Former Young Women president teaches BYU-Idaho students how to be happy  

Margaret D. Nadauld, former general president of the Young Women organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, taught Brigham Young University-Idaho students how to be happy throughout their lives in a devotional address given Tuesday, February 6.

Nadauld commented that so many people seem to be unhappy even though happiness is a "worthy pursuit." In order to help students be happy, she emphasized five areas of life "that are guaranteed to provide happiness for you today and on into your very bright future."

The first area was excellence in educational pursuits. Nadauld stressed the importance of setting aside time for study and treating each class as the most important one during study time. She also said getting to know instructors can help students enjoy classes more.

"In addition to your formal classes," she said, "your education can be so greatly enhanced as you participate in extracurricular activities, especially here, where rich opportunities are readily available and encouraged. They are an important facet of your education."

The second way to be happy was by learning to get along socially. 

"We need each other. No man is an island," Nadauld said. "You are going to interact with people of all different cultures, beliefs and personalities now while in college and in the years ahead, so it is important to figure out how to get along with other people."

She emphasized doing things for other people as a great way to build strong relationships. She also cited the "Golden Rule" of doing the same thing to other people that you want them to do to you as a habit that "will serve you well."

The third way to be happy was very simple: having fun. Nadauld said that having fun was important for maintaining balance with work. 

"This is a good time in your life to have the right kind of fun as well as to work hard," she told students. "You will make some happy memories as you do so. You just have to remember to not let having fun take over your life!"

Nadauld said the fourth step to being happy was by being virtuous. She emphasized that beginning to set standards early would make choices easier for students as they progressed through life. This would not only make students happy, but make them better people, she said.

"It is worth everything in this world to be known as a man or a woman of strong character, a person of complete integrity. Go forward from this moment on to let virtue garnish your thoughts unceasingly so that your confidence will wax strong before God. When you have confidence in standing before God, it will be easy to have confidence before the whole world."

Finally, Nadauld taught that "happiness is knowing God's plan for you." She reminded students that they were children of God and that God had a plan for each of them. She promised them that by learning about Christ and the Atonement they would really understand happiness and how to have it in their lives.

Next week's devotional speaker will be Gary B. Porter, secretary to the Presiding Bishopric of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Devotionals are held every Tuesday at 2 p.m. in the Hart Auditorium with additional seating in the Hinckley Chapel, Taylor Chapel and Kirkham Auditorium.  Devotionals are broadcast on KBYI-FM 100.5 at 2 p.m. and rebroadcast Tuesday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 5 p.m.