Want to be happy?

There are a lot of things I am grateful for. There are a million things that I have been blessed with that make me happy and makes my life just that much more enjoyable.
One of those things is the Book of Mormon.
I have been reading it more these days and I have really been given a lot more in return than what I give to read it. I cant tell you how many great lessons I have learned all in only two days. I have been reading it ever since I was a young girl but there are such simple but very important truths that I realize saturate the book. There are so many amazing stories of men and women that sacrifice things for Heavenly father and you see how eternally blessed they are for it. It makes me realize that in the moment it may not seem like choosing the right is appealing but in the long run it give so much more than you could ever dream.
There is a saying that has been abused throughout the church. It goes like this: "He never said it was easy, he just said it was worth it" I am sorry to say but you should look in the Book of Mormon and you will find that he actually does say that it is easy. He said that a lot of people don't choose the right because of the "easiness of the way". Choosing the right makes life so much easier and bearable. I can attest to that. My life is so much sweeter when I do all that I can. Ive been struggling with something in my life for a very long time. Its threatened my life a few times, but Ive stuck with it. Times were the toughest when I tried to do it on my own, or when I grew bitter and did things that I knew were bad for me or that werent right. It is only when I calm down, really look deep inside myself and I cry to the Lord and beg for forgivness and help that things begin to brighten. There is a peace that begings to grow inside me, I smile more often, I laugh more, I live more.
No one is perfect, and he never expects us to be. He just wants us to try. "Endure to the end and Ye shall be saved." I know he lives and that he loves everyone, even if they do not believe he exsists or if they believe wholeheartedly in him. His love is unconditional, which is great news for people like me who screw up more than I could count. :) But we are blessed with the Atonement. We are blessed with our dear Savior, Jesus Christ. :) Seeing his name just makes me want to smile! The more you ask for forgivness, the more real the atonment becomes.

-Its as if we are children and we decide we want to climb on the counter and grab a cookie from the high shelves. In our greedy process we fall and cut ourselves. We cry out for our father and ask for his help. (But he cant come unless we ask, he has given us free agency to choose if we want him in our lives) He comes running over to our side, picks us up and takes us to the couch. As he bandages our cut we cry bitterly. "Im so sorry, I was just trying to get a cookie. I am sorry." He smiles and cleans the cut. "its okay, thats what I am here for." We sniffle. "Are you mad?" And still he smiles, gently applying ointment. "Of course not." Then, from behind wet eyelashes we ask meekly. "Why? I dont deserve this..You shouldnt be helping me..I am a bad person. I steal cookies. You told me not to and theyre bad for me too..." By now he's done, the band-aid saftly in place, our leg on the mend. He gathers us in his arms and we feel his voice rumbling through his chest. "Of course you dont deserve it." he laughs quietly. "I just love you so much, I hate to see you hurt. You mean so much to me. I just want you to be happy."-

I know none of us deserve his grace. But I also know that I am so eternally grateful for it. I know that we are nothing without him. He is not some angry God just waiting to punish us. He can be our greatest ally, our best mentor, our best of friends, our dear Savior. I do not know a happier place than being held in the arms of such a glorious and perfect being. Just have faith. Just have hope. Trust in him, ask him for help, and Endure. Sure, there will be things in our life that will seem to hedge up our way, but he has said in the scriptures that

"And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him." Psalms 37:40 And not just deliver us from the wicked, but from sadness, sorrow, or difficulties. Its like going without shoes in tough terrian. Its silly. Just wear the darn shoes! :) But sometimes hardships are persistant and there is a lesson to be learned. But the Lord will make the burden light, he will make it easier and bearable. Trust me, I know from first hand experience. :)

Its hard when we fight with our imperfections. Just try your hardest, and when you make a mistake ( and you will, more than you know) just ask for forgivness, strength, and help. I am completely sure that He is only so glad to help. For "God’s work and glory is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man" Moses 1: 39. and "Men are that they might have joy" 2 Nephi 9:18

Hey, this is what I see it as. "Cheer up Charlie" :)
Life can be great!! Life can be exciting!! Just have faith, and never ever ever give up. :) Find joy in the moment, thats the lesson I think we should all learn. No circumstance can change our outlook if it is not determintate on what is going on around us. If it is anchored on an eternal and unchanging being that is perfect and full of joy, we will always have his peace and deep and lasting joy.

Dont forget it," O remember, remember, my sons, the words which king Benjamin spake unto his people; yea, remember that there is no other way nor means whereby man can be saved, only through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ, who shall come; yea, remember that he cometh to redeem the world."

Mosiah 4: 30 "remember, and perish not"

Just keep swimming! :) and when your swiming, be happy. Life is good.