Seek for Things of a Better

 Every so often, while reading along in my scriptures, I find a verse that really talks to me.  This particular scripture comes from modern revelation (modern meaning post 1880 A.D.) 

 

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) published a collection of revelations from God which were given to Joseph Smith between 1820 and 1846.  He is the first prophet of our modern dispensation and regarded these messages from God important for the early members of the Church to read and ponder. This book of revelations is called The Doctrine and Covenants and is divided into sections.

 

In section 25 of the Doctrine and Covenants, verse 10, we read these profound words “And verily I say until thee, that thou shalt lay aside the things of this world and seek for the things of a better.” This particular section was written for Emma Smith, Joseph’s wife but as a people of God we can benefit from this message as well.  The world is right in our faces telling us we need to make more money, buy more stuff, obtain more prestige, but would we really be happy if we attained all of this stuff and prestige?  I don’t think so. We don’t need to compete with the Jones across the street.  We don’t need to feel that we are better than others because of what we do or have.

 

There is always opposition pulling us down toward priorities which are less than favorable for a happy life.  Remembering the messages of those passengers on the planes and towers during the 9-11 tragedy, we learn that families and those we love are what truly is important. How we treat others in our day to day living is ultimately what makes us better. Kindness many times is pushed aside and our selfish “selves” moves ahead.

 

James Faust (LDS Church Leader) said it best: “A poor man can be selfish and a rich man generous, but a person obsessed only with getting will have a hard time finding peace in this life.” (Faust, James, “What’s in it for me?,” Ensign, October 2002)

 

The decisions we make each day have an effect on us as well. From a BYU fireside in November of 2005, President Thomas Monson, LDS Church President, gives us some words of wisdom:

“That evil one too has placed road signs to frustrate your progress and to lead you from the path of truth into detours of sin. His detours all lead to a dead end. Have you noticed his markers?

• Just this once won’t matter.

• It can’t hurt anyone but me.

• My love is mine to give; my life is mine to live.

• Times have changed.

 

Now we see what comes into focus: He who would lead us down waits patiently for a dark night, a wavering will, a confused conscience, a mixed-up mind. Are we prepared to make the decisions at the crossroads.

 

I can’t stress too strongly that decisions determine destiny. You can’t make eternal decisions without eternal consequences.” (See

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2005-11-05-decisions-determine-destiny?lang=eng)

A good example of this was shown to me as a teacher.  Recently, I had the chance to help in a classroom with students who were abused or chose not to behave. After a long line of suspensions and expelling from their base school, this classroom was their last chance at success. For the most part these teens came from dysfunctional families where their parents were either in jail or didn’t care about them. Both the teacher and the aid had to help them understand that they had to make good decisions to be successful. It was measured in fifteen minute increments as they were marked on their behavior in a report. This was teaching them in baby steps how each decision they make builds on the next one.

 

Regardless of what had happened to them in their life, they knew they had to be successful in those baby steps to improve their life and eventually work their way out of this classroom.  It was very structured and most of them didn’t like it. Those who were successful had to do their school work, treat others kindly and prove that they can handle responsibility. I tried to teach them that being kind to each other was important and if they wanted to be treated well, they had to treat others well too.  It was such a basic, easy concept for most anyone to understand but by the end of my time with them, some students just didn’t get it or they didn’t think it was worth the effort. It’s a sad commentary for those who have not been taught to be kind or decide to live a better life.

 

Let us follow the Lord’s counsel and seek for the things of a better world. Inspiring ourselves to live unselfishly can help us find peace. It might take a thousand tiny, daily decisions but in the end it will be worth it.  As we think of this accomplishment, we will be able to stand proudly at that last day knowing we followed the Lord, and weren’t distracted by the Adversary’s road signs of destruction n.

Live After the Manner of Happiness

 As I have read through The Book of Mormon, I came across a verse that caught my attention more than the usual pondering.  As encouraged by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) leaders, we try to read from the Book of Mormon every day. Actually, we are encouraged to read any scripture book any day whether it’s the Bible or Book of Mormon. This week I read 2^nd Nephi, chapter five verse twenty-seven which says: “And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness.”  Nephi of old who is the one to leave his wealthy home in Jerusalem, build a ship and travel to the new world, then deal with ruthless brothers who wanted to kill him, says that “they lived after the manner of  happiness."

What is living “after the manner of happiness”? At times we can become weary living in our day-to-day routine. Millions of people have passed through this earth and lived hundreds of hours doing what they were meant to do in their own life. But were they happy doing it? I don’t know. I do know that God wants us to be happy. He wants us to live after the manner of happiness.

Many of us carry heavy burdens which can spoil or take away our happiness. There are trials and tribulations just like what Nephi went through but he still managed to live after the manner of happiness. How can we live after the manner of happiness in our homes with our families?  Dieter F. Uchtdorf, LDS Church leader gives us an idea.

Elder Uchtdorf poses the question: “What do you suppose is the greatest happiness possible?”  He says “it’s the same as God’s happiness” and went on to explain when God creates, He is happy. (See: Uchtdorf, Dieter F., Happiness, Your Heritage, Ensign, November 2008)   

I can take those words and apply them in my life and know when I design something, work on homemade projects, author more writings to share or invent a meal my family loves, these acts create happiness even through troubled times.

 We can create our own happy world around us.  Our world tells us to indulge ourselves and look within ourselves for happiness but this never works. We are social beings and in helping others we create our own happiness. When our mood is sour, nothing helps to lighten our day more than doing a good deed for someone else.

Find what is positive in your own life.  See the good in others when there is so much negative and ponder goodness in quiet times. I love this quote by an unknown author which says “The happiest people don’t have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything.”  So live after the manner of happiness as Nephi of old has counseled us to do. We can live through troubled times and still be positive and feel joy in life.