5.30.16

So, yesterday I gave a talk. I tried to get my iPad to record it but
that didn't work. So here are some of my notes.

Because of a conversation I was having with someone a few weeks ago I
got thinking about joy. So often people say that missionary work and
being a missionary brings joy in a way that nothing else can. I often
hear from my friends on missions that the joy they feel as they help
people become converted to the gospel is the most incredible joy they
have ever experienced. I have experienced this joy, but I have also
wondered if I know what they are talking about. They describe it in
such marvelous ways that it makes me question whether or not I have
known that joy. That gets me wondering if I am truly as happy as I
should be as a full time missionary for the Lord, and from there I
wonder if I am as happy as I should be as a member of the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Our Heavenly Father is an incredible being. Through his son Jesus
Christ he has created all things. He is the ruler of the universe. He
is all knowing, all wise, all powerful, and all loving. He is
literally our Father, and we are his children. He loves us more then
we could possibly understand. Even with his incredible status, his
mission, his work, and his glory is "to bring to pass the immortality
and eternal life of man." That's us. His whole self declared purpose
is to bring to pass our immortality and our eternal life. Meaning to
help us achieve eternal joy. The neat thing is the joy is not only the
reward. It is not only at the destination but it is here, now, as we
choose to live our Heavenly Father's plan. King Benjamin said of this:
"I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state
of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are
blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual;" I love how he
describes the experience of those that keep the commandments. He goes
on to explain what happens when we continue in that path. He goes on
to say "and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received
into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of
never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are
true; for the Lord God hath spoken it." (Mosiah 2:41)
What an incredible testimony. I can only try to imagine what
"never-ending happiness" looks and feels like. It must be amazing. I
think we all pretty well understand that when we get to heaven it will
be full of great joy and happiness. The thing that I often forget is
the part about the journey. The part about right now, what we are all
going through, this life.
I so often get caught up in the sorrow of this world. And if we look
for happiness in "the world" we will never find it. In D&C 101:36 it
says "for in this world your joy is not full, but in me your joy is
full." That is the powerful part. Through Christ, our joy can be full.
Many times throughout the scriptures we learn of the fabulous joy that
comes only through repentance, only through Jesus Christ's atonement.
In Alma 27:18 it says "this is [the] joy which none receiveth save it
be the truly penitent and humble seeker of happiness." We will only
experience this joy if we repent. This scripture also expressed a
second part to it. Not only do we need to repent, but we also need to
be "humble seekers of happiness." It takes effort. It takes work. We
need to seek it out.
This is what I learned as I kneeled next to my bed the other night. As
I was praying I asked the Lord "why am I not as happy as I think a
missionary should be?" This is when I had the thought "how happy do
you see and picture yourself as being?" So I said "well, about
average. Somewhere in the middle. I am rarely down in the dumps and I
am usually decently happy. Just not amazingly happy." Then the thought
came "that is why. If you want to be happier get a better self image
of how happy you are." It was an interesting experience. I learned for
myself the quote I had heard so many times. "A man is about as happy
as he makes up his mind to be." So I decided I was going to be more
happy and at I was going to learn how to be from the scriptures. Even
just beginning on this journey I have experienced more joy in my life,
I found an scripture that helped me understand why, even after in some
ways being chastised by the Lord a little, I felt more happy. Job 5:17
"Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not
thou the chastening of the Almighty:" This is why it is so important
for us to be humble. Because as we are humble we can take the Lord's
correction and act on it, and through that, become happy. Happy to
come closer to living in the Lord's way. Just as King Benjamin said
"the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of
God." This is what brings happiness. Living the commandments and
striving to live them better. Striving to become righteous followers
of Jesus Christ. From another scripture in the Book of Mormon we learn
that "if there be no righteousness there be no happiness." Yet another
testimony that as we live in the Lord's way we will be blessed, and we
will know happiness.
To sum it all up, happiness is the fruit of progression. When we reach
Heaven it will be a place of eternal happiness, it will also be a
place of eternal progression. That is no accident. Progression and
happiness are a package deal.

I sure learned a lot as I was getting ready for that talk. It was really neat.
We were able to meet with Denarrius's father this week which was
really good. We are going to start meeting with him too now. We are
pretty excited about that. The sad thing is he works on Sunday's so he
won't be able to come to church.

Happy always, content never!
Elder Dane Olsen