363. Happiness is the object and design of our existence.
364. True happiness and joy are not found in the frivolous or carnal pleasures of the world.
365. When we are actively engaged in a virtuous cause we can experience true happiness.
366. Keeping the commandments fosters happiness.
367. Only by entering the kingdom of God (the celestial kingdom) can we realize a fulness of joy.
363. Happiness is the object and design of our existence.
quoted by Elder Joseph Fielding Smith
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. . . .
. . . . [A]s God has designed our happiness—and the happiness of all His creatures, he never has—He never will institute an ordinance or give a commandment to His people that is not calculated in its nature to promote that happiness which He has designed, and which will not end in the greatest amount of good and glory to those who become the recipients of his law and ordinances. (An essay recorded in the Journal History [HC5:134-35] Aug. 27, 1842) TPJS:255-56; DGSM:27
quoted by his son Nephi
Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy. (Lehi teaches his sons, between 588-570 B.C.) 2 Nephi 2:25
There is nothing the Latter-day Saints can imagine that would afford them happiness that God has not unfolded to us. He has prepared everything for the Latter-day Saints that they could possibly wish or imagine in order to effect their complete happiness throughout the vast eternities. (Teachings of Lorenzo Snow, p. 63) DGSM:28
Pleasure is not the purpose of man's existence. Joy is. (In Church News, Aug. 1951, Gospel Ideals, p. 492) TLDP:318
translating the Book of Moses
And in that day Adam blessed God and was filled, and began to prophesy concerning all the families of the earth, saying: Blessed be the name of God, for because of my transgression my eyes are opened, and in this life I shall have joy, and again in the flesh I shall see God.
11. And Eve, his wife, heard all these things and was glad, saying: Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient. (The record of Moses : Adam realizes that through Adam and Eve's transgression they may receive joy and eternal life, and he therefore blesses the name of God) Moses 5:10-11
364. True happiness and joy are not found in the frivolous or carnal pleasures of the world.
Happiness includes all that is really desirable of a true worth in pleasure, and much beside. Happiness is genuine gold, pleasure but gilded brass, which corrodes in the hand, and is soon converted into poisonous verdigris. Happiness is as the genuine diamond, which, rough and polished, shines with its own inimitable luster; pleasure is as the paste imitation that glows only when artificially embellished. Happiness is as the ruby, red as the heart's blood, hard and enduring; pleasure as stained glass, soft, brittle, and of but transitory beauty.
Happiness is true food, wholesome, nutritious and sweet; it builds up the body and generates energy for action, physical, mental and spiritual; pleasure is but a deceiving stimulant which, like spirituous drink, makes one think he is strong when in reality enfeebled; makes him fancy he is well when in fact stricken with deadly malady.
Happiness leaves no bad after-taste, it is followed by no depressing reaction; it calls for no repentance, brings no regret, entails no remorse; pleasure too often makes necessary repentance, contrition, and suffering; and, if indulged to the extreme, it brings degradation and destruction.
True happiness is lived over and over again in memory, always with a renewal of the original good; a moment of unholy pleasure may leave a barbed sting, which, like a thorn in the flesh, is an ever-present source of anguish.
Happiness is not akin with levity, nor is it one with light-minded mirth. It springs from the deeper fountains of the soul, and is not infrequently accompanied by tears. Have you never been so happy that you have had to weep? I have. ("A Greeting to the Missionaries," IE1913Dec:17) TLDP:318-19
quoted by Mormon
Behold, I say unto you, wickedness never was happiness. (Alma speaks to his son Corianton, concerning the resurrection of the dead, about 73 B.C.) Alma 41:10
The man who expects to find a fulness of joy in the light and frivolous pleasures of the world, or in matters pertaining strictly to the world, will be sadly disappointed, because it is said that a man whose heart is wedded to the things of the world is carnally minded, and we are told in the scriptures that to be carnally minded, or altogether worldly minded, is death, but to be spiritually minded is life eternal. There it is, and we should remember that as Latter-day Saints we must not give ourselves wholly and completely to worldly things, loving them above everything else. We have to deal with them, and we need them, too, but we must be spiritually minded if we will attain to a fulness of joy. CR1932Oct:10
It is not given to men and women on the earth to be entirely satisfied, if they seek for satisfaction and happiness in worldly things. There is only one way in which perfect happiness can be obtained, and that is by having the Spirit of God. (Gospel Truth, 2:317-18) TLDP:319
Related Witnesses:
Pleasure is not the purpose of man's existence. Joy is. (Church News; Gospel Ideals, p. 492) TLDP:318
365. When we are actively engaged in a virtuous cause we can experience true happiness.
quoted by Elder Joseph Fielding Smith
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. (An essay recorded in the Journal History, Aug. 27, 1842) HC5:134-35; TPJS:255-56; DGSM:27
receiving the Word of the Lord
Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness; 28. For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward. (Revelation for the elders of the Church, Aug. 1, 1831; the Lord instructs the Saints to counsel with each other and with the Lord) D&C 58:27-28
The way for each person and each family to guard against the slings and arrows of the Adversary and to prepare for the great day of the Lord, is to hold fast to the iron rod, to exercise greater faith, to repent of our sins and shortcomings, and to be anxiously engaged in the work of His kingdom on earth, which is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Herein lies the only true happiness for all our Father's children. CR1982Oct:4
[Man] may get great happiness from what he does do in righteousness. . . . CR1932Oct:9
Man's greatest happiness comes from losing himself for the good of others. CR1963Oct:8
Actions in harmony with divine law and the laws of nature will bring happiness and those in opposition to divine truth, misery. Man is responsible not only for every deed, but also for every idle word and thought. CR1950Apr:33
Related Witnesses:
The first condition of happiness is a clear conscience. No man who does wrong or who is unvirtuous will be happy. . . . (Church News; Gospel Ideals, p. 498) TLDP:320
Make a motto in life; always try to assist someone else to carry his burden. The true key to happiness in life is to labor for the happiness of others. (To students at University of Utah, 1901) (Gospel Standards, p. 161) TLDP:320
Whence comes your enjoyment? Whence come the glorious feelings that you have when you feel the best? Do they come from the outside? Do external circumstances produce real happiness of the kind that I describe? Doubtless, they contribute to happiness; but the purest joy, the greatest happiness, that which is most heavenly proceeds from within. A man must carry the principles of happiness and the love of God in his own breast, or he will not be happy.
It is not true enjoyment when it comes from any other source. Not from without, therefore, must we expect happiness and exaltation, but from within. Deity is within us, and its development brings happiness and joy inexpressible. (Gospel Truth, 1:99) TLDP:319
And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness. (Nephi writes on plates shortly after the death of his father Lehi, 569-559 B.C.) 2 Nephi 5:27
The key to happiness is to get the Spirit and keep it. CR1961Oct:61
quoted by Mormon
41:10 Behold, I say unto you, wickedness never was happiness. . . . 42:8. Now behold, it was not expedient that man should be reclaimed from this temporal death, for that would destroy the great plan of happiness. (Alma speaks to his son Corianton, concerning the resurrection of the dead, about 73 B.C.) Alma 41:10; 42:8
Author's Note: Dennis F. Rasmussen writes this about happiness: "In the words of Aristotle, written over 2,300 years ago, happiness is 'an activity of soul in accordance with virtue' (I:vii). This idea will sound familiar to Latter-day Saints, who believe in being virtuous. . . . The final aim of all [man's] action is happiness. But as Aristotle saw, happiness is not an object, not a thing to be acted upon, not something to be kept, hoarded, or defended against thieves. Happiness is activity. . . . But happiness is not just any activity. It is 'an activity of soul in accordance with virtue.' . . . The real test of our faith is how we act. There is deep wisdom, then, in a familiar idiom of Latter-day Saints. When we want to speak of someone's religious commitment, we do not usually say he is pious or observant or devout. Instead we say he is faithful, or, more commonly, we say he is active. A faithful member of the Church is an active member, because faith is the principle of action. . . .
Now since happiness is 'an activity of soul in accordance with virtue,' not just acting, but acting in a certain way is required for happiness. We perform the actions that will finally yield happiness only by choosing first to follow virtue. . . . Only the virtuous, only those who seek the good, only those who keep God's commandments are worthy of happiness. And only those who are worthy of happiness can achieve it. This is not because God or anyone else would seek to withhold it, but because happiness is 'an activity of soul in accordance with virtue.'. . . Happiness requires, happiness is a virtuous or moral way of acting." (See Lectures on Faith in Historical Perspective, pp. 167-74.)
366. Keeping the commandments fosters happiness.
quoted by Mormon
And moreover, 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; 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. (King Benjamin addresses his people, about 124 B.C.) Mosiah 2:41
The finest recipe that I could give, to obtain happiness, would be: Keep the commandments of the Lord. CR1934Oct:47-48
Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. (Proverb of Solomon, king of Israel) Proverbs 29:18
The more completely law is obeyed, the greater the consciousness of perfect joy. Throughout eternal life, increasing intelligence is attained, leading to greater adaptation to law, resulting in increasingly greater joy. Therefore it is that eternal life is the greatest gift of God, and that the plan of salvation is priceless. (A Rational Theology, p. 34) TLDP:320
quoted by Elder Joseph Fielding Smith
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. . . .
. . . . [A]s God has designed our happiness—and the happiness of all His creatures, he never has—He never will institute an ordinance or give a commandment to His people that is not calculated in its nature to promote that happiness which He has designed, and which will not end in the greatest amount of good and glory to those who become the recipients of his law and ordinances. (An essay recorded in the Journal History Aug. 27, 1842) HC5:134-35; TPJS:255-56; DGSM:27
Yes, moral agency allows you to choose what you will, but you cannot control the outcome of those choices. Unlike the false creations of man, our Father in Heaven determines the consequences of your choices. Obedience will yield happiness, while violation of His commandments will not. (CR 2004Apr; How to Live Well amid Increasing Evil, Ensign, May 2004, p.100)
Why are we such a happy people? It is because of our faith, the quiet assurance that abides in our hearts that our Father in Heaven, overseeing all, will look after His sons and daughters who walk before Him with love and appreciation and obedience. We will ever be a happy people if we will so conduct our lives. Sin never was happiness. Transgression never was happiness. Falsehood in word or behavior never was happiness. Happiness lies in obedience to the teachings and commandments of God our Eternal Father and His Beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. (CR 1998Oct; What Are People Asking about Us?, Ensign, November 1998, p.70)
If you are a good missionary, you will return home with the desire to continue to serve the Lord, to keep His commandments, and to do His will. Such behavior will add immeasurably to the happiness of your marriage. (CR 1998Apr; Living Worthy of the Girl You Will Someday Marry, Ensign, May 1998, p.49)
Brethren, choosing to live the commandments frees us from the shackles of sin and allows us to experience true happiness. (CR 1996Apr; “If Thou Wilt Enter into Life, Keep the Commandments”, Ensign, May 1996, p.35)
All of our Father’s children can seek prayerfully to know who they are and can find real happiness if they obey God’s commandments and endure to the end. (CR 1995Apr; Answers to Life’s Questions, Ensign, May 1995, p.22)
I testify to you of the lasting happiness and ultimate joy of those who exercise faith in God and keep his commandments. I urge each of you to seek the joy that comes from keeping the commandments of God and exerting a righteous influence for the benefit of those we love.
Related Witnesses:
And it came to pass that there was no contention in the land, because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people.
16. And there were no envyings, nor strifes, nor tumults, nor whoredoms, nor lyings, nor murders, nor any manner of lasciviousness; and surely there could not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God. (Mormon abridges the account of the people of Nephi written by Nephi, one of the disciples of Christ, A.D. 36-60) 4 Nephi 1:15-16
367. Only by entering the kingdom of God (the celestial kingdom) can we realize a fulness of joy.
What is this gospel to which we refer? It is the only power of God unto salvation, it is the only plan that will enable man to go back into the presence of his Maker and enjoy the celestial kingdom. It is the only plan that will bring peace and happiness to all the children of men, of every race and creed. CR1928Oct:93
Immortality is a means to an end, the end being the accomplishment of man's eternal salvation and glory. In support of this statement I call attention to the word of the Lord to the Prophet Joseph, as recorded in the Doctrine and Covenants, Sec. 93, verses 33 and 34, as follows: "For man is spirit. The elements are eternal, and spirit and element, inseparably connected, receive a fulness of joy; And when separated, man cannot receive a fulness of joy." Hence the importance of bringing about the immortality of man.
. . . .The revelations of the Lord indicate to us the height, depth and grandeur of the glory of God to which the righteous may attain. Eternal life, as here used, being the greatest gift of God, must include a fulness of glory of God, in his celestial kingdom. [See D&C 76:54-60; 132:20-24.] CR1916Apr:52
The more completely law is obeyed, the greater the consciousness of perfect joy. Throughout eternal life, increasing intelligence is attained, leading to greater adaptation to law, resulting in increasingly greater joy. Therefore it is that eternal life is the greatest gift of God, and that the plan of salvation is priceless. (A Rational Theology, p. 34) TLDP:320
The Lord has shown to us that the elements are eternal and that it requires the eternal union of spirit and element to obtain a fulness of joy. For the spirit part of man and the earthly, or temporal part just now, shall be united together perpetually, eternally, the body and the spirit being made one again, only joined together after the power of an endless life, that without that union a fulness of joy cannot be obtained. CR1914Oct:35
For man is spirit. The elements are eternal, and spirit and element, inseparably connected, receive a fulness of joy;
34. And when separated, man cannot receive a fulness of joy. (Revelation at Kirtland, Ohio, May 6, 1833) D&C 93:33-34
I beheld that they were filled with joy and gladness, and were rejoicing together because the day of their deliverance was at hand.
16. They were assembled awaiting the advent of the Son of God into the spirit world, to declare their redemption from the bands of death.
17. Their sleeping dust was to be restored unto its perfect frame bone to his bone, and the sinews and the flesh upon them, the spirit and the body to be united never again to be divided, that they might receive a fulness of joy. . . .
50. For the dead had looked upon the long absence of their spirits from their bodies as a bondage.
51. These the Lord taught, and gave them power to come forth, after his resurrection from the dead, to enter into his Father's kingdom and there to be crowned with immortality and eternal life. (Vision regarding the Savior's visit to the spirits of the dead, Oct. 3, 1918) D&C 138:15-17,50-51
We are able to have a fulness of joy only when spirit and body are inseparably connected in the glorious resurrection to celestial glory. (See D&C 93:33; D&C 76:50-70.) That joy, of course, comes only through the mercy of the Holy Messiah, whose resurrection broke the bands of death and whose atonement unlocks the reservoir of mercy by which we can be cleansed of our sins and come into the presence of God to receive the fulness of the Father. (CR 1991Oct; Joy and Mercy, Ensign, November 1991, p.73)
Related Witnesses:
"Men are, that they might have joy." We might say, God is that he might have joy, a fulness of joy, and so his Son Jesus Christ is that he might have a fulness of joy, and that would mean that God has a fulness of salvation, and that Jesus Christ has a fulness of salvation. They have attained to it. They have conquered. Jesus Christ has risen above his enemies.
. . . . If a man cannot enter the kingdom of God he cannot rise to a fulness of joy, never, worlds without end.
He may get some joy, he may get great happiness from what he does do in righteousness, but to get a fulness he must be born again. . . . CR1932Oct:9-10
quoted by his son Nephi
Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy. (Lehi explains the fall of Adam to his sons, 588-570 B.C.) 2 Nephi 2:25
