Get Happy Now

Not me, but a group just like mine--11 elders and 1 sister.

I thought I already wrote about this but I can't find it.  It's amazing to me that I've written 178 posts on this blog.  I look through the titles and I don't remember most of them.  Anyway, this topic is timeless so it can be written about over and over.

"What is the purpose of life?"

There are always varied  answers when you ask that question. 

To get a body.
To be tested.
To prove ourselves worthy to be with God again.
To learn obedience.
Every once in a while you  hear the answer that I believe is the right one--To be happy.

One of the scriptures I own was a gift from my MTC class in 1991. I don't know exactly what we were discussing, but I know a question came from Elder Barclay--one of the elders from Idaho that I had to sit in between--and I've never forgotten the verse.
It's  Mormon 9:14.  The chapter is all about the plan and Christ's part in it and all the different roles he plays.  Verse 14 is particularly about the judgement.  It says  "...he that is filthy shall be filthy still; and he that is righteous shall be righteous still; and he that is happy shall be happy still; and the that is unhappy shall be unhappy still."  I have a note written in the margin that says,  "Get Happy Now."

Being happy sure sounds  a lot easier than being tried and tested and proved, but I'm not sure it is.  Chances are if it's the thing Heavenly Father wants us to master, it's probably pretty tough.  I guess it's like every thing else.  It depends on how bad we want it.  Alma 41: 5 says,  "... one [is] raised to happiness according to his desires of happiness..."  At some point, no matter how awful things look, we (I) have to want to be happy.  Eventually, I have to be able to say I want to be happy again and mean it.

Alma 29: 3 says,  "...for I ought to be content with the things which the Lord hath allotted unto me."  I don't like what has been allotted to me the past year, but the all the years before that were a great blessing and there might be a few more good years in the future if I decide there can be.

I know I  have a reason to not feel happy.  I know many people don't  have a reason they can put their finger on and still don't feel happy.  We're conditioned to believe if we do what's right; live a moral life;  love those around us;  we will be happy--keep the commandments, prosper in the land.

Sometimes things just aren't as simple as the sayings we cut out of vinyl or stencil on wood.  Sometimes we don't have the answers--let's make that most of the time.  We just have to try our best to be happy, no matter what turmoil we're going through at any given minute and know there's a reason and somebody is in charge--even if we can't see Him.