Life," Ensign, December 2000, 7).
Honestly, after reading the quote the first time, I had to wonder whether the Bishopric was trying to indirectly tell ME something. Nonetheless I am grateful for this quote and this assignment. I have prayed and reflected much over its meaning and application. And I feel I have learned some things specific to which I can share.
I think that it is true that most all of us fail to enjoy the measure of happiness that could be ours and allow fruitless complaints, pessimism, cynicism, sarcasm, depression, and negativity to hold ransom our hearts, minds and lives, when we otherwise could enjoy good and uplifting feelings and thoughts and share them with others.
When I first read the article my initial thoughts turned to the act of smiling. I am sure that there are many among us that out of obedience and diligence to prophetic counsel would outwardly demonstrate a smile. But my thoughts turned to the more natural feelings that produce task less expressions of happiness. You know the natural bubbling of good feelings for which you can’t help but show your contentedness. Sort of like those encounters you have with good friends or family, or even good jokes, where it’s hard to stop smiling long after the experience has passed.
While I reflected on those types of experiences I recognized that to a large degree the feelings that cause the natural expressions of happiness endured because our thoughts dwell ed or remained on the experiences that we enjoyed. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that what we think on, what we hold in our minds, has influence to direct our feelings, and most naturally those feelings have power to effect our outward behavior. I recognized how truly free we are to act and direct who and what we will become. A number of scriptures came quickly to mind:
2 Nephi 2: 26-27
- And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall. And because that they are redeemed from the fall they have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the law at the great and last day, according to the commandments which God hath given.
- Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.
2 Nephi 10:23
- Therefore, cheer up your hearts, and remember that ye are free to act for yourselves—to choose the way of everlasting death or the way of eternal life.
These scriptures to me make it clear that we are free to choose and act on any given set of circumstances, what we think about those circumstances, and what we would be persuaded to believe on account of those circumstances. While we don’t always hold in our power the capacity to directly or immediately change our circumstances the one area we have complete control over, is the realm of our minds and how we choose to employ it.
Its no surprise that the Lord would command us therefore in :
D&C Section 121: 45 to:
- Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven.
Brothers and sisters I believe President Hinckley is right when he says that we need to, “Turn your thinking around. The gospel is good news. Man is that he might have joy."
The scriptures help me to understand the power that it bestowed upon us as we garnish our thoughts unceasingly upon virtue and truth. It explains to me how it was possible that 2060 stripling warriors would be miraculously saved against experienced soldiers that outnumbered them.
In Alma 57:25-27 we read:
- And it came to pass that there were two hundred, out of my two thousand and sixty, who had fainted because of the loss of blood; nevertheless, according to the goodness of God, and to our great astonishment, and also the joy of our whole army, there was not one soul of them who did perish; yea, and neither was there one soul among them who had not received many wounds.
- And now, their preservation was astonishing to our whole army, yea, that they should be spared while there was a thousand of our brethren who were slain. And we do justly ascribe it to the miraculous power of God, because of their exceeding faith in that which they had been taught to believe—that there was a just God, and whosoever did not doubt, that they should be preserved by his marvelous power.
- Now this was the faith of these of whom I have spoken; they are young, and their minds are firm, and they do put their trust in God continually.
Their minds were firm on the virtues of the character and goodness of God, as well as the necessity of their labors, and out of a natural feeling from those thoughts they sincerely said to Helamen, now reading from
Alma 56:46-48
- …behold our God is with us, and he will not suffer that we should fall; then let us go forth; we would not slay our brethren if they would let us alone; therefore let us go, lest they should overpower the army of Antipus.
- Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.
- And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it.
These stalwart young men did not allow the seemingly overwhelming circumstances of the day to change their thoughts. They held on to the truths they were taught, they acted by retaining in mind the virtues of God, and the purposes for their labors. They did not allow the circumstances of the day to act upon them, upon what they would think and how they would feel. They garnished their thoughts with virtue unceasingly. And a just and loving Heavenly Father blessed them for their faith, when thousands of their brethren all around them fell.
I think that it is only in keeping the gospel on our minds and filtering our life experiences through the lens of the plan of salvation that we can truly be happy, all the time. I think that our level of happiness depends completely on our faith in Jesus Christ, the atonement he wrought out for us, and the personal road to salvation and sanctification necessary to becoming like Him.
In Alma 36:22 we read the account of a vision Alma had:
- Yea, methought I saw, even as our father Lehi saw, God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels, in the attitude of singing and praising their God; yea, and my soul did long to be there.
Brothers and sisters, I don’t think that those angels Alma and Lehi witnessed praising their God, were doing so out of duty or out of a task. I genuinely believe that they wanted and felt to praise their God because of His goodness to them, because of his abundant love manifest in their lives.
We will likewise feel to smile and be happy in our lives, notwithstanding the difficult, challenging, and trying circumstance that may abound, as we see the hand of God directly influencing our course through life and helping us to attain the aim of immortality and eternal life – His work and his glory, to our eternal blessing and benefit.
Can it be that this quality, a firm mind, the helmet of salvation, garnished with thoughts of virtue and truth, seeing life’s experiences through the lens of the purposes of a plan of personal salvation is what motivates a man or woman to genuinely smile even though life may be hard?
Could it be the reason Nephi acted as he did in all sincerity in 1 Nephi 18:15-16 after his brothers had tied him for four days on a boat crossing the ocean. It reads:
- And on the fourth day, which we had been driven back, the tempest began to be exceedingly sore.
- And it came to pass that we were about to be swallowed up in the depths of the sea. And after we had been driven back upon the waters for the space of four days, my brethren began to see that the judgments of God were upon them, and that they must perish save that they should repent of their iniquities; wherefore, they came unto me, and loosed the bands which were upon my wrists, and behold they had swollen exceedingly; and also mine ankles were much swollen, and great was the soreness thereof.
- Nevertheless, I did look unto my God, and I did praise him all the day long; and I did not murmur against the Lord because of mine afflictions.
How could Nephi do that? How could he feel to praise God?
It is my belief that he was able to do that because he had a personal relationship with Father in Heaven. He understood and kept in mind the objectives and needfulness of the oppositions and sufferings of life with respect to the plan of salvation and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The moments of suffering seen in faith as opportunities of sanctification, and happily accepted as needful steps to a much larger and grander reward and destination. Can we really expect to be forgiving if we do not encounter experiences where we are wronged. Can we really exemplify and practice patience so that it becomes one of our good qualities if we do not have experience that try our patience.
Have we taken to heart 2 Nephi 2:11
- For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things.
Nephi understood what God was working to accomplish, while Laman and Lemuel were too busy focusing on the large and spacious building. As a result, their journey to the promised land must have been a huge inconvenience.
1 Nephi 2:12, 16
- And thus Laman and Lemuel, being the eldest, did murmur against their father. And they did murmur because they knew not the dealings of that God who had created them.
- And it came to pass that I, Nephi, being exceedingly young, nevertheless being large in stature, and also having great desires to know of the mysteries of God, wherefore, I did cry unto the Lord; and behold he did visit me, and did soften my heart that I did believe all the words which had been spoken by my father; wherefore, I did not rebel against him like unto my brothers.
Why would Nephi feel to praise God in a moment of physical pain and having been abused unjustly? Certainly not because of those circumstances, but most assuredly because as was depicted in Lehi’s dream, Nephi had tasted of and knew of the fruit most precious and delicious above all others. That being the love of God that sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of men and women. Nephi understood and plainly saw the goodness of God even while in suffering, and he could therefore in all sincerity praise God’s goodness and be happy in God’s goodness to him in his life.
Brothers and Sisters it is in coming unto Christ, and learning of Him, and developing a personal relationship with him that we understand our place on this planet and in this life. We can then see clearly enough to judge reasons for being happy, even in afflictions.
I found the following excerpt from the article “Getting Over Feeling Underappreciated” by Brad Wilcox in the Ensign March 2004 issue.
“President Gordon B. Hinckley has said: “It is very important to be happy in this work. We have a lot of gloomy people in the Church because they do not understand, I guess, that this is the gospel of happiness. It is something to be happy about, to get excited about.” 1
On our kitchen wall hangs a plaque that reads, “Happiness is a city in the state of mind.” I keep it there to remind myself that we are in charge of our own attitudes. Emotional maturity is evidenced by a person’s willingness to take responsibility for actions and feelings. If I am having a bad day, I can’t blame others, even when I feel underappreciated. It is not someone else’s job to change so I can feel better.
The second article of faith teaches that we are responsible for our own sins [A of F 1:2]. In the same way, we are responsible for our own attitudes and our own happiness. Elder Neal A. Maxwell of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has written, “At the center of our agency is our freedom to form a healthy attitude toward whatever circumstances we are placed in!” 2
If we let our happiness rest on the actions and moods of others, we will always be disappointed. If our happiness is dependent on perfect situations, it will always be a future dream forever out of reach. President James E. Faust, Second Counselor in the First Presidency, said, “Our search for happiness largely depends on the degree of righteousness we attain, the degree of selflessness we acquire, the amount and quality of service we render, and the inner peace that we enjoy.” 3 Notice that he did not say happiness depends on thank-you cards or public praise. Each of the requirements outlined by President Faust is completely within our control.”
Brothers and Sisters I testify that those principles are true. Happiness is a state of mind. Even the wicked take happiness in their iniquities in the present because of how they view life’s purposes. In the end that counterfeit happiness will not last and they will know that wickedness never was happiness. How much more happiness and reason to smile should we hold on account that we know of the truths of the Gospel?
Let us be firm of mind as vessels of the truths of God restored in the latter days. Let us read our scriptures daily, say our prays sincerely, fulfill our callings wholeheartedly, and carry the spirit of the lord. Then our hearts will swell with gratitude and thanksgiving. How could our faces then not be reflect our happiness?
I challenge us to review the reasons we keep the commandments, and question the reasons we don’t keep the commandment we know we should. I challenge us to review our motives and intent as disciples of Jesus Christ with the recognition of the law of intent as explained in Moroni 7:6-8
- For behold, God hath said a man being evil cannot do that which is good; for if he offereth a gift, or prayeth unto God, except he shall do it with real intent it profiteth him nothing.
- For behold, it is not counted unto him for righteousness.
- For behold, if a man being evil giveth a gift, he doeth it grudgingly; wherefore it is counted unto him the same as if he had retained the gift;
I think we will find that our happiness wanes as our focus and intent in following Christ’s words and example also wanes. Let us remember 3 Nephi 13:24
- No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other.
We can not have happiness by keeping one foot in Zion and one foot in the world.
Brothers and Sisters we can call upon God and gain personal testimonies on principles and commandments of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We’ve been blessed in that we can repent and grow. We can ask him for help to overcome any frailty. As we do so He will enlighten us and we will be happy. Let us not be like Laman and Lemuel. Who when asked if they had prayed for understanding and specific help replied:
- We have not; for the Lord maketh no such thing known unto us.
That type of faith has not the power to keep a real and vibrant smile of our faces.
I bear testimony that Christ is our Savior. This is his Church. And we are a very blessed people who often live below our privileges.
I am grateful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ - Amen
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