The Plan of Happiness

 

This is the story of Mr. and Mrs. Nielson: click here

Death and physical trauma remind us about the fragile, unpredictable state of mortality and conversely, the lovely promise of a certain eternity in which, if we live worthily, can be spent with an omniscient and inherently loving Father in Heaven. A brush with mortality and a seemingly tragic nature of death gently, or not so gently, reminds me of the principle of the gospel that is ever changing yet constant in my life, the atonement of Jesus Christ. Elder Scott addressed what he thought was the most important thing college students learn and that is a greater understanding of the applicability of the atonement in their lives in an individual and personal way. I love Alma 7 and how it describes this sacred pillar of the gospel of Jesus Christ. How wonderful and truly marvelous it is that tragedy, unless wrought by the unrighteous use of one's personal agency and individual consequence does not truly exist because of the atonement. Death, sorrow, disappointment etc. etc. etc. is all rectified by faith in this sacred and beautiful sacrifice. There is ultimately no tragedy unless it is chosen. How grateful i am that this atonement is in effect EVERYDAY of my life and that it can be used for the minute details of my life as well as the more grandiose aspects; its power applies equally and fully. It brings immeasurable comfort to me that through personal faith and Heavenly Father's Plan of Happiness, which includes as its center, the atonement of Jesus Christ, all things will be restored to us. Personal progression is reliant on this same power and pure joy is dependent on the exercise of it. Someday, all things will be restored and the joy that will then be accessible is hard for me to imagine. It's lovely to remember, however, that a significant portion of that joy is already available to us here in mortality. i always wondered how it was possible that this life was meant as a trial and challenge for us but, at the same time, we read in the Book of Moron in 2nd Nephi 2:25 that "men are that they might have joy". Seems contradictory doesn't it? it did to me until i realized that those two principles could not only coexist in a beautiful and progressive way due to the reconciling power of the atonement of Jesus Christ but that they are reliant on one another in this mortal trek. 

Frolicking, Banana Cookie Dough and Debriefing

                               
I hope you have a friend like this. All day long I get caught up in my thoughts, thousands of times a day i find myself pondering important things (today: the connection between our bodies and are spirits) and not-so-important things (yesterday: pudding voice (next time you take a big old mouthful, try talking and you'll see what i mean)). At the end of the day all those important and not-so-important things are jumbled up in my brain, accompanied by to do lists and thoughts of basic self preservation and survival (you know, sleep?), they just kinda bounce around and unless i get them out or solidify them in some manner, they're lost. What's the purpose of thoughts if they're wasted? We would never progress and personal creativity would be tossed out the window. So what do i do with said thoughts? i debrief them, cover them in banana cookie dough and frolic around outside with them and sometimes i even add a game of four square. There's something about that ritual that makes it possible for me to make sense of my days. You know what it is? it's my friend Katie. I throw my thoughts out to her like verbal vomit (excuse the mental image i just chucked at you) with maybe a small disclaimer "just hear me out, as soon as i spill, i'll fix it" and then there it comes, pouring out like a deluge of rain all over the place. Sometimes this process takes some clean up work, some revamping of thoughts or complete retraction but most often it provides a chance for me to solidify my thoughts to make them into something real, tangible and worthwhile instead of fleeting and vague. You know what else? My joys are multiplied and my sorrows divided. So, i hope you have a friend like Katie so that at the end of your day you can toss those thoughts around and make something of them.