Finding Joy & Happiness
“The Older we get, the more we look back and realize that external circumstances
don’t really matter or determine our happiness. We do matter. We determine our
Happiness. You and I are ultimately in charge of our own happiness…We shouldn’t
wait to be happy until we reach some future point, only to discover that happiness was
already available—all the time! Life is not meant to be appreciated only in retrospect!”
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the First Presidency, “Of Regrets and Resolutions,” Liahona
and Ensign, Nov. 2012, 23–24.
”If you have children who are grown and gone, in all likelihood you have occasionally
felt pangs of loss and the recognition that you didn’t appreciate that time of life as
much as you should have. Of course, there is no going back, but only forward. Rather
than dwelling on the past, we should make the most of today, of the here and now,
doing all we can to provide pleasant memories for the future…Let us relish life as we
live it, find joy in the journey, and share our love with friends and family. One day each
of us will run out of tomorrows…Brothers and sisters, my sincere prayer is that we
may adapt to the changes in our lives, that we may realize what is most important, that we may
express our gratitude always and thus find joy in the journey.” President Thomas S. Monson, President of the
Church, “Finding Joy in the Journey,” Ensign, November 2008.
“The happiest people I know are not those who find their golden ticket; they are those
who, while in pursuit of worthy goals, discover and treasure the beauty and sweetness
of the everyday moments. They are the ones who, thread by daily thread, weave a
tapestry of gratitude and wonder throughout their lives. These are they who are truly
happy… My dear Relief Society sisters, you are closer to heaven than you suppose.
You are destined for more than you can possibly imagine. Continue to increase in
faith and personal righteousness. Accept the restored gospel of Jesus Christ as your
way of life. Cherish the gift of activity in this great and true Church. Treasure the gift of service in the
blessed organization of Relief Society. Continue to strengthen homes and families. Continue to seek
out and help others who need your and the Lord’s help.” President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the
First Presidency, “Forget Me not,” Ensign, November 2011.
“New communication technologies allow sharing messages of faith and hope across
the miles that separate us, instantaneously and at little or no cost. My wife helps me
do this. We begin by talking by telephone with grandchildren or children we can reach.
We ask them to share stories of their personal successes and their service rendered.
We also invite them to send photos of those activities. We use those photos to
illustrate a few paragraphs of text. We add one or two verses from the Book of Mormon. Perhaps Nephi
and Mormon wouldn’t be very impressed by the spiritual quality of our content or the limited effort
required to create what we call “The Family Journal: The Small Plates.” But Sister Eyring and I are
blessed by the effort. We feel inspired in selecting the passages of scripture and the brief messages of
testimony we write. And we see evidence in their lives of their hearts being turned toward us and to the
Savior and upward."
"God knows our gifts. My challenge to you and to me is to pray to know the gifts we have been given,
to know how to develop them, and to recognize the opportunities to serve others that God provides us.
But most of all, I pray that you will be inspired to help others discover their special gifts from God to
serve." President Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor in the First Presidency, “Help them Aim High,” Ensign, November 2012.
Service & Charity
“I have spoken here of heavenly help, of angels dispatched to bless us in time of
need. But when we speak of those who are instruments in the hand of God, we are
reminded that not all angels are from the other side of the veil. Some of them we walk
with and talk with—here, now, every day. Some of them reside in our own
neighborhoods” Elder Jeffery R. Holland, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “Ministry of Angels,” Ensign,
November 2008.
“It is only when we love God and Christ with all of our hearts, souls, and minds that
we are able to share this love with our neighbors through acts of kindness and
service…Through our heartfelt kindness and service, we can make friends with those
whom we serve. From these friendships come better understanding of our devotion
to the gospel and a desire to learn more about us.” Elder M. Russell Ballard, Quorum of the
Twelve Apostles, “Finding Joy through Loving Service,” Ensign, May 2011, 46-49.
“The needs of others are ever present, and each of us can do something to help
someone…Unless we lose ourselves in service to others, there is little purpose to our
own lives.” President Thomas S. Monson, President of the Church, Liahona & Ensign, November 2009,
85.