Seeking Happiness and Joy

In Institute tonight, we discussed the latter chapters of Matthew. Contained in Matthew 20 is the parable of the laborers in the vineyard. It tells of workers being hired to do the same work during the course of one day. Some are hired first thing in the morning, and others are hired as the day passes. There is a group of workers hired at the very end of the day. When the day is over, the laborers are each paid, starting with those hired last. They are given penny. The laborers who were hired first thing in the morning anticipated a great payout since those hired at the end received what they did. When they were paid, they were also given the same amount, a penny. When they were paid, they were upset, "Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day." In my attempt to understand this parable better earlier this week, I read a few talks that referenced the parable and pondered thes...

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...