THE LORD'S PLAN OF HAPPINESS

TPeriodically during our lives we witness or read about a unique person in the multitude of humanity who, with undeviating dedication, has changed the lives of the masses.

Siddhartha Gautama, born into wealth and circumstance, upon discovering the existence of poverty, with singleness of desire for the true meanings of life, spent fourteen years of starvation and devastation before he started to teach the path that today 250-500 million people follow as they revere him with the name of Buddha.

Orphaned early in life and reared by a grandfather, having a propensity towards deep thought and insights, Mohammed eventually founded a religion which today has 1,570,000,000 adherents. Although Islam recognizes Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus as prophets of God, it reveres Mohammed as the greatest prophet who ever lived. Mohammed felt it was his commission to mold a perverse and materialistic society into a manifold, human community. His instrument for accomplishing this was the absolute and final revelation which is recorded in the Koran.

Although the enlarged population of Judaism today claims only a scant two tenths of a percent of the world’s population, due largely to the many attempts to exterminate it’s followers, a large portion of the major religions of the world are founded on the writings of a babe who was snatched from the bulrushes, raised as a prince of Egypt and became Moses the law giver. The laws and teachings written by Moses have become the reasoning behind how cultures can coexist and humanity can keep from destroying itself.

Pondering upon such men’s lives often leads to the question of ‘why him?’ Is the answer always to be found in the adherent’s common belief on selection by divine destiny? Have all of them come to their quest on earth because of a foreordination of Divinity? If all are claimed to come from a common source then why do we remain divided? When the majority of their writings and teachings are held in common why do we strain to find differences?

Universally, these founding fathers have refused to accept the inequalities and abuses in society simply because of established traditions or the existing structures of power. Being labeled fanatical, peculiar and rebellious they undauntedly marched forward seeking the just answer, and once having found it, dedicated their lives in an effort to righting whatever wrong existed in their world.

Somehow, Joseph Smith Jr. (while accompanying his family in their push westward in the United States of America, which had only existed as a nation for less than thirty years when he was born) while yet in his teens queried about how the many religions which all claimed to have Jesus Christ as their Savoir could be in a constant struggle to prove themselves right. His pondering was intensified when he realized that all of their differing claims were founded upon passages of the Bible. It didn't seem like one faith to him. His revelatory path acquainted him with heavenly messengers, a book from the dust and the understanding of Heavenly Father’s plan of happiness. Those who proclaim him a prophet, and in varying degrees strive to adhere to the principles of the doctrines and teaching of this plan, less than two centuries later now number 15,000,000.

Pondering the world in which I live more than two millennia after the mortal birth of the Son of God, I have often thought about a worthy cause which should be my quest. Most often my thoughts linger upon a certain perpetuated myth, and a truth which seems so well hidden that few there be who find it.

Joshua bar Joseph was born into humble poverty and spent a scant thirty three years in a small nation under the control of a foreign dictate, suffering and dying through crucifixion with criminals, but his teachings and his divinity are recognized today by one third of the world’s population as the path which should be walked in life and the way to salvation. He was called Jesus the Christ, Savior and King. He spent three years outlining the life the children of God should live. Almost without fail, no sooner had His words left His mouth than the mongers of doubt and hate began to spread abroad the myth that His way was hard and any who undertake the burden of such a life will be heavy laden. There is an accompanying myth about how impossible it is for any of us to actually live such a life.

If I had a dream which I would like to be fulfilled, a mountain which I would desire to scale, a quest I would want to conquer and with the all the fortitude of my will blow a trump which would could be heard in every corner of the world, it would be to somehow expose these myths and espouse the truth that living the gospel brings joy and happiness to one’s life.

In my small way I proclaim charitable caring, overcoming adversity, disciplining of desires and self-mastery all lead to soul fulfilling joy.

Those souls who have firmly planted their feet upon His path, find that it is not rocky nor is the field thorny; but every new turn in their journey brings vision to overcome challenges and result in a growth of happiness.

Each adverse reality, when adventurously faced, brings new understanding of the glorious Plan of Happiness.

If I could have the wish of my heart it would be that the ancient myths or the mongers would be buried and truth spring forth.

In one way or another Gautama, Mohammed, Moses, Lehi, Joseph Smith Jr. and all who have received revelation from God have come to know and have taught that man’s purpose is to have Joy, and true joy will only come to them who firmly plant their feet upon the Savior’s clearly marked path and make His eternal principles their daily light.

Likewise, if division is to die, if strife is to stop, if hate is be hampered, I believe it will only come about because we have all decided to live after the Lord’s Plan of Happiness.