2 Nephi 2:25

"Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy."

I am reading in 2 Nephi right now and came across this profound scripture that is so often quoted in the church. Often I feel like we talk so much of the trials and tribulations that are required in this life for us to make it back to the Father. It feels that we forget that the entire purpose for our existence is happiness.

Merriam-Webster (Joy):
1 a: the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires : delight; b: the expression or exhibition of such emotion : gaiety; 2: a state of happiness or felicity : bliss; 3: a source or cause of delight

The footnote in the scriptures refers to "Man, Potential to Become Like Heavenly Father". So is it simply the knowledge of our godly potential that gives us joy? Or is it perhaps that when we become like Heavenly Father, then we will find joy? Does that mean that we cannot have true joy until we are perfect? It is probably a little bit of both. Surely this life is not meant to be all hardship and suffering. The plan of happiness cannot mean that happiness is only to be found at the end of the journey, like a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. On the other hand, my own imperfections, my weaknesses, my constant failings and shortcomings, are all sources of unhappiness and hardship in my life. I feel to bemoan my weak flesh just as Nephi did.

2 Nephi 4:17-19
"O wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities. I am encompassed about, because of the temptations and the sins which do so easily beset me. And when I desire to rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my sins; nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted."

I find immense comfort in the fact that Nephi, a valiant servant of the Lord, a prophet of God, could speak so passionately about the sorrow he experiences as a result of his own weaknesses. I am not so naive to believe that his weaknesses are evenly remotely as numerous as my own. Yet, it is obvious that he is keenly aware of them, just as I am. So it makes perfect sense that when we eventually do become perfect, even as He is, then we will find true joy, everlasting happiness. But in the meantime, I will content myself with the struggle toward perfection and will seek out the joy available to me, a daughter of God, in this earthly life.

Prayer - Part 2

3 Nephi 19:6
And the twelve did teach the multitude; and behold, they did cause that the multitude should kneel down upon the face of the earth, and should pray unto the Father in the name of Jesus.

Kneeling signifies a certain humility when approaching the Father in prayer. I know I always feel more in tune on my knees.

1 Timothy 4:15
Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.

My world is busy and noisy that I rarely have time to meditate, to ponder upon the things of a spiritual nature. Often, when I am in my car alone, I now turn off the radio and simply talk to Heavenly Father or think of His command, "Be still and know that I am God."

Matthew 6:6
But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

Alma 34:26
But this is not all; ye must pour out your souls in your closets, and your secret places, and in your wilderness.

We have a chair in our closet that Lance sits on to put his shoes on or take them off. It has since become my favorite place to pray when I am in need of a good heart-to-heart with Heavenly Father. I kneel in front of the chair and rest my elbows on it as I clasp my hands together in prayer. It is the quietest, most withdrawn place in our house and I find great comfort in praying there. The "wilderness" in the second scripture evokes an emotional response from me. The wildernesses in my life are the desolate, hard times when I am struggling. It is at those times that it becomes most crucial for me to lean upon the Lord and to 'pour out my soul' to Him. Ironically, it is always in the midst of my trials that I feel closest to my Father in Heaven.

Alma 34:21
Yea, cry unto him against the power of your enemies.

To me, an enemy is anything, or anyone, that would draw me away from Heavenly Father. Besides actual people and Satan himself, my "enemies" come in many different forms, whether it be temptations of pride, contention, laziness, hardship, illness, or financial struggles.

1 Thessalonians 5:17
Pray without ceasing.

It is okay to pray wherever I am. I do not have to be kneeling beside my bed or in my closet in order to offer up a sincere, heartfelt prayer. I often pray in my car or give quick prayers of gratitude in many different places.

Alma 37:37
Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day.

I love this counsel and promise. I often think of this scripture when I have collapsed into my bed, completely exhausted at the end of a long day. It gives me the last little bit of strength to pull myself up onto my knees and pray. Each morning, I literally roll out of my bed and down onto my knees at my bedside. I thank Heavenly Father for the night's rest and plead with the Lord to help me accomplish all of the things that day that He would have me to do. Most importantly, I beg the Lord to help me be a good mother.

Prayer - Part 1

D&C 104:79
And it is my will that you shall humble yourselves before me, and obtain this blessing by your diligence and humility and the prayer of faith.

In order to obtain blessings from the Lord we must be 1)humble and 2) diligent and 3) pray in faith.

D&C 19:28
And again, I command thee that thou shalt pray vocally as well as in thy heart; yea, before the world as well as in secret, in public as well as in private.

We offer different prayers for different reasons. When I pray out loud in my closet, I often feel closer to my Father. If I were to only pray in public, it would show the lack of a personal relationship with Heavenly Father. I would most likely be doing it for the praise of the world, to look good in the eyes of others. If I were only to pray in private, it might show a fear of man, what others think of me, more than a fear of the Lord.

1 Thessalonians 5:18
In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

I find it so amazing that Heavenly Father commands us to express gratitude. I'm sure He feels joy when we recognize His hand in our lives, but I'm even more sure that this commandment is more for our benefit than for His. There is a refining, humbling power in gratitude. I also know that whenever I am recognizing, and grateful for, the tender mercies of the Lord in my life, I am happier than when I fail to see His hand in my life.

James 1:5
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

Do we really have the faith that Heavenly Father will give us wisdom when we ask Him for it? I know that the Father answers our prayers for He has answered my prayers so many times and in so many, many ways.

Alma 34:27
Yea, and when you do not cry unto the Lord, let your hearts be full, drawn out in prayer unto him continually for your welfare, and also for the welfare of those who are around you.

I used to feel that I wasn't being reverent or praying properly when I wasn't down on my knees in a quiet place. But I have found that I can connect to Heavenly Father in prayer when I am driving in my car, when I am in a noisy restaurant, when I am in the middle of a test at school. He is there, always waiting and ready to listen.

"Man Down"

I was just reading President Henry B. Eyring's talk from April's General Conference as I worked out on my elliptical. (Yes, I like to strengthen my spirit as I'm strengthening my body. =) ) His talk, "Man Down" was given in the Priesthood session of Conference so I hadn't heard it until now. Obviously, it is directed at the priesthood but its principles are applicable to everybody. It speaks of how we have the responsibility to help each other when a fellow brother (or sister) has or is suffering from spiritual wounds in this ongoing battle between good and evil. It is an excellent talk but the funny thing is that as I felt of the love that we must have for each other, I suddenly had a personal insight into the parable of the vineyard- which isn't even mentioned. As a young girl and even as an adult, I still had a hard time understanding why those that came into the vineyard at the eleventh hour would receive the same pay as those that had been laboring in the vineyard all day. Now I know why! The answer is love. The Lord loves all of us equally and what He cares about is that we end up working in the vineyard at all. He doesn't care how long we've been there- just that we finally humble ourselves sufficiently to submit to the Lord's will and voluntarily become servants of the Lord. I always knew that part, I guess- that we are all His children so He loves us all the same. However, as a person that is hopelessly bound to a quest for fairness, I couldn't understand how that would be "fair" to those that had labored all day. But as I felt of the love that I have for my family and friends, and even those that I don't know, I realized a few things. First, I wouldn't care at all, in fact, I would be overjoyed if someone I loved finally joined me in serving in the vineyard- no matter how long it took. I wouldn't be upset that my brother received the same reward in the end. I would just be so happy that he was there. I love him so much that I would want him to have everything the Lord has in store for him. Second of all, there is no happiness outside of the vineyard. So, in all truth, the situation really is "fair". Those that labor in the vineyard are experiencing joy all along as they serve the Lord. Those that choose to follow the ways of the world are not getting the better deal! I guess I am beginning to really shed the natural man. I remember once upon a time having the feeling that those that are converts have it great- they get to "play" around until in their adulthood they join the church. I had it all wrong! True joy and happiness is found in the service of the Lord. So, although everyone receives the same reward in the end- eternal life- those that have been serving in the vineyard all day will have been experiencing joy all along. On the other hand, those that did not come into the vineyard until the final hour, will have missed out on all of those joyful experiences in exchange for a small amount of "fun" laden with a large amount of heartache- the true "rewards" of the world. What a beautiful insight. I am so grateful to my Father in Heaven and the sweet whisperings of the Spirit that continue to teach and refine my imperfect soul.

1 Nephi 3:31

I read 1 Nephi 3 today and there are many jewels of doctrine in that chapter. Today, the thing that struck me most was the very end. I always thought it was crazy that Laman & Lemuel were afraid of a man that could "command fifty, yea, even he can slay fifty"- especially after they had just seen an angel of God. Fifty??? Heavenly Father certainly has the power to do far greater things than that! But I know that there has to be some application of that in my own life. Where do I fear man more than God. Where do I care more about what my friends or the world thinks than what God thinks? Perhaps in the way I dress, my nice house, my car, my "perfect" children, "perfect" marriage? Am I worried more about my image, what the world sees, than what is inside? Certainly there are times that I am. I know that sometimes I am seeking happiness in the world when I know that God has the power to grant me all the happiness I desire- sustaining, lasting happiness for eternity.

D&C 4:6 (Patience)

"Remember faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, godliness, charity, humility, diligence."

*Patience*

Webster:

• 1: the capacity, habit, or fact of being patient
• It is interesting to note that it is not only the capacity, but also the habit of being patient.
• Patient: 1: bearing pains or trials calmly or without complaint
• 2: manifesting forbearance under provocation or strain
• This is an area I definitely need work on. I have zero patience when I am under "provocation" and most definitely when I am under "strain".
• 3: not hasty or impetuous
• I am becoming more patient as the years go by. I have seen so many times how my hastiness has resulted in lost time, money, etc. It is better to be patient and do things right the first time, rather than have to fix things later.
• 4: steadfast despite opposition, difficulty, or adversity
• 5: able or willing to bear

Patience is a quality I pray for every single day. Every single morning I roll out of my bed and right onto my knees. I pray mightily that I will have patience that day with my children. Often, by the time I have the kids out of bed and I am trying to move them along in their morning routine, I have completely lost all of my patience. There will always be trials, provocation, frustration, and strain. I MUST learn to be patient despite all of these stumbling blocks. I must CHOOSE patience. It is absolutely amazing when I have had the presence of mind in the middle of a strenuous situation with my children to choose patience over frustration. Circumstances may be crazy around us, but we still need to be calm in the midst- just as Jesus was. The storms were raging, tossing the small boat to and fro. The apostles were frightened and yet Jesus slept. What a powerful example of not allowing the circumstances that swirl about us to dictate how we will respond.

D&C 4:6 (Temperance)

"Remember faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, godliness, charity, humility, diligence."

*Temperance*

The Topical Guide Scripture References:
(says "see also Self-mastery")

• glutton shall come to poverty
• tarry long at the wine
• full of extortion and excess
• man that striveth for the master is temperate in all things
• meekness, temperance; against such there is no law
• let your moderation be known unto all
• good men... just, holy, temperate
• to knowledge temperance, and to temperance patience
• being temperate in all things
• be diligent and temperate in all things
• be sober, be temperate
• cast away your excess of laughter

Webster

• 1: moderation in action, thought, or feeling : restraint
• 2 a: habitual moderation in the indulgence of the appetites or passions
• b: moderation in or abstinence from the use of alcoholic beverages

We can never become perfect until we have mastered ourselves. Part of mastering oneself is to learn to live moderately. Going to excess in anything, even good things, is wrong. I love how Webster defines it as a "habitual moderation in the indulgence of the appetites or passions". I need to make a habit of self-restraint in all areas of my life: anger, frustration, eating, exercising, sleeping, etc. By doing so, I will be able to better control my appetites and passions. It's like getting in shape. The more you exercise a muscle, the stronger it becomes and the easier it is to use it. The more you exercise restraint, the stronger your self-control becomes and the easier it is to abstain from indulgence.