CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE READERS ON ‘CONTEMPLATING THE FASCINATING MATHEMATICS OF THE PLAN OF HAPPINESS’

Fanny Esperanza Vega Stewart

When we apply ourselves to the study of scriptures, we accelerate our knowledge of God.

Kathleen W. Riley

Washing away at least one hate each day cleanses the soul and makes room for greater love.

Elisa Chadburn

If we truly sacrifice as exemplified by Abraham and taught by the prophet Joseph Smith it really does bring forth innumerable blessings from Heaven.

Joyce Woolf

Decreasing selfishness increases friendship, good will and love received.

Mary Moorhead (read it somewhere)

Happiness adds and multiplies as we divide it with others.

Kristine Tate

Negative is less than zero. Negative thoughts and words are not only of no value, but they detract from goodness and add nothing. They increase negativity.

Yan Carlos Vega Lopez

When we see our capacity to achieve just desired objectives diminished, we should give greater place to faith and dependence on the Lord, who will multiply our faculty and ability to accomplish those tasks. He will augment our virtues, give potency to our talents, and convert our debilities into strengths. Without doubt He will calculate that which we are capable of doing and help us do it, if we demonstrate our dependence on Him is infinite.

Douglas F. Higham Sr.

“We give, not because we have. We have because we give..."

"It is impossible in life to truly sacrifice--when we sacrifice, we invariably gain more than we give." (cf. Mos. 2:24)

“Sacrifice' is giving up something good for something better."

"He that loseth his life for my sake shall find it..." (Matt. 10:39)

"Paying tithes opens the windows of heaven from which blessings too numerous to count are poured." (Mal. 3:10)

"Fully submitting ourselves (our agency) to God's will does not reduce our own agency in the least." Elder Neal A. Maxwell

Leonard Eastwood

As the years of this life’s journey increases so also the increase of love for family and friends.

Tawny Wood

Happiness is a state of the heart.

Cheri Scott

Window shopping increases needs.

"Giving" money, rather than "loaning" it, decreases blood pressure and stress.

Friendship is not an equation. It requires more giving than receiving for BOTH parties involved.

Needs should be less than, or (only occasionally) equal to your paycheck.

Steve Nord

True discipleship requires giving all that we have. In return, Heavenly Father promises to us all that he hath. The exchange is finite for infinite.

Carlos Fernandez Reinberg

Living in a time when we have living prophets, Temples and the restoration of the fullness of the gospel, all of this is because of the Atonement of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Nathalia Martinez Cubillo

Increasing our prayers each night increases our ability to have hope and answers from our loving Father.

Luis Enrique Perez

If we look at the strong waves of the sea with the same fearful eyes which the Apostle Peter look with, we will not only drown ourselves, but also those who are waiting to hear a voice of hope and peace from us.

Blain Andrus

Here is my contribution to the mathematics of the Gospel:

R=1∙lim ƒ(w)

w→o

The true spirit of free agency would seem to be met only by allowing Adam and Eve to have carefully weighted the alternatives and then, as representatives of all the pre-mortal spirits who chose to follow God’s plan, to have made an informed decision.

The above mathematics relates to “justification”—that the quantitative level of their wrong doing was low 9or non-existent). Thus starting with the formula R=r∙ ƒ(w) in which “R” is the quantity of deserved punishment “r” ranges from 0 to 1 9zero responsibility to full responsibility for wrong doing; “W” varies from trivial to catastrophic wrong doing; and “ƒ ( )” is a function that converts the amount of wrong doing into its just punishment, the effect of justification on Adam and Eve’s transgression for mankind can be seen in the outcome that even assuming “r” is “1,” “W” approaches zero.

If, however, one interprets the Scriptures to mean that Adam and Eve were simply tricked by Satan (see, e.g., Moses 5:10-11) then it would appear that the mathematic is:

R=0∙lim ƒ(w)

w→ ∞

In other words, the doctrine is one of excuse versus justification.