Elder M. Russell Ballard, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, said in April 2019 general conference: “In thinking about my last 43 years of service as a General Authority and the privilege I have had to minister to Heavenly Father’s children, I have come to realize more fully that He wants all of His children to find peace, joy, and happiness in their lives.
The prophet Lehi taught, “Men [and women] are, that they might have joy.”1 There are many reasons why peace, joy, and happiness may elude us in this life, including poverty, war, natural disasters, and unexpected setbacks in employment, health, and family relationships.
But even though we cannot control those external forces that impact our lives here on earth, as we strive to become faithful disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, we can find peace, joy, and happiness despite the worldly troubles that swirl around us.
One of my children once said, “Dad, I wonder if I will ever be able to make it.” I responded, “All Heavenly Father asks of us is to do the very best we can each day.” Brothers and sisters, do the best you can do day after day, and before you know it, you will come to realize that your Heavenly Father knows you and that He loves you. And when you know that—really know it—your life will have real purpose and meaning and you will be filled with joy and peace.
. . . .The scriptures teach us that Satan desires to lead people into darkness. His every effort is to shut out the light and truth of Jesus Christ and His gospel. As Lehi taught his children, the devil “seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.”4 If Heavenly Father’s “work and … glory” is “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of [men and women],”5 Lucifer’s “work” is to bring to pass the misery and endless woe of God’s children. Sin and transgression dim the Light of Christ in our lives. That is why our quest is to bask in the Light of Christ, which brings peace, joy, and happiness.
In the last 18 months, the Lord has inspired His prophet and the Apostles to implement a number of wonderful adjustments. However, I worry that the spiritual purposes of these adjustments might become lost in the excitement about the changes themselves.
Joseph F. Smith said: “The true, pure, simple gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored. We are responsible for maintaining it upon the earth.”6 below He added that the true, pure, and simple gospel is the “saving doctrines of Christ.”7 below
In the Articles of Faith, the Prophet Joseph Smith taught that “through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.”8
The first principles of the gospel are faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. His brother Hyrum taught: “Preach them over [and over] again: you will find that day after day new ideas and additional light concerning them will be revealed to you. You can enlarge upon them … to comprehend them clearly. You will then be able to make them more plainly understood by those [you] teach.”9
The best ways for us to see the spiritual purposes of the Church are to live the true, pure, and simple teachings of Christ and also to apply the Savior’s two great commandments: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart. … Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”10
Obedience to those two commandments provides a way to experience more peace and joy. When we love and serve the Lord and love and serve our neighbors, we will naturally feel more happiness that comes to us in no better way.
Loving God and loving our neighbors is the doctrinal foundation of ministering; home-centered, Church-supported learning; Sabbath-day spiritual worship; and the work of salvation on both sides of the veil supported in the Relief Societies and the elders quorums. All of these things are based on the divine commandments to love God and to love our neighbors. Can there be anything more basic, more fundamental, and more simple than that?
Living the true, pure, and simple gospel plan will allow us more time to visit the widows, widowers, orphans, lonely, sick, and poor. We will find peace, joy, and happiness in our life when serving the Lord and our neighbors.
The Sabbath-day adjustments that emphasize home-centered, Church-supported gospel learning and studying are an opportunity to renew our spirit and our devotion to God within the walls of our homes. What could possibly be more simple, basic, and profound? Brothers and sisters, can you see that learning and teaching the gospel in our families is an important way to find joy and happiness in our lives?
Speaking of the Sabbath, the Savior said, “For verily this is a day appointed unto you to rest from your labors, and to pay thy devotions unto the Most High.”11 He added, “That thy joy may be full … [through] rejoicing and prayer … ye [should] do these things with thanksgiving, with cheerful hearts and countenances … [and] with a glad heart and a cheerful countenance.”12
Please note some of the key words in this revelation: joy, rejoicing, thanksgiving, cheerful hearts, glad heart, and a cheerful countenance. It sounds to me like Sabbath-day observance should bring smiles to our faces.
As we minister in a higher and holier way, please consider how essential it is that we greet everyone who comes to our Church meetings, especially new members and visitors. We should all enjoy singing the hymns and listening carefully to the words of the sacrament prayers with an open heart and mind. ~ For Elder Ballard’s complete talk, click ‘The True, Pure, and Simple Gospel of Jesus Christ’ or see May 2019 Ensign, p. 28.
References
6. Joseph F. Smith, “Principle, Not Popularity,” Improvement Era, July 1906, 732.
7. Joseph F. Smith, “Principle, Not Popularity,” 732.
