Seeking Happiness and Joy

A young lady gave a beautiful lesson on unity today at church. Many thoughts passed through my mind. I want to record some of these thoughts. When I think of unity, I immediately think of a beautifully woven tapestry. Each of us is a piece of yarn or string beautifully intertwined with those around us. Together, we combine to make a beautiful work suitable for admiration and deserving of awe. Each piece of yarn or string is important to the intricate detail of the work. Each is a color or texture without which the work would not be complete. We are chosen by the master for a specific role and placed at a specific time. If even one piece of yarn is pulled out completely, or even just snagged or pulled, it taints the entire work. As one piece is pulled, it pulls on the others often displacing the nearby or interwoven strings as well. If many strings were pulled, the piece would be left with holes and gaps. If a great number were pulled, the tapestry will come apart completely....

Jesus Christ is the son of God . On this earth, He was born of Mary. He lived among the people and throughout His life He taught the truths of His Father, our Father in Heaven. He suffered for our sins in Gethsemane bringing about the Atonement . Through the Atonement, all mankind can be saved. His everlasting Atonement makes it possible for me, a sinner and imperfect child, to be made whole. By means of His Atonement, I can overcome the spiritual separation from God that comes through sin and can ultimately return to live with God the Father and Jesus Christ as a perfect being. Jesus Christ hung on the cross and gave His life so that we might live. He was resurrected on the third day and manifested Himself to the apostles. In His resurrected state, He visited the people on the American continent. He allowed each to feel of the prints of the nails in His hands and feet and the wounds in His side. He taught these people, as He had done in Israel, the truths of the Father and the princip...

The inspiration for this post came partly from an address given by Thomas B. Griffith called " The Root of Christianity ". I vacationed in Peru a couple of years ago. I arrived in the middle of the night. After a short sleep, my Peruvian friend met me at my hotel. We skirted about town tending to the business of securing my accomodations for my lengthy stay. It was Sunday. I wanted to go to church. I had a list of churches and meeting times, but I wasn't sure what part of Lima we were in exactly. After the service meeting hours passed, I insisted that I be taken to any church for the opportunity to worship. Finally, almost at day's end, he took me to a Catholic service. My friend is Catholic, and I was excited to attend a service with him. We arrived late. For being the sixth service of the day in that particular chapel, it was quite full. I wondered if the other attendees had done as we had done, putting off their church attendance until after other business was comp...

I attended a baby blessing today for a family that I've only known for a couple months. The husband and wife took the opportunity to share their testimonies and also to share sincere gratitude and admiration for each other as role of husband/wife and father/mother. It was such a touching experience. I can hardly wait until I have my own beautiful family.

I absolutely love teaching Sunday School. It is such a blessing. I gain so much from reading, preparing, and leading the lesson discussion. Each week, I learn so many new things that I had overlooked in the past. Today, we were studying Helaman 13 -16. There was one phrase in one scripture where we ended up focusing most of our attention as a class. I wish I could record all the wonderful comments that were shared today. Helaman 13:11 reads, "But if ye will repent and return unto the Lord your God I will turn away mine anger, saith the Lord; yea, thus saith the Lord, blessed are they who will repent and turn unto me, but wo unto him that repenteth not." "Repent and turn unto me" We talked about how repentance was more than abstaining from the sin. President Ezra Taft Benson taught: "Repentance means more than simply a reformation of behavior. Many men and women in the world demonstrate great will-power and self-discipline in overcoming bad habits and th...

This is a talk I gave at the baptism of a boy I used to babysit. He asked me to speak on the Holy Ghost . He was baptized shortly after his 8th birthday. After graduating from Dixie College, I decided to transfer to Utah State University in Logan. I was entering the real world. I didn’t know anyone attending school there and I didn’t have any relatives living there. I would be going about this alone. My mother, who faced a similar situation years before, knew this would be a challenging and sometimes troublesome process. She, by divine nature, wanted to provide for me what she could so I would be taken care of and adjust easily. She knew she couldn’t go with me, so she provided the next best thing. My mother had a dear friend who was instrumental in her conversion and growth in her early years as a member of the church. Her name was Wanda. I knew Wanda as the woman whose nostrils made me giggle. Wanda and her husband, Frank, just so happened to live in Logan. ...

If you want to change your life for the better, read the Book of Mormon . Need a copy? Request a free copy here . I was browsing a recent issue of The New Era and found this article by President Henry B. Eyring First Counselor in the First Presidency . Why the Book of Mormon? Henry B. Eyring, “Why the Book of Mormon?,” NewEra , May 2008, 6–9 When I was a young man I wondered why the Lord needed to have the Prophet Joseph Smith translate the Book of Mormon to begin the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I knew that God the Father and Jesus Christ had spoken with him. I knew that Peter, James, and John had restored the Melchizedek Priesthood , that prophets had brought the keys, and that Joseph had been taught by apostles and prophets from earlier dispensations. With all of that, I wondered what the place of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon in all of that was. It Is a Powerful Missionary Tool Then I began missionary work. One of my early companion...

I love to sing. It is one of my most favorite things in the world to do. However, it can also be the scariest thing for me to do. As mentioned in the previous post, I sang the musical number during a church meeting tonight. I was asked earlier today if I would do it. Since it was last minute, I opted to sing I Know That My Redeemer Lives , because I had sung it previously when my sister reported her full-time mission . As I was practicing with my accompanist before this meeting a couple months ago, I was ridiculously nervous. This was the largest crowd for which I had ever sung. As I was singing, I came to the line, "He lives to calm my troubled heart." I knew that was true. My Savior could bring peace to my soul. I said a silent prayer and asked for that blessing in my life. After that, I was able to sing freely. Tonight, as I directed the opening hymn, my voice began to shake. My throat began to close, and I couldn't even sing part of the final verse. I was...

I will be singing the musical number for a church meeting tonight. I have chosen to sing a hymn that truly reflects my testimony of Jesus Christ. Click on the link if you would like to hear the music for I Know That My Redeemer Lives . I know that my Redeemer lives. What comfort this sweet sentence gives! He lives, he lives who once was dead. He lives, my ever-living Head. He lives to bless me with his love. He lives to plead for me above He lives my hungry soul to feed. He lives to bless in time of need. He lives to grant me rich supply. He lives to guide me with his eye. He lives to comfort me when faint. He lives to hear my soul's complaint. He lives to silence all my fears. He lives to wipe away my tears. He lives to calm my troubled heart. He lives all blessings to impart. He lives, my kind, wise heav'nly Friend. He lives and loves me to the end. He lives, and while he lives, I'll sing. He lives, my Prophet, Priest, and King. He lives and grants me daily breath. He l...

Not too long ago, a gentleman was speaking at church. He and his coworkers were having a discussion about Creationism. They were saying, if God created the earth, why didn't he leave any evidence that he did so? He did. I echo the words of Alma "The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator."

"True freedom is to know the truth, to act upon that truth to avoid sin, and then to claim the promise of Him who suffered for sin and can therefore make us free indeed ." From Elder Oaks at a recent BYU-Hawaii graduation. Read more here .

Heavenly Father knows us so well. He knows how much we're capable of handling, and when He needs to send us a little love note, or tender mercy. It's been a rough couple of days, moving away from family and friends. I've been praying to have a positive attitude so I can have a good experience as I finish my education. I really felt the strength of not only my own prayers but also the prayers of others as my attitude slowly improved yesterday. However, I felt myself slipping again today, feeling bummed out because I don't really have any friends right now, or rather, I don't know where anyone I know is. I said some silent prayers in my heart and began an earlier trek to my class. Then, just as I was entering the building, I saw a face I recognized. There was one of my long lost friends! We were both pleasantly surprised to see each other. He updated me on his life and the lives of our other mutual friends. We exchanged numbers, and I left feeling my heart a little li...

My family (plus one friend) was playing croquet one night when I showed up to the house. My brother-in-law, Joe, has won every game he's played. My father let me sub in his place. My whole goal was not to win but to keep Joe from winning. It worked. The family friend, who was in dead last when I started, wound up winning. I finished second to last and Joe lost. Of course, I went inside the house and carried on with much rejoicing as I sang and danced for my mother and aunt. "I didn't win but Joe didn't either!" My little sister, being a recently returned missionary, turned this experience into a Family Home Evening lesson. She asked Joe how his ability to play well was affected as he grew frustrated with my every attempt to roquet his ball out of strategic playing area. He responded that his game was hindered by this cloud of frustration. My sister shared a couple scriptures from the war chapters in Alma showing how anger can affect our ability to perform....

I spoke in church today. My assigned topic was a talk given by Elder Dennis B. Neuenschwander in the April 2008 General Conference . I gave my talk immediately after singing "Close Enough to Touch" by Kenneth Cope. This woman, whose story is told briefly in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, had an issue of blood for 12 years. She had sought out numerous physicians and used all that she had to seek a cure. None had cured her; her condition was now worse. Her faith brought her to seek out Jesus. “For she said within herself, if I but touch his garment, I shall be whole.” 1 She pressed her way through the crowd that was following Jesus to touch the hem of His garment. Elder Neuenschwander in his recent conference talk described this crowd. “I picture the crowd itself. It must have been fairly large, as people were pressing in on Jesus. It might have even been a noisy crowd, as people pushed and shoved trying to get a better look at Him. I wonder why they were there. Most, I think, cam...

The High Councilman who spoke in my ward today shared a beautiful analogy from his experiences this weekend. I will attempt to retell it. I participated in a 95 mile motorcycle race near a small town in the Utah desert. The land is very open with very little development. The people who put on the race marked the entire course with trail markers. There were special markers that were used to denote danger ahead. A single stake with an orange placard signaled the riders to be aware of an upcoming obstacle. Two stakes marked with orange suggested slowing down for a moderate danger ahead. Three markers warned the riders that a serious obstacle would soon be encountered and that every measure should be used to slow down. During the race, there was so much dirt flying because of all the other bikers. I couldn't see well, and I was forced to eat dirt. I saw to the right and left of the trail a few tires marks where riders had temporarily left the path. I looked around for dead rid...

I am an organized person. I like to plan. I make lists. I like to strategize. I like things to be somewhat predictable. If something occurs that is beyond my control, yet I'm required to endure it, I get frustrated and sometimes even freak out. I grew up in Florida and the western desert. I haven't really encountered much snow. I was living in northern Utah a few years ago where snow is abundant. Learning to drive in the snow was not a delightful task. I had gone home for the weekend and was driving north on a Sunday morning to return to my apartment. I had left early in the morning, because I had an obligation to fulfill at church. It was late fall and the snow season hadn't started. At that time in my life, I was notorious for speeding on the freeway. As usual, I was going much faster than the speed limit. As I approached a small city, I was prompted to slow down. The Spirit whispered to my soul that something would happen very soon. I slowed down a little at...

My grandmother used to say to my mother, "It doesn't matter what anyone else says or does as long as you know what you're doing is right." My mother would in turn share that with me. This truth that my grandmother taught was exercised by my mother when she met the missionaries as a 17 year-old young woman. She immediately recognized the truthfulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ and desired to be baptized. Her desire to join the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was not accepted by her immediate family. Her baptism was openly mocked by her own mother. However, it was the truth that her own mother had taught her, "It doesn't matter what anyone else says for does as long as you know what you're doing is right," that contributed to her decision to follow the promptings of the Spirit and to be baptized. This decision put stress on her relationship with her family. During my grandmother's last weeks on earth, my mother visited her. My g...

In my ward today, we opened the meeting by singing " Joy to the World ". Yes, you are thinking of the right hymn. As the music chairperson, I was meeting with my Bishop a month ago. I wondered out loud why we don't sing certain songs all year long. During that meeting, he decided for Mother's Day he would assign talks about Mary, mother of Jesus, Lucy Mack Smith, the Prophet Joseph's mother, and about modern day mothers. He suggested we sing "Joy to the World" for the opening hymn and " Jesus Once of Humble Birth " as the Sacrament hymn to remind us that Jesus was born and was raised as was every child. During the talk about Lucy Mack, I was pondering the hymn that I knew was coming up, " Joseph Smith's First Prayer ". Joseph's parents, particularly his mother, raised him to be God-fearing, to read his scriptures, and to pray. Had he not been taught these principles growing up, he may have never read and pondered the scripture...

No matter what goes on in the world or what others say or do, I find comfort and confidence in my testimony . I know that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world. All things are possible through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. The Book of Mormon is the word of God. It contains commandments and instructions revealed by God to his servants, the prophets. These prophets were called of God. We also have a prophet today who is President Thomas S. Monson. In addition to the revelation received by our prophet, we can also receive personal revelation. God hears and answers our prayers. I know the Spirit bears witness of the truth, because I have received witness that all these things are true. I bear you these things in Jesus' name. Amen.

I would like to interest you in a piece of property. It spans farther than the eye can see. It consists of gentle rolling hills covered in lush green grass and brightly colored flowers. There are plenty of shade trees perfect for napping. The weather is perfect—partly sunny with a slight breeze; you will find yourself comfortable in the sun or the shade. There are slow-moving streams and clean, blue, open waters. Bugs, snakes, and ugly creatures are not a concern. The air always smells like fresh cut grass or an afternoon rain shower. The price? It is absolutely free. Better yet, you do not have to work at all to maintain this serenity. Are you ready to sign the papers? But wait, there’s more. There is another amazing feature. You can talk and walk with Heavenly Father any time you want. Sounds perfect. For most people, this would be ideal. This is what I imagine the Garden of Eden to have been like. Now why would Adam and Eve ever want to give this ...