Good afternoon brothers and sisters. It is an honor to be with you today I feel overwhelmed with humility in being asked to speak to you over this pulpit. I consider this sacred ground as I have witnessed the spirit work through those who have stood here before me. Throughout my time as a student (back when we called it “Ricks College”) and now as a faculty member, I have heard countless addresses from this very spot which have strengthened my testimony and taught me principles of truth. I hold a prayer in my heart that I will be able to share a small message with you today, something that may touch you and possibly strengthen your testimony.
At this moment I am reminded of Moses in the book of Exodus. He spoke to the Lord saying, “I am not eloquent…but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue” (Exodus 4:10). I am going to apologize up front for my simple speech and lack of elaborate metaphors. I am not a scholar, but a stressed out mom who teaches dance on the side. I must put my faith in the Lord as Moses did in verse 12. It reads, “now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say."[1] As a warning, if I feel like things aren’t going well I may have you push back your chairs, take off your shoes, and I’ll teach a dance class instead.
“If thou art merry praise the Lord with singing, with music, with dancing, and with a prayer of praise and thanksgiving.”[2] I would like to spend time with you today by addressing the joy of life. While we are here on earth to gain a body, to expand our knowledge, to make and receive covenants, and to be tested and be converted, our Heavenly Father wants us to find joy.
Aristotle believed this alone was the purpose of life. He taught, “Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence.”
I love to laugh, though my sense of humor may be somewhat warped. I enjoy clips from America’s Funniest Home Video’s where adults and children trip, fall, and get hit in the head, resulting in an embarrassing moment. It always makes me laugh out loud. My husband says I shouldn’t laugh when I see BYU students slip and fall on the ice, but I can’t seem to squelch my giggling.
One winter day a few years ago, I was getting out of the SUV I drive to accommodate my six children. Now, SUVs are large and there was a decent first step from the car door to the frosty ground below. I slid across the seat, shifting all of my weight onto the supporting leg. Oblivious to the glossy sheen below me, my foot made contact with the icy surface, and the ground began to move. I tried digging in with my heels in an effort to unearth enough traction to prevent a stumbling fall on the polished city street, but before I knew it, I was treating the spectators around me with a delightful rendition of the crazy leg dance; you know the one, where you dramatically shuffle in place and swing your arms with an odd expression of anxiety on your face. You look absolutely ridiculous until gravity prevails, control is lost, and you find yourself on the ground, void of any remaining dignity. Now while this was happening, I was laughing uncontrollably, which made it even harder to maintain my balance or plan for a graceful landing. In addition, to provide the perfect climactic ending, I had stopped by Jamba Juice on the way to work to pick up a smoothie, and well, you can see where this is going. As my weight veered back, my arms were thrown forward instinctively which released the full force of the smoothie into the air. As I landed face up I could see my Orange Sunrise smoothie, filled with fruit and cream and topped off with an immunity boost, orbiting through the sky above me. As quickly as it happened the performance was over and I lay in the parking lot covered in my breakfast and laughing to myself thinking, boy I wish one of those people watching me had a video camera.
Sometimes, brother and sisters, we just need to laugh. Although I was a little sore the next day from the landing, I often think about that slippery fall, and I can’t help but giggle and smile, especially when I consider how ridiculous I looked. We are meant to have joy on this earth, though I don’t think a literal fall is what we must experience when we read in the scriptures, “Adam fell that men might be and men are that they might have joy.”[3]
Obviously there is a great difference between feeling happy at a given moment and being happy for a lifetime. Between having a good time and living a good life.
How important is it to find joy and to be happy?
What makes you happy?
Have you ever thought that both happiness and unhappiness are much of our own making?
In the scriptures, there are many ancient accounts of people finding joy, with “finding” being the key word. True happiness, which is eternal happiness, can only be found through our personal journey toward salvation and is usually first accompanied by some sort of opposition. In Mosiah 4:20, King Benjamin taught his people about salvation which comes through the atonement. Only through “repentance and a begging for the remission of sins,” were they able to have the Spirit upon them which caused their hearts to fill with joy that they could not speak, so exceedingly great was their joy.
In Ether we read of the Jaredites and their “shedding tears of joy before the Lord because of the multitude of his tender mercies over them as they safely arrived at the promise land”. This experience was not without initial suffering as these people entered enclosed barges and traveled 344 days on the ocean against furious winds and mountainous waves that buried them deep in the sea.[4] The joy that was felt by these people came about because of their safe arrival. Joy was also found in the personal journey they were willing to make to bring them closer to Christ. Finding great joy requires personal action.
In modern times, here at BYU–Idaho, we aren’t asked to battle Lamanites, or travel to unknown lands using barges lit by stones. So, what must we sacrifice in order to find our happiness?
What sort of opposition will bring you joy?
I can remember the simple things in college that would bring a smile to my face. I wonder if they are the same for you now. Perhaps it was walking into a classroom when you were not fully prepared only to find the professor was home sick and your assignment was to be delayed another day. Or maybe, you “accidentally” run into a certain someone outside their class and subsequently make impromptu arrangements to spend time together. Maybe your financial aid just arrived and the funds are a little more than you anticipated, and you sigh, “Yes, I will be able to eat tonight.” At these moments are you happy? Absolutely! At least, for the moment. But these things will not bring eternal happiness. So what will?
The Prophet Joseph Smith said, “Happiness is the object and design of our existence and will be the end thereof, if we pursue the path that leads to it, and this path is virtue, uprightness, faithfulness, holiness, and keeping all the commandments of God.”
It seems quite simple, we must pursue a path, we must take action, and we must make a conscience choice, by doing so we will be able to find our own happiness.
One of my favorite founding fathers, the humorous Ben Franklin once said, “The Constitution only guarantees the American people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself.”
It is our choice to find happiness and make the sacrifices now that will lead us to eternal joy.
A few years ago I read a talk by Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin on this very topic. The principles he taught will make an excellent outline for us as we take action in our search for personal and eternal happiness.
First, we must have faith—faith that our Heavenly Father knows us. He listens when we pray. He loves us. He is mindful of us, and he wants what is best for us.
I am reminded of the pure faith of a child. Do you remember how scary it was when you were a child to go to bed at night, whether it was the noise of the house settling, the branches blowing against the window pane, or the fear of a bad dream? Two of my smaller children are at this stage and every night we say prayers together, and every night they ask their Heavenly Father to keep them safe from the things they fear. If one of them forgets to ask, the other reminds them, and we have to pray all over again. They know that by asking their Heavenly Father, he will listen and answer their prayers. As they grow older, I hope they will maintain the faith that they can communicate personally with God.
We can refer to the stories of Ammon as examples of great faith. During the war between the Amalekites and the Anti-Nephi-Lehites, Ammon was extremely concerned for the safety of. his brothers in Christ. Because of the covenant they made with Heavenly Father, “they refused to take their arms, and they suffered themselves to be slain according to the desires of their enemies.”[5] Ammon proposed a plan saying, “let us go down to the land of Zarahemla to our brethren the Nephites, and flee out of the hands of our enemies, that we be not destroyed.” The king at the time was frightened because these were the same Nephites they had “murdered and committed sins against.” The king asked Ammon to inquire of the Lord and agreed to obey God even though he was afraid. Ammon had such strong faith in the Lord and the power of prayer that he knew if he went to the Lord with righteous desires his prayers would be answered. Through the workings of the Spirit, the hearts of the Nephites and the Chief Judge we softened and the Anti-Nephi-Lehites were given land and protection so they would not perish. Through his faith in prayer, Ammon was able to achieve what seemed almost impossible.
Second, Be obedient to the commandments of God and be faithful members of the Church. The more faithfully we keep the commandments of God the happier we will be.
In teaching our children about obedience the word freedom comes up a lot, especially when teaching our teenage daughter. Within the mortal world which we live, freedom comes from keeping the laws set before us. By being obedient to these laws we then have more freedom to use our agency to make choices, have more experiences, and are able to enjoy, or find joy in these experiences. When we are disobedient whether it is to our mortal father or our Heavenly Father, we are bound by the consequence of our actions. We may be forgiven for the act but we are not free of the consequence. So by being obedient and faithful to God’s commandments we will be free to experience the joy that comes with His blessings.
Third, Set righteous goals. My parents were great goal setters and through their example I learned the power of setting and attaining goals using positive thinking. I thank them for that.
You are on a great path towards attaining righteous goals by being here today. Making the sacrifice to come to this institution and gain an education where you can also develop and strengthen your testimony is one of the first steps to success. Might I give you a small warning about the temptation of shortcuts; they can be deceiving. Do not let the enticement of early financial gain cloud your desire to endure to the end, which is the real success you desire. The only way to find happiness in your success is through hard work, which brings us to our next point.
Fourth, Work hard. Elder David O McKay, when he a member in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, said, “Let us realize that the privilege to work is a gift, that power to work is a blessing, and that love to work is success."
President Gordon B. Hinckley echoed that sentiment: “There is no substitute under the heavens for productive labor. It is the process by which dreams become realities. It is the process by which idle visions become dynamic achievements."
Once again I am grateful for the experiences of my childhood and the lessons I learned. When I was 8 years old my parents bought us a snow cone machine. When they came home with this glorious invention and plugged it in, my family and I watched with anticipation as the ice was crushed into fine powder right before my eyes. My mouth began to salivate as I thought to myself, “Snow cones anytime we want. Mom and dad you’re the best!!” That was before I realized there was a catch. Not only would we be eating the snow cones, we would be selling them to. Now let me paint a picture for you. Imagine the summer months in Mesa, Arizona. On average the temperature would rise to 110 degrees. My siblings and I mounted a three wheeled bike with a large basket attached in the back, a cooler filled with crushed ice, the stickiest syrup you can imagine, oh, and don’t forget a whistle to blow to let everyone know we were coming. We were told to head to the ball fields, where we spent many hours in the hot sun selling these snow cones. Today they have child labor laws, but back them I think the motto was, “Anything that doesn’t kill them will make them stronger. This experience taught me to work and work hard. It made every subsequent job seem like a piece a cake. NO job was beneath me, as long as it was in an air- conditioned room. It instilled a work habit that enabled me to assist in supporting my family especially during those early years of marriage when the jobs we had were nothing to brag about.
Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin said, “Work is therapy for the soul. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the gospel of work.” I remember hearing once that the “idleness we experience comes from misunderstanding the Atonement of the Lord.” We cannot simply sit around and do nothing and expect to be successful in spiritual or temporal things. We need to do all that is in our power to accomplish our goals, and the Lord will make up the difference.
Fifth, enjoy the journey and find peace. The people of God are a joyful people. Wickedness never was Happiness (Alma 41:10). We possess the joyful principles of eternal life.
We have so much to smile about, to be happy about, yes even to laugh about. How many of you are waiting for your happiness?
When Michael and I were in school the phrase “after we graduate” came up almost daily. For some reason we thought all the problems in the world would be solved if we could just get through school. As I look back at that time I wonder how many moments of joy I missed waiting for what I perceived as my “happiness.” What are you waiting on? The right job, the right car, the right spouse, the right dress size? How many times do we perceive happiness as a future event rather than right now; in our own homes, with our own families and friends?
Be happy today, be happy now.
Find peace; The Savior of the world taught us to seek that inner peace which taps the innate happiness in our souls, He said, “My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”[6]
Brothers and sisters for some of us finding this peace will be the most challenging part of our journey. Many of us have struggled through life, and may even continue to struggle now. Whether it is because of family relationships, personal testimony, morality issues, financial difficulties, death, loneliness, or personal insecurities, we cannot let these necessary life experiences be what holds us back from finding true peace and happiness. Every challenge that we are given here on this earth is to strengthen and prepare us for eternal happiness. Although “men are, that they might have joy,”[7] this does not mean that our lives will be filled only with joy. “For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things.”[8]
I believe if you are willing to work and search diligently to find true happiness in your life now, you will be able to look back on any negative experience and see how it led you to your discovery. Being grateful for these difficult lessons in life will be one sure way to find your happiness.
Once you find your happiness through faith, obedience, setting and attaining righteous goals, and finding peace within, Praise the Lord.
As the Jaredites journeyed to the promise land, they were grateful for their safety and happiness, and they did “sing praises unto the Lord.”[9]
In Alma chapter 26, Ammon acknowledges the Lord’s hand in bringing thousands of souls to repentance by saying, “Yea, I know that I am nothing, as to my strength I am weak, therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things, yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever.”[10] Ammon did this by declaring, “Blessed be the name of our God, let us sing to his praise, yea, let us give thanks to his holy name, for he doth work righteousness forever.”
Their joy was centered on Christ; this is the joy we are looking for.
At one of the darkest hours, in the harsh winter months, during the early migration to Salt Lake City, Brigham Young received a revelation which reads in part, “If thou art merry, praise the Lord with singing, music, with dancing, and with a prayer of praise and Thanksgiving."[11]
For me, I can’t think of a better way to show my gratitude to my Heavenly Father for all the joy I have in life than through the arts, especially dance. Through the arts we can communicate a level of gratitude to our Heavenly Father that words alone cannot. I am reminded of a quote by Loyed D. Newell professor of religion at BYU-Provo, and the voice of “Music and the Spoken Word” which reads in part, “Sometimes as we consider the goodness of God, the joy of His creations fills us with immeasurable delight and with the urge to express that joy by rising to our feet and dancing. Dance can also be a way of worship, of expressing joyfully our delight in the gifts of God. Above all, dance expresses love, love of movement, love of beauty, love of music, love of life itself.”
Expression through the arts, whether it be visual art, music, poetry, writing, drama, or dance, allows the individual and the spectator to give thanks, to worship, to be inspired, to understand truths, to enrich lives, and to assist in building up the Kingdom of God. I encourage those of you who have found your gift to think of your talents as a way to praise and give thanks for your happiness, for your blessings, and for the gospel in your life. By doing this, you are not only celebrating Heavenly Father, but bringing joy to those around you. The arts can also help us find joy as we study a medium in order to find truth, and if our endeavors are righteous, we will be led by the spirit and draw closer to our Heavenly Father. Michelangelo said, “no true artist can deny God.”
For those of you who may be struggling to acknowledge your talents can look to the words recently spoken by President Uchtdorf to the women of the church in the Relief Society general broadcast. He encouraged us to use creativity as a way to find God’s happiness, and our joy. President Uchtdorf taught, “You may think you don’t have talents, but that is a false assumption, for we all have talents and gifts, everyone of us. The bounds of creativity extend far beyond the limits of a canvas or a sheet of paper and do not require a brush, a pen, or the keys of a piano. Creation means bringing into existence something that did not exist before, colorful gardens, harmonious homes, family memories, flowing laughter.” It is through these creative endeavors and trusting the Spirit that we will have a greater capacity to create, thus finding the path to peace, hope, and joy.
As this devotional comes to a close I would like to share with you my praise to my Heavenly Father for the happiness I have in my life. I have so much to celebrate and enjoy. I have the knowledge of the gospel, I have an eternal family, and I have been blessed not only with an artistic gift, but the support and encouragement to praise my Heavenly Father with it. I have a testimony that Christ lives, that our Heavenly Father lives and loves us. Let us diligently seek out our happiness, and let us give praise for it. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes
[1] Exodus 4:12
[2] D&C 136:28
[3] 2 Nephi 2:25
[4] Ether 6: 5-12
[5] Alma 27:3
[6] John 14:27
[7] 2 Nephi 2:25
[8] 2 Nephi 2:11
[9] Ether 6:9
[10] Alma 26:12
[11] D&C 136:28