True Joy and Happiness

How do we know what brings us true joy and happiness?

Today's Friday, it's almost the weekend....we all love weekends because we get to do fun things, and that makes us happy, right? Perhaps we have a fun toy or possession that we get to go out and play with. Those are the things we enjoy, right?

But how do we feel afterwards?

Do you ever get that sort of empty feeling after doing something really "fun"? When I was younger, I was blessed with a lot of really fun possessions and I used to love adventures and doing fun things: riding motorcycles, surfing, hiking, boating, jet skiing, snow skiing, vacations, movies, parties....you name it, I loved to do it!

As fun and exciting as that all was, I never really felt truly fulfilled. Although I enjoyed all those things, they never really brought true and sustaining joy.

Alternatively, every time I did service, I felt good afterwards. It was never very easy to do, and often my attitude towards such opportunties was in stark contrast to my attitude towards "fun" activities. However, no matter what the circumstances, every time I finished a good deed, or a service project, or something spiritually challenging, I always felt good afterwards. It's that feeling that brings me true joy and happiness. I'm not saying that it's easy to skip out on a Dodger game in order to help the Elder's Quorum move someone in, I'm simply saying that it's worth it, and that it will bring us far more joy and lasting happiness than anything else.

I thought of this principle when I read this morning in I Nephi 17:21, where Laman and Lemuel complained about leaving Jerusalem. They said, "Behold, these many years we have suffered in the wilderness, which time we might have enjoyed our possessions and the land of our inheritance; yea, and we might have been happy."

They were confused at what brings us true joy and happiness, much like I was as a youth.

Further into the Book of Mormon, we learn from Ammon where true happiness lies. Mormon wrote of Ammon's joy at the conclusion of his mission in Alma 27:16-18, "And it came to pass that as Ammon was going forth into the land, that he and his brethren met Alma, over in the place of which has been spoken; and behold, this was a joyful meeting. Now the joy of Ammon was so great even that he was full; yea, he was swallowed up in the joy of his God, even to the exhausting of his strength; and he fell again to the earth. Now was not this exceeding joy? Behold, this is joy which none receiveth save it be the truly penitent and humble seeker of happiness."

True joy and happiness comes when we obey, sacrifice, and put the Lord's will ahead of our own.

True joy and happiness comes when we serve and spread the gospel.