Life’s most challenging questions seem to be those that begin
with the word why. “Why
is life so hard?” “Why is there so much sorrow, hate, and unhappiness in the
world?” “Why does death take the young?” And “why must the innocent suffer?” We
all have wrestled with such questions from time to time as we struggle with the
vicissitudes of mortality. I particularly want to talk to the younger members
of God’s family about why I believe the only satisfying answers to such
questions come from the comforting perspective of faith in our Heavenly Father
and his eternal plan for our happiness.
The prophet Alma called the plan “the great plan of happiness” (Alma 42:8). It is known more commonly as the
plan of salvation. It is beautiful in its simplicity to all who seek
prayerfully to know and understand the true meaning and purpose of life.
Through prophets past and present, God has revealed the
doctrines of his “great plan of happiness.” It consists of infinite, eternal,
absolute, unchanging principles. From Alma we learn that “God gave unto them
commandments, after having
made known … the plan of redemption” (Alma 12:32; emphasis added). The plan teaches
that all who have or will live on earth are the spirit children of heavenly
parents. We lived with them before coming to this earth to receive our bodies
of flesh and bone.
“If Adam [and Eve] had not transgressed [they] would not have
fallen, but [they] would have remained in the garden of Eden. …
“And they would have had no children; wherefore they would have
remained in a state of innocence, having no joy. …
“Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have
joy” (2 Ne. 2:22–23, 25).
After the Fall, God instructed Adam to cleave unto his wife, Eve
(see Moses 3:24; D&C 42:22). “God said unto them, Be
fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth” (Gen. 1:28), a commandment that has never been
rescinded.
Our Father’s plan provides for redemption from the Fall through
the atonement of Jesus Christ. As the Only Begotten Son of God and the only
sinless person to live on this earth, he made a perfect atonement for all
mankind. It applies to everyone unconditionally as it pertains to the
resurrection from temporal, or physical, death, for all shall rise from the
dead with immortal bodies as a result of the Atonement. However, the Atonement
is conditional as it pertains to each person’s individual sins. It touches
everyone to the degree that he or she has faith in Jesus Christ, repents, and
obeys the gospel. Exaltation and eternal life with God are reserved for those
who keep the commandments.
Mortality, then, is the time to test our ability to understand
our Heavenly Father’s plan and, of course, our willingness to be obedient.
Obedience is essential to obtain exaltation and eternal life. King Benjamin
explained that “the Lord God hath sent his holy prophets among all the children
of men, to declare these things to every kindred, nation, and tongue, that
thereby whosoever should believe [in] Christ, … the same might receive
remission of their sins, and rejoice with exceedingly great joy” (Mosiah 3:13).
He also taught his people: “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” (Mosiah 2:41).
What a wonderful, warm, and reassuring thing it is to know that
the primary objective of the very God of heaven is “the immortality and eternal
life of man” (Moses 1:39), or, in other words, our eternal
happiness and joy. Sometimes I wonder if we really appreciate what that means
and how it should affect our lives. We must give adequate attention to the
doctrines of happiness—real happiness, infinite and eternal. They should be the
objective of everything we teach in the Church and of everything we do.
The Prophet Joseph Smith said, “We cannot keep all the
commandments without first knowing them, and we cannot expect to know all, or
more than we now know unless we comply with or keep those we have already
received” (Teachings of
the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 256).
We must understand the basic doctrines and receive the saving
ordinances that are essential for our eternal exaltation and happiness. Our
present mortal state places a veil of forgetfulness over our minds, allowing us
to prove ourselves able to “do all things whatsoever the Lord [our] God shall
command” (Abr. 3:25). But even though our present long-range
view of eternity is limited, the Lord has not left us without direction. He has
provided scriptures and Apostles and prophets through whom he has revealed his
plan for our exaltation and eternal life. And we have the Comforter, the Holy
Ghost, to guide us.
The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that “in obedience there is joy
and peace unspotted, unalloyed; and as God has designed our happiness … 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” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph
Smith, pp. 256–57).
Critical to our knowledge of the plan of happiness is an
understanding of the great governing principle of agency. A person does not
have to spend much time in the schoolroom of mortality to realize that Heavenly
Father’s plan does not provide for blissful happiness at every step along our
mortal journey. Life is filled with harsh realities that tug at the heart and
tear away at the soul.
One cannot look at suffering, regardless of its causes or
origins, without feeling pain and compassion. I can understand why someone who
lacks an eternal perspective might see the horrifying news footage of starving
children and man’s inhumanity to man and shake a fist at the heavens and cry,
“If there is a God, how could he allow such things to happen?”
The answer is not easy, but it isn’t that complicated, either.
God has put his plan in motion. It proceeds through natural laws that are, in
fact, God’s laws. Since they are his, he is bound by them, as are we. I
recognize for purposes we mortals may not understand, the Lord can control the
elements. For the most part, however, he does not cause but he allows nature to
run its course. In this imperfect world, bad things sometimes happen. The
earth’s rocky underpinnings occasionally shift and move, resulting in
earthquakes. Certain weather patterns cause hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, and
drought.
Much adversity is man-made. Men’s hearts turn cold, and the
spirit of Satan controls their actions. In foreseeing the day of suffering in
our time, the Savior said, “The love of men shall wax cold, and iniquity shall
abound” (D&C 45:27). Violence, immorality, and
other evils run rampant on the earth. Much adversity has its origin in the
principle of agency.
We tend to think of agency as a personal matter. If we ask
someone to define “moral agency,” the answer will probably be something like
this: “Moral agency means I am free to make choices for myself.” Often
overlooked is the fact that choices have consequences; we forget also that
agency offers the same privilege of choice to others. At times we will be
affected adversely by the way other people choose to exercise their agency. Our
Heavenly Father feels so strongly about protecting our agency that he allows
his children to exercise it, either for good or for evil.
The plan of happiness is available to all of his children. If
the world would embrace and live it, peace, joy, and plenty would abound on the
earth. Much of the suffering we know today would be eliminated if people
throughout the world would understand and live the gospel.
We mortals have a limited view of life from the eternal
perspective. But if we know and understand Heavenly Father’s plan, we realize
that dealing with adversity is one of the chief ways we are tested. Our faith
in our Heavenly Father and his beloved Son, Jesus Christ, is the source of
inner strength. Through faith we can find peace, comfort, and the courage to
endure. As we trust in God and his plan for our happiness with all our hearts
and lean not unto our own understanding (see Prov. 3:5), hope is born. Hope grows out of
faith and gives meaning and purpose to all we do. It can give us comfort in the
face of adversity, strength in times of trial, and peace when we have reason
for doubt or anguish.
By focusing on and living the principles of Heavenly Father’s
plan for our eternal happiness, we can separate ourselves from the wickedness
of the world. If we are anchored to the correct understanding of who we are,
why we are here on this earth, and where we can go after this mortal life,
Satan cannot threaten our happiness through any form of temptation. If we are
determined to live by Heavenly Father’s plan, we will use our God-given moral
agency to make decisions based on revealed truth, not on the opinions of others
or on the current thinking of the world.
For example, we are moving into an era when the Information
Superhighway will have the capacity to cut a wide path right into our homes.
With fiber-optic computer technology, it can link homes to an incredible
assortment of messages and influences. This highway will be the conduit of
information that will have the power to change our culture and, thus, our very
lives. As we consider the importance of nourishing our intellects with the
promising potential of Superhighway resources, we must be ever cautious about
the choices of programs and the impact of media in our lives. Those who
understand our Heavenly Father’s eternal plan for the joy and happiness of his
children will be better prepared to make good choices as the Information
Superhighway rolls across the world. The computer, television, satellite,
microchip, and even the telephone, all can bless and enhance our lives—or can
make them miserable.
This is why making life’s decisions based on our Heavenly
Father’s plan is so important. If we truly believe that we are his children and
are here on earth to learn to live, by faith, the teachings and the commandments
of God and his Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, we will make the choices that
will qualify us to one day return to live in their presence.
Understanding the gospel of Jesus Christ and following him as
our Savior and our Redeemer will influence every aspect of our lives, including
all of our individual choices. Those who live according to Heavenly Father’s
eternal plan will not want to absorb any information that is illicit or
untoward, nor will they destroy their spiritual sensitivity through immoral acts
or the consumption of any harmful substances. Neither will they search for
doctrinal loopholes to find reasons to challenge the ordained leadership of the
Church nor tamper with the simple truths of the gospel. They will not attempt
to justify any lifestyle that is contrary to the plan of happiness. If they do
any of these things, they will never find the inner peace and joy that living
the gospel brings. 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. President Howard W. Hunter said:
“There is nothing sad or gloomy about a person who accepts the
truths of the gospel and incorporates these principles in his daily living. God
wants all of his children to be joyous and glad, and we can have this blessing
if we are willing to keep his commandments and live by his word in all that we
do” (in Conference Report, Sept./Oct. 1961, p. 108).
When the plan of our Heavenly Father is understood, the answers
to life’s questions are found in the gospel of Christ. May we learn to accept
with faith the doctrines and teachings of the gospel and accept the plan of
salvation with believing hearts and minds. Always know, brothers and sisters,
that the leaders of the Church understand and accept the gospel plan and will
defend it at all times and in all places.
My testimony coincides with the testimony of the beloved Apostle
John: “If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them” (John 13:17). May we search for the doctrines
and commandments of the great plan of happiness; and when we learn them, may we
embrace them willingly. By doing so we will find lasting joy, happiness, and
peace. Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you, 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” (John 14:27).
I leave you my testimony that the Lord’s promise of peace comes
from knowing and living the principles of our Heavenly Father’s plan of
happiness. May his peace and joy be with all of us I humbly pray in the name of
Jesus Christ, amen.
“Where are the Answers”
(to life’s questions)
cji
3/3/19
Do any believe
men/women
have these answers for
us
is their logismoi
enough
only a fool ignores
truth
the conduit is from
Father
for the answers are in
law
natural laws of from
Father
they are found in our
life
obedience to
Commandments
fully worthy to receive
through our agency of
good
or our choice to do
bad!
Copyright ©
2019 – cji
No comments:
Post a Comment