The Whole Aim of Human Existence
It probably goes without saying that everyone wants to be happy.
Nevertheless, it also goes without saying that not everyone is happy. Sadly, it seems that for many people,
happiness is hard to find.
Why is that?
If happiness is the one thing we humans desire most,
why are we so unsuccessful at finding it?
To paraphrase a country song,
maybe we’ve been looking for joy
in all the wrong places.
Where Can We Find Happiness?
Before we discuss how to find joy, allow me to acknowledge that depression and other difficult mental and emotional challenges are real, and the answer is not simply “Try to be happier.”
My purpose today is not to diminish or trivialize mental health issues. If you face such challenges, I mourn with you,
and I stand beside you.
For some people, finding joy may include seeking help f
rom trained mental health professionals
who devote their lives to practicing their very important art.
We should be thankful for such help.
Life is not an endless sequence of emotional highs.
“For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things.”
And if God Himself weeps,
as the scriptures affirm He does,
then of course you and I will weep as well.
Feeling sad is not a sign of failure.
In this life, at least, joy and sorrow are inseparable companions.
Like all of you,
I have felt my share of
disappointment, sorrow, sadness, and remorse.
However, I have also experienced for myself
the glorious dawn that fills the soul with joy
so profound that it can scarcely be kept in.
I have discovered for myself that this peaceful confidence
comes from following the Savior
and walking in His Way.
The peace He gives us is not like what the world gives.
It’s better.
It’s higher and holier.
Jesus said, “I am come that they might have life,
and that they might have it
The gospel of Jesus Christ is truly
It is a message of matchless hope!
A message of yoke-bearing and burden-lifting.
Of light-gathering.
Of heavenly favor,
higher understanding,
holier covenants,
eternal security,
and everlasting glory!
Joy is the very purpose of God’s plan for His children.
It’s what you were created for—“that [you] might have joy”!
You were built for this!
Our Father in Heaven has not hidden the path to happiness.
It is not a secret.
It is promised to those who walk the path of discipleship,
follow the teachings and example of the Savior,
keep His commandments,
and honor covenants they make with God.
What a remarkable promise!
God Has Something More to Offer
We all know people who say
that they don’t need God to be happy,
that they are happy enough
without religion.
I acknowledge and respect these feelings.
Our beloved Father in Heaven wants
all His children to have as much happiness as possible,
so He has filled this world with beautiful,
wholesome pleasures and delights,
“both to please the eye and …
For me, flying brought great happiness.
Others find it in music, in art, in hobbies, or in nature.
By inviting everyone and sharing the Savior’s good news of great joy, we do not discount any of these sources of joy.
We’re simply saying that God has something more to give.
A higher and more profound joy—
a joy that transcends anything this world offers.
It is a joy that endures
heartbreak, penetrates sorrow,
and diminishes loneliness.
Worldly happiness, by contrast, does not last.
It cannot.
It is the nature of all earthly things to
grow old, decay, wear out, or become stale.
But godly joy is eternal, because God is eternal.
Jesus Christ came to lift us out of the temporal
and replace corruption with incorruption.
Only He has that power,
and only His joy is perpetual.
If you feel there could be more of this kind of joy in your life,
I invite you to embark on the journey of following
Jesus Christ and His Way.
It is a journey of a lifetime—and beyond.
Please let me suggest a few beginning steps
on this worthy journey
of discovering pure joy.
Do you remember the woman in the New Testament
who endured a bleeding illness for 12 years?
She had spent all she had on physicians,
but things only grew worse.
She had heard of Jesus; His power to heal was well known.
But could He heal her?
And how could she even get near Him?
Her sickness made her “unclean” according to the law of Moses,
and therefore she was required to stay away from others.
Approaching Him openly and asking for healing
seemed out of the question.
Still, she thought, “If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.”
At last, her faith overcame her fear.
She braved the censure of others
and pressed toward the Savior.
Finally, she was within reach.
She extended her hand.
And she was healed.
Aren’t we all somewhat like this woman?
There may be many reasons why we
hesitate to draw near to the Savior.
We may face ridicule or condemnation by others.
In our pride, we may dismiss the possibility
of something so simple
being of so much value.
We may think that our condition somehow disqualifies us
from His healing—that the distance is too great
or our sins too many.
Like this woman, I have learned
that if we draw near to God and reach out to touch Him,
we can indeed find healing,
peace,
and
joy.
Look for It
Jesus taught, “Seek, and ye shall find.”
I believe this simple phrase is not only a spiritual promise;
it is a statement of fact.
If we seek reasons to be angry,
to doubt,
to be bitter or alone,
we will find them too.
However, if we seek joy—
if we look for reasons to rejoice
and to happily follow the Savior,
we will find them.
We rarely find something we are not looking for.
Are you looking for joy?
Seek, and ye shall find.
Jesus taught, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
Can it be that in our search for joy,
the best way to find it is
to bring joy to others?
Brothers and sisters, you know and I know this is true!
Joy is like a barrel of flour
or a jar of oil
True joy multiplies when it is shared.
It doesn’t require something grand or complicated.
We can do simple things.
Like praying for someone with all our heart.
Giving a sincere compliment.
Helping someone feel welcome,
respected, valued,
and loved.
Sharing a favorite scripture and what it means to us.
Or even just by listening.
“When ye are in the service of your fellow beings
ye are only in the service of your God,”
and God will repay your kindness generously.
The joy you give to others will return to you in
“good measure, pressed down, and shaken together,
During the coming days, weeks, and months, may I invite you to:
Spend time in a sincere, full-hearted effort to draw near to God.
Seek diligently for everyday moments of hope, peace, and joy.
Bring joy to others around you.
My dear brothers and sisters, dear friends,
as you search the word of God for a
deeper understanding of God’s eternal plan,
accept these invitations,
and strive to walk in His Way,
you will experience
“the peace of God, which passeth all understanding,”
even in the midst of sorrows.
You will feel a greater measure of God’s unsurpassable love
swelling within your heart.
The dawn of celestial light will penetrate the shadows of your trials, and you will begin
to taste the unspeakable glories
and wonders of the unseen,
perfect, heavenly sphere.
You will feel your spirit lifting away
from the gravity of this world.
May we all seek and find
the higher joy that comes from
devoting our lives to our
Heavenly Father
and His Beloved Son.
This is my earnest prayer and blessing
in the sacred name
of Jesus Christ,
amen.
Excerpts From the Talk:
