Be Prayerful

Prayer is a privilege that has been granted to us by a loving Heavenly Father who gives us the opportunity to stay in contact with Him for our benefit.  He knows our thoughts and our needs, our suffering and our joy.  He does not need to hear from us to keep track of what is happening in our lives.  We, on the other hand, are separated from Him and do not know His thoughts and desires.  We do not know His will for us, nor do we have the knowledge of who He really is unless we pray in faith.  It is only through this heavenly channel of communication that we gain access to the secrets that He would share, the comfort that He extends and the power that He offers to those who love and reverence Him.

A powerful prayer comes from the heart and has a purpose.  It is stated in simple terms that express our feelings and desires.  It is a communication with our Father, not an attempt to connect with a stranger.  If we struggle to stay connected because our mind is wandering or we are so tired that we are drifting off to sleep, then our prayer is not going to bring us into the Lord’s presence.   If our prayers have become routine and hollow, if they do not take much thought on our part or can’t even hold our attention, they are certainly not powerful enough to call on the powers of heaven. 

When we pray, we must be focused on what we are saying.  We cannot pray with little thought and expect to be rewarded with blessings.  For our prayer to be efficacious, we must pray with faith.  We must expect to be heard and understood.  We have to believe what the scriptures tell us. 

“Ask, and it shall be given unto you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.  For every one that asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened.”  3 Nephi 14:7-8

Not all prayers are the same.  There are times when we pray with a light and happy heart to thank the Lord for all the blessings we have received.  We pray with reverence and awe when we pray to acknowledge His greatness.  We pray with gratitude when a prayer has been answered.  We may pray with urgency when we face a problem that overwhelms us, and that urgency may increase at times when we are especially weighed down by pain and suffering.  When we have sinned and have need for forgiveness or when we are struggling to find immediate relief, we pray with our entire heart and soul.  When we feel a real need for divine intervention, we will pray as Enos did. 

“And my soul hungered; and I kneeled down before my Maker, and I cried unto him in mighty prayer and supplication for mine own soul; and all the day long did I cry unto him; yea, and when the night came I did still raise my voice high that it reached the heavens.”  Enos 1: 4

If we are to dispel the darkness that invades our thoughts and feelings, we must bring the Holy Ghost into our lives with all the intensity and frequency we can muster.  Our prayers are not all going to have the same effect on us, but we should expect in every heartfelt prayer to be able to sense the presence of the Holy Ghost. 

“Pray always, and I will pour out my Spirit upon you, and great shall be your blessing--yea, even more than if you should obtain treasures of earth and corruptibleness to the extent thereof.”  D&C 19:38

Sometimes it seems we cannot pray; the words just won’t come.  The Savior knows our thoughts.  He can tell what prayer we have in our hearts.  In those times, we reach out with an unspoken prayer and spirit speaks to Spirit.

“Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”  Romans 8:26

The Lord gives us what we need when He deems the time to be right.  He blesses us with moments of great peace and tranquility as we offer prayers of gratitude, repentance and love.  He answers our pleas for relief and gives us access to the Comforter.  Our mighty prayers will provide frequent interaction with the Holy Ghost, and we will be Happy Like Jesus.

Be Serviceable

“I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.”  (Jeremiah 17:10)

I have long felt that being serviceable was one area I need a lot of work in.  I have devoted a lot of time trying to improve myself and trying to increase my knowledge, but I have felt that I do not spend enough time helping others.  I have struggled in part because of a strange and compulsive desire to be alone.  Those who know me best know that my favorite place to be is home, but only those who have lived with me know that even in my home I often seek isolation.  For many, solitary confinement sounds horrifying, but for me, I just think that if I could have something to read, something to write on or music to listen to, that would be fabulous.  And in the short term, I could do it without anything.  I love Simon and Garfunkel’s song, “I Am a Rock.” 

“I am a rock.  I am an island.  I have my books and my poetry to protect me; I am shielded in my armor, hiding in my room, safe within my womb.  I touch no one and no one touches me.  I am a rock, I am an island.  And a rock feels no pain; and an island never cries.”

Maybe some of that comes from all the time I spent in depression, but even though depression has taken a back seat in my life, I still cling to that desire to be alone.  However, life was not meant to be lived in isolation.  Everything we do or don’t do has an effect, not only on us but on others as well.  Our influence may be small or great.  It may be for good or bad, but it does exist. 

When God asked Solomon, “What shall I give thee,” Solomon’s reply demonstrated a true desire to be of service to the people he had been called to reign and rule over as their king. 

“O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in.  Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?”  (1 Kings 3:7, 9)

The Lord was pleased with Solomon’s desire and gave him what he required to serve his people.  He also gave him the things that He was pleased Solomon had not requested: riches, honor and long life.  These were his reward for seeking first to serve the Lord by serving His people, Israel.

“…when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.” (Mosiah 2:17)

Service can be given with physical efforts, such as cooking and cleaning, mowing and trimming, visiting and transporting.  It can also be given through spiritual means, such as teaching and inspiring. 

Just as we all experience other aspects of the gospel on a personal level and in our own time, we can fulfill the requirement to serve the Lord in different ways and at different times.  Sometimes our service is to our family, sometimes to friends, sometimes to acquaintances and sometimes to people we have never met before.  That service often involves time and physical labor.  It may involve the sacrifice of money.  It may require the sacrifice of personal space and comfort.  Service is sometimes given in response to a request and sometimes as an anonymous response to a need that has been made known in one way or another.  It may require everything we have to offer, or it may require nothing more than a few minutes and a listening ear. 

We all have or will receive service at some time in our lives.  Most of us are receiving some type of service from someone in one way or another on a regular basis.  If we are to find true happiness in this life, if we are to be Happy like Jesus, we must all give service, for truly no man is an island. 

Be Knowledgeable

“And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come.” (Doctrine & Covenants  130:19)

I understand that for many this may be a difficult step to take.  Becoming knowledgeable can seem like a daunting task, especially for someone who equates gaining knowledge with what we had to do in school, all that reading and studying.  For some this step is made a little easier because of a love for reading, which is what makes it so enjoyable for me. 

I do enjoy reading.  I love learning something new, and I really like sharing what I learn with others.  I first realized this when I was in college.  I was reading a book that I found to be so fascinating that I couldn’t keep it to myself.  Every day I would tell my roommate about what I had read.  I didn’t realize how much I was sharing until one day she said, “I’ll never have to read another book for the rest of my life.”  I’m not sure if she wanted me to stop or if she had made a happy discovery.  I don’t remember if I kept telling her about my reading experience or not, but knowing me, I probably did.  And that love of sharing what I learn is why I’m writing this blog.  

A couple of decades later, I stumbled across a new reason to study.  The more I learn, especially about the gospel, the happier I am, the more hope I have for the future and the more faith I have that everything that happens is for my good.  The most amazing thing happens when we dedicate a portion of each day to studying the gospel.  Our connection to the Holy Ghost becomes stronger.  The light that the Spirit shines in our minds grows brighter.  It is not only easier to grasp the meaning of what we’re reading, but we have a greater desire to read more, to understand more and to apply it in our lives.  The overall effect is an increase in spirituality. 

Strangely enough, I learned this while studying the gospel connection to depression.  I learned about depression, but more importantly I learned that the companionship of the Holy Ghost, which can be enhanced through gospel study, is an important and very large component of staving off depression, at least in my case.  So the knowledge I gained in this case was two-fold: what I was actually reading about and pondering, as well as the very real effect studying the gospel had on my emotional and spiritual well-being.  

Not all learning comes through reading.  We can also learn from listening to others or from experience, but in all learning we must never forget that gaining knowledge is to learn what is true.  Something that is not true is not knowledge.  How do we know if something is true?

“Behold, he hath heard my cry by day, and he hath given me knowledge by visions in the night-time." (2 Nephi 4:23)  

All knowledge ultimately comes through personal revelation.  We may acquire information in many ways, but the knowledge, knowing that what we have learned is true, always comes from the Holy Ghost.  “And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.” (Moroni 10:5)

The more we learn about the gospel, the more we will want to learn.  As we take in knowledge, our testimonies strengthen, branch out and touch upon new and perhaps unexplored areas of God’s plan for us.  We begin to see how everything fits together perfectly.  There may be some mysteries that escape our understanding, but we have the promise that at some time, in God’s time, even those things will be made plain to us.

“If thou shalt ask, thou shalt receive revelation upon revelation, knowledge upon knowledge, that thou mayest know the mysteries and peaceable things--that which bringeth joy, that which bringeth life eternal.” (Doctrine & Covenants 42:61)

Knowing that Jesus is the Christ and that He died for us that we might be forgiven and live again is the most important piece of knowledge anyone can gain.  Learning more of the gospel helps us to better understand what it means to be forgiven, how to seek that forgiveness, and how to prepare for the life that awaits us after this one ends.  Studying the word of God daily gives us an advantage in this life.  It is a way to lay claim to the companionship of the Holy Ghost.  It gives us the power to withstand temptation, the courage to face hardships, and the strength to overcome challenges.   

My suggestion for this step:  Pick a subject and devote time every day to reading and pondering what the Lord has to say about it.  Pray about it.  Write about it in your journal.  Look for every connection to the subject that you can think of in the Topical Guide.  Read what the prophets have written on the subject.  (Gospelink.com is a great resource.  At a minimal cost, you have thousands of books available to you.)  I have done this with several different topics and have found it a very productive way to study and an amazing way to internalize some of the teachings of the Savior.  

This is one step I already put into practice, but I have to make sure I don’t get lazy and stop.  As we learn from the allegory of the tree of life, we must cling to the word of God if we are to find our way to Him so that we can truly partake of His love and receive the greatest gift of all.  If we are clinging to His word, our knowledge will be increasing day by day, and we will be Happy Like Jesus.

Be Humble

“Be thou humble; and the Lord thy God shall lead thee by the hand, and give thee answer to thy prayers.” (Doctrine & Covenants 112:10)

When I worked at the American Red Cross, I joined a lunch group that got together once or twice a month to practice public speaking.   In my one and only speech before the group, I started out by saying, “Most of my life I have wanted to be perfect.  I have come very close, but I still lack humility.”  I got the laugh I was going for, but ironically, I stopped attending the luncheon shortly thereafter because I liked my speaking style and didn’t want to change.  (See, that’s ironic because to be humble means to be teachable, and I was not being teachable.)

Being humble is one of those attributes that can seem quite elusive as you try to make improvements.  How do you improve without recognizing progress?  Can you acknowledge progress while being humble?  If you say you are humble, then have you just lost some of your humility? 

Having a thorn, as Paul puts it, that we just can’t get rid of, helps to keep us humble.  I may be able to change some things about myself, but if it were really in my power, I would not still be working on the same problems that have plagued me since my youth. 

Seeing the miraculous conversion that takes place over time also helps with the humility.  I recognize that some of the things that have changed in me could not have been accomplished through anything I did.  I actually stand in awe when I think of the effect the Lord has had on me. 

Another part of being humble comes from just realizing how inexplicable God’s power and knowledge are.  How is it God knows everything before it happens?  How does He know thousands of years in advance exactly what will come to pass?  How could He tell the prophets of the Old Testament about the Savior to come, how He would die and even what He would say on the cross?  It’s beyond my comprehension. 

When David went before Goliath, a young boy with a slingshot and stones facing a giant of a man with armor and heavy weapons, David said he knew he would prevail because he knew the God of Israel would show that He was God.  He didn’t go out to face this champion of the Philistines with pride that he was stronger and more courageous than all the Israelite men who had failed to take Goliath’s challenge.  He went before the enemy of the Lord’s people with faith that came from being humble and acknowledging that not only was he small and weak before God but so was his enemy.   Being humble gave him courage.  He knew the outcome did not depend on him. 

If we were able to overcome every obstacle in life and resist every temptation and acquire every virtue and always act with perfect faith – well, we can’t, so why go on?  None of us is perfect.  Imagine we are almost perfect and only fail once to do the right thing.  That one act makes us unclean.  It separates us from God.  Just one little transgression and we are helpless to recover what we have lost - exaltation. 

There is only one way to recover it.  We must accept the atonement of Jesus Christ.  He alone can save us.  Only He can undo the damage we have done.  Through an act of love and sacrifice that is as incomprehensible as God knowing everything before it happens, the Lord is able to do what no one else can do.  Without that act, without Him, we are lost; we are the most pitiful of creatures.  When we understand that fact, it is not difficult to be humble. 

Nothing we can ever do will make as much difference as what has been done for us by the Savior.  Nothing even comes close.  The totality of our thoughts, words and deeds do not even move the scale if the atonement is weighted on the other side.  When we realize this, all we have left to do is acknowledge, “My God, how great thou art.”

“Now was not this exceeding joy? Behold, this is joy which none receiveth save it be the truly penitent and humble seeker of happiness.” (Alma  27:18)

Being humble will not only allow us to receive guidance and blessings that make this life easier, but as we live by faith, it will also give us the courage to do what we must do to be happy like Jesus.

Be Spiritually-Minded

“The light of the body is the eye; if therefore thine eye be single to the glory of God, thy whole body shall be full of light.” (JST Matthew 6:22) 

To be truly spiritually-minded is to have an eye single to the glory of God.  It is possible but requires more than a perfunctory performance of our spiritual duties of praying, reading the scriptures, and attending church meetings.  We can do all of these things and still be just skimming the surface of righteous living. 

The first step to being spiritually-minded is controlling our input.  If we take in garbage, our mind will focus on garbage.  If we take in spiritual food, we will focus on the spiritual.  Our input is everything that enters our minds, whether it be something we read, see, or hear.  Controlling our thoughts is easier than it seems.  Once we consciously start focusing on the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ by letting that be what we read, what we listen to and how we entertain ourselves, our thoughts will naturally turn in that direction. 

I’m not suggesting that we can’t do anything but sit around and read the Bible all day while listening to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.  Our TV does not always have to be tuned to the BYU channel or the Trinity Broadcasting Network.  We just have to be sure to tune in often enough to the messages that help us feel the Holy Ghost so that, even when we are doing something else, the Spirit continues to guide our thoughts and feelings.  At some point, our spiritual-mindedness will change what we want to listen to or watch, and we may naturally begin to leave out some of what used to be a regular part of our life because it no longer is enjoyable. 

To be spiritually-minded means that the flesh is ruled by the spirit.  All worldly attractions are filtered through the spiritual protection that we receive from the Holy Ghost.  We determine the worth of all that we do by measuring it on the scale of righteousness, or one might say holiness since that was the first part of our Be Happy Like Jesus experience.     

“And now Abinadi said unto them: I would that ye should understand that God himself shall come down among the children of men, and shall redeem his people. And because he dwelleth in flesh he shall be called the Son of God, and having subjected the flesh to the will of the Father, being the Father and the Son -- The Father, because he was conceived by the power of God; and the Son, because of the flesh; thus becoming the Father and Son -- And they are one God, yea, the very Eternal Father of heaven and of earth. And thus the flesh becoming subject to the Spirit, or the Son to the Father, being one God, suffereth temptation, and yieldeth not to the temptation, but suffereth himself to be mocked, and scourged, and cast out, and disowned by his people.” (Mosiah 15:1-5)

These verses say that Jesus is the Father and the Son and that the Son, or the flesh, became subject to the Father, or the spirit.  It also reminds us that there is a Father in Heaven and that in becoming subject to the Spirit, Jesus was subject to the Father.  What we can learn from this is that flesh becoming subject to the spirit means the child becoming subject to the Father.  It is not my spirit, my mind, my will controlling my physical desires and passions.  My will or my spirit must be turned over to the Father.  His will must take over.  Then my flesh, my worldly choices will be subject to His will.  Alone, we can never have the true realization of spirit completely dominating the flesh.  We will fail every time – eventually.  It is like trying to earn salvation and exaltation on our own.  There is only so far that we can go.  Jesus has to take us the rest of the way through the atonement.

Jesus warned against trying to hide who we are inside by appearing to others to be righteous.  Righteousness needs to be the inner force that drives what we do and therefore defines who we are.  If we feel the need to disguise our inner selves, we have need to repent.  Righteous living serves no purpose if it is done only for appearance sake.  To receive a glorious reward, righteous living must be the product of righteous thinking and must proceed honestly from the heart.  In the end, all that matters is the true inner self, “for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)  We will be judged on who we really are, not who we present to the world or how others perceive us to be. 

We must put everything in proper order and realize that everything is spiritual.  It is possible to be one with the Savior if our spirit commands our body, if we have become spiritually-minded.   We must not only accept Him as our Savior intellectually, but we must allow Him to enter our minds and hearts and change the way we think and feel.  By internalizing Him, He becomes part of who we are, and we become part of Him.  He actually changes who we are.  He changes our hearts or desires.  When we truly internalize everything He is, we can no longer live a sinful, carnal life.  Our mind will be single to the glory of God.