My Stake Conference Talk - November 8, 2014 "Finding True Happiness Through the Gospel"

Finding True Happiness through 

The Gospel of Jesus Christ

 

Funny how things work out, I've been feeling like I really wanted to speak in Sacrament Meeting, and more than just bearing my testimony. I kept thinking I should really talk to someone in the Bishopric, but seriously who volunteers to speak? Do people do that? Well I keep having this prompting, and desire to REALLY want to speak, but I never acted on it. Well a couple weeks ago I received a phone call asking me to speak, however this is a slightly bigger venue than I was anticipating.  However because I've been wanting to speak I knew exactly what I wanted to say, but when I sat down to write out my thoughts, something completely different came out...

“Our strength and our peace and our happiness are in the Lord. ... If we will acknowledge him, be thankful, serve him, love his children, and accept the responsibilities of being truly Christian, we will be happy, notwithstanding problems or troubles.” —Elder Marion D. Hanks 

I want to tell you a story about a young girl whose path to happiness was a long jagged road.

This girl came from a good family, in good home with good friends. But she always felt a void inside. She felt lost and alone. She searched and searched for peace and happiness everywhere. But when you look everywhere, you look down the wrong roads. These roads led her down of path of poor choices and putting her trust in the wrong people.

At 17, feeling terrified she became a mother.

When she was in her 20’s she continued looking for peace and happiness, only to find pain.

At the age of 30 she reached her low. She lost her home, her car had broken down and was unable to afford the repairs, and was out of work and now had three young children in tow.

One night she sat alone watching her children sleep on the floor, sobbing, and wondering how she had gone this far down the wrong path, when all she was searching for was happiness.

Elder Costa of the Seventy said “Many people in this world do not understand the difference between fun and happiness. Many try to find happiness having fun, but the two words have different meanings.”

Having fun is an emotion you having in the moment. It’s the feeling you have when participating in an activity that makes you feel temporarily uplifted. But the moment that activity ends, the feeling ceases. It’s like when you take a child to an amusement park. They will have fun all day, lots of smiles and laughs and memories made but when it’s time to go, their attitude changes instantly to sadness, anger or frustration. This is because the moment that activity stops, the fun stops so and those emotions they were feeling stop.  But true happiness is something that endures beyond the moment and gives you a feeling of satisfaction. Have you ever had a stranger give you a compliment? The moment they walked away did that feeling stop or did it carry on? Most of the time, that feeling will carry on with you the rest of the day. The feeling endures, you felt real happiness.

The story I told you a moment ago is my story. All of my life I have been searching for happiness in fun. And never have I found the peace I was looking for. As I mentioned I have an amazing family, true friends. I was even coming to church and church activities fairly often, but I never made the choice to be baptized, I always held back. I had this feeling of anxiety. A few days after that night where I broke down watching my children sleep I asked advice from a friend. He said “when was the last time you picked up your scriptures?” I laughed. He said “No, I’m asking you seriously” I froze a little, and said “I don’t know… probably not since high school??” He said very firmly “That’s where you need to start.” And so I did.

A few weeks later I was offered a job. It was seasonal but it was full time, and I could even bring my kids with me if I needed to. When that job ended I was offered a better, permanent job. Three months later I was offered my dream job, doing what I loved working for an advertising agency. In that time frame I was able to borrow a car from my parents, move into my own place and began dating an amazing man, who is now my husband. Now I get to stay home with my children, and my husband and I have just started our own agency so I can do what I love and be right where my children need me. Things were far better than that night but I felt like I was still missing a piece of the puzzle.

About a year and half ago, my baby brother joined the military. And his first week was brutal. He was really struggling and very homesick.I told him to pray. Pray for peace and strength. We found out right before his boot camp graduation that he had been baptized into the church.

And an idea hit me, here I was giving advice to my brother on how to be closer to Our Heavenly father and His Son, and my brother was making those sacred covenants and following the plan laid out before us, I wasn’t. I decided it was time.

Shortly after my brother's baptism our amazing relief society president asked if I would like to have the missionaries start coming by. I knew in my heart that I was ready and it was time. One afternoon there was a knock on my door. I answered to find the missionaries standing there with smiles. I had met one of the missionaries before but he was coming by to introduce us to his new companion. So I asked the first question we always ask missionaries. “Where are you from?” With a wide grin he said Tucson, Arizona. I excitedly said “ME TOO!” Then he asked which high school I attended. His mouth literally dropped open as I told him. He said “I JUST graduated from there last spring.” We chatted for several minutes talking about places we knew and found out that we knew several people in common, one was one of my best friends to this day. That evening I was SO excited to tell my friend about my meeting with the missionaries. When I messaged she promptly responded “NIC! All of those times in in school when I’d invite you to activities or dances… his mom was my young women’s adviser. It was his mom that kept encouraging me to reach out to you.” His family continued to reach out to me. And Elder Gurvine picked up the work where is mom left off all those years ago. 6 months ago I was baptized and I was so honored to have Elder Gurvine be the one to perform the baptism.

Today, our lives are by no means easy. But piece by piece we are finding true joy, true enduring happiness. That void I have felt most of my life is shrinking little by little. Every time I am doing something of service for those around me or am serving our Father in Heaven, that hole inside of me shrinks a little more. This year has been beyond for us. The adversary has no doubt been working overtime on our little family. But every time we pick up our scriptures, attend church or serve others we gain another small victory. Financially this year has been very tight, but two days after I was called to serve in the Young Women’s Presidency in my ward, my husband received a significant promotion at work, easing so much of our burdens. Now I could go on and on about blessings we’ve received when we do the work. But each one of you, in your hearts, already know this to be true. That is the covenant we made. When we serve Him and those around us and He, in turn, will bless us. And those blessings bring true happiness that will endure to the end.

I want to leave you with one final comment. This was a conversation with my brother when I mentioned to him how nervous I was about speaking to you today:

Scott: Ok, so you really think that you are going to be up there alone?

Me: What do you mean?

        Yes I have to stand at the podium alone.

Scott: Think about it, You're going to be speaking to who knows how many people. About God. About what you feel and telling other people how to find happiness in HIM. You really think He's going to let you go through that alone? Ya it may be you saying the words. But it's Him speaking through YOU..... You may be standing up there alone. But you won't be alone. He is going to be right there beside you every step of the way. Every second you spend up there. He will be right there with you. Speaking into your ear.