1 Nephi 20:20
Be Happy
What
20 aGo ye
forth of Babylon, flee ye from the bChaldeans,
with
a voice of singing declare ye,
tell this, utter to the end of the earth; say ye: The Lord hath
redeemed his cservant Jacob.
Stop
being wicked, flee from wickedness, be happy about being
righteous, Israel can be saved, even Laman and Lemuel if they
repent.
Why
Because
the Savior came to save us from our sins.
Pattern
Jer.
51:6 (6, 44–45)
6
Flee out of
the midst of Babylon,
and deliver every man his soul: be not cut off in her iniquity; for
this is the
time of the Lord’s vengeance; he will render unto her a
recompence.
44 And I will punish Bel in Babylon, and I will bring forth out of his mouth that which he hath swallowed up: and the nations shall not flow together any more unto him: yea, the wall of Babylon shall fall.
45 My people, go ye out of the midst of her, and deliver ye every man his soul from the fierce anger of the Lord.
44 And I will punish Bel in Babylon, and I will bring forth out of his mouth that which he hath swallowed up: and the nations shall not flow together any more unto him: yea, the wall of Babylon shall fall.
45 My people, go ye out of the midst of her, and deliver ye every man his soul from the fierce anger of the Lord.
D&C
133:5 (5–14)
5
Go ye out from Babylon.
Be ye clean that
bear the vessels of the Lord.
6 Call your solemn assemblies, and speak often one to another. And let every man call upon the name of the Lord.
7 Yea, verily I say unto you again, the time has come when the voice of the Lord is unto you: Go ye out of Babylon; gather ye out from among the nations, from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
8 Send forth the elders of my church unto the nations which are afar off; unto the islands of the sea; send forth unto foreign lands; call upon all nations, first upon the Gentiles, and then upon the Jews.
9 And behold, and lo, this shall be their cry, and the voice of the Lord unto all people: Go ye forth unto the land of Zion, that the borders of my people may be enlarged, and that her stakesmay be strengthened, and that Zion may go forth unto the regions round about.
10 Yea, let the cry go forth among all people: Awake and arise and go forth to meet the Bridegroom; behold and lo, the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Prepare yourselves for the great day of the Lord.
11 Watch, therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour.
12 Let them, therefore, who are among the Gentiles flee unto Zion.
13 And let them who be of Judah flee unto Jerusalem, unto the mountains of the Lord’s house.
14 Go ye out from among the nations, even from Babylon, from the midst of wickedness, which is spiritual Babylon.
6 Call your solemn assemblies, and speak often one to another. And let every man call upon the name of the Lord.
7 Yea, verily I say unto you again, the time has come when the voice of the Lord is unto you: Go ye out of Babylon; gather ye out from among the nations, from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
8 Send forth the elders of my church unto the nations which are afar off; unto the islands of the sea; send forth unto foreign lands; call upon all nations, first upon the Gentiles, and then upon the Jews.
9 And behold, and lo, this shall be their cry, and the voice of the Lord unto all people: Go ye forth unto the land of Zion, that the borders of my people may be enlarged, and that her stakesmay be strengthened, and that Zion may go forth unto the regions round about.
10 Yea, let the cry go forth among all people: Awake and arise and go forth to meet the Bridegroom; behold and lo, the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Prepare yourselves for the great day of the Lord.
11 Watch, therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour.
12 Let them, therefore, who are among the Gentiles flee unto Zion.
13 And let them who be of Judah flee unto Jerusalem, unto the mountains of the Lord’s house.
14 Go ye out from among the nations, even from Babylon, from the midst of wickedness, which is spiritual Babylon.
20 b Chaldeans
(were residents of southern Babylon)
Isa.
44:1 (1–2, 21)
1
Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant;
and Israel, whom I have chosen:
2 Thus saith the Lord that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen.
21 ¶Remember these, O Jacob and Israel; for thou art my servant: I have formed thee; thou art my servant: O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me.
2 Thus saith the Lord that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen.
21 ¶Remember these, O Jacob and Israel; for thou art my servant: I have formed thee; thou art my servant: O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me.
45:4
4
For Jacob my servant’s sake,
and Israel mine elect,
I have even calledthee
by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me.
Christ
the
Lord hath redeemed His servant, Jacob and Israel.
He
died for all of our sins that we may be saved.
Conference
We
are blessed to have the
truth. We have a mandate to share the
truth. Let us live the
truth, that we might merit all that the Father has for us. He does
nothing save it be for our benefit. He has told us, “This is my
work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life
of man.”1
From
the depths of my soul and in all humility, I testify of the great
gift which is our Father’s plan for us. It is the one perfect path
to peace and happiness both here and in the world to come.
Second
Counselor in the First Presidency
To All Who Are Weary
Today
I would like to speak to those who have ever felt inadequate,
discouraged, or weary—in short, I would like to speak to all of us.
I
also pray that the Holy Ghost will amplify my words and bestow upon
them additional meaning, insight, and inspiration.
We
know that sometimes it can be difficult to keep our heads above
water. In fact, in our world of change, challenges, and checklists,
sometimes it can seem nearly impossible to avoid feeling overwhelmed
by emotions of suffering and sorrow.
I
am not suggesting that we can simply flip a switch and stop the
negative feelings that distress us. This isn’t a pep talk or an
attempt to encourage those sinking in quicksand to imagine instead
they are relaxing on a beach. I recognize that in all of our lives
there are real concerns. I know there are hearts here today that
harbor deep sorrows. Others wrestle with fears that trouble the soul.
For some, loneliness is their secret trial.
However,
I would like to speak about two principles that may help you find a
path to peace, hope, and joy—even during times of trial and
distress. I want to speak about God’s happiness and how each one of
us can taste of it in spite of the burdens that beset us.
Let
me first pose a question: What do you suppose is the greatest kind of
happiness possible? For me, the answer to this question is, God’s
happiness.
This
may be impossible to answer because His ways are not our ways. “For
as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are [God’s] ways
higher than [our] ways, and [His] thoughts [higher] than [our]
thoughts.”1
Nearly
a century and a half ago, President Brigham Young spoke to the Saints
of his day. “There is a great work for the Saints to do,” he
said. “Progress, and improve upon and make beautiful everything
around you. Cultivate the earth, and cultivate your minds. Build
cities, adorn your habitations, make gardens, orchards, and
vineyards, and render the earth so pleasant that when you look upon
your labors you may do so with pleasure, and that angels may delight
to come and visit your beautiful locations. In the mean time
continually seek to adorn your minds with all the graces of the
Spirit of Christ.”6
The
more you trust and rely upon the Spirit, the greater your capacity to
create. That is your opportunity in this life and your destiny in the
life to come. Sisters, trust and rely on the Spirit. As you take the
normal opportunities of your daily life and create something of
beauty and helpfulness, you improve not only the world around you but
also the world within you.
Being
compassionate is another great work of our Heavenly Father and a
fundamental characteristic of who we are as a people. We are
commanded to “succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down,
and strengthen the feeble knees.”7 Disciples
of Christ throughout all ages of the world have been distinguished by
their compassion. Those who follow the Savior “mourn with those
that mourn … and comfort those that stand in need of comfort.”8
When
we reach out to bless the lives of others, our lives are blessed as
well. Service and sacrifice open the windows of heaven, allowing
choice blessings to descend upon us. Surely our beloved Heavenly
Father smiles upon those who care for the least of His children.
As
we lift others, we rise a little higher ourselves. President Spencer
W. Kimball taught, “The more we serve our fellowmen in appropriate
ways, the more substance there is to our souls.”9
President
Gordon B. Hinckley believed in the healing power of service. After
the death of his wife, he provided a great example to the Church in
the way he immersed himself in work and in serving others. It is told
that President Hinckley remarked to one woman who had recently lost
her husband, “Work will cure your grief. Serve Being
compassionate is another great work of our Heavenly Father and a
fundamental characteristic of who we are as a people. We are
commanded to “succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down,
and strengthen the feeble knees.”7 Disciples
of Christ throughout all ages of the world have been distinguished by
their compassion. Those who follow the Savior “mourn with those
that mourn … and comfort those that stand in need of comfort.”8
When
we reach out to bless the lives of others, our lives are blessed as
well. Service and sacrifice open the windows of heaven, allowing
choice blessings to descend upon us. Surely our beloved Heavenly
Father smiles upon those who care for the least of His children.
As
we lift others, we rise a little higher ourselves. President Spencer
W. Kimball taught, “The more we serve our fellowmen in appropriate
ways, the more substance there is to our souls.”9
President
Gordon B. Hinckley believed in the healing power of service. After
the death of his wife, he provided a great example to the Church in
the way he immersed himself in work and in serving others. It is told
that President Hinckley remarked to one woman who had recently lost
her husband, “Work will cure your grief. Serve others.
An Instrument in the Hands of the Lord
I
believe that the women of the Church, regardless of age or family
status, understand and apply best the words of James Barrie, the
author of Peter
Pan: “Those
who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from
themselves.”11 Often
I have witnessed quiet acts of kindness and compassion by noble women
who extended themselves in unselfish charity. My heart swells when I
hear stories of the sisters of the Church and how they rush to the
aid of those in need.
My
dear sisters, I have a simple faith. I believe that as you are
faithful and diligent in keeping the commandments of God, as you draw
closer to Him in faith, hope, and charity, things will work together
for your good.14 I
believe that as you immerse yourselves in the work of our Father—as
you create beauty and as you are compassionate to others—God will
encircle you in the arms of His love.15 Discouragement,
inadequacy, and weariness will give way to a life of meaning, grace,
and fulfillment.
You
are choice daughters of our Heavenly Father, and through the things
you create and by your compassionate service, you are a great power
for good. You will make the world a better place. Lift up your chin;
walk tall. God loves you. We love and admire you.
Of
this I testify, and leave you my blessing as an Apostle of the Lord,
in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Apply
I
love that Isaiah said “with a voice of singing” that he taught
us to be happy . To turn from sin and be happy!
I
love that President Uchtdorf tells us to create and to serve. “ as
you are faithful and diligent in keeping the commandments of God, as
you draw closer to Him in faith, hope, and charity, things will work
together for your good.14 I
believe that as you immerse yourselves
“
Counsel
for happiness doesn't get any better than that. I don't mean to
simplify for those who suffer from mental illness and depression but
even the professionals who can and do offer medications that help
also recommend creating and serving others. Work can help to heal
the sad and lonely.
Hymns
252
Put Your Shoulder To The Wheel
227
There Is Sunshine In My Soul Today
Children
198
When We're Helping We're Happy
167
Go the Second Mile
