God's Plan of Happiness Gives Me Purpose and Direction

We believe that God is literally the Father of our Spirits, that we lived with Him before we were sent here to earth and that our loving Heavenly Father has a plan for us.   We chose to follow His plan in that pre-existence, we came to earth to receive a body and to learn and grow in ways we couldn't there with Him as spirits (not unlike sending our kids away to college).  Here on earth, we are separated from Him which requires faith.  Here on earth, we each have a body which allows us to serve and experience things in ways that we cannot without a body and gives our spirits the opportunity to develop self-discipline in the face of carnal desires, appetites and passions.    Here on earth we are subject to temptations and sometimes we will make mistakes (sins) but those temptations give us the opportunity to grow.  If we choose to exercise faith and learn and grow, then we will be ready to return to live with our  Father in Heaven, ready to meet the challenges of the next step in our eternal progression (not unlike graduating from college and being ready to embark on a career).  We will find purpose and happiness in this life and in the next life.  I love this doctrine because it gives me purpose in my everyday life and helps me to know what I need to teach my children.
This Plan of Happiness is also called the Plan of Salvation, because mortality and sin, separate us from God, and we needed a Savior to bring us home.  Jesus Christ is central to the Plan of Salvation become He alone can Redeem us from our sins (because He was perfect)  and He alone was able to break the bands of death (because He was physically the Son of God).

Here is a great quote by an Apostle of the Lord about the Plan of Salvation:

"Every day, every hour, every minute of your span of mortal years must sometime be accounted for. And it is in this life that you walk by faith and prove yourself able to choose good over evil, right over wrong, enduring happiness over mere amusement. And your eternal reward will be according to your choosing.

“A prophet of God has said: ‘Men are that they might have joy’—a joy that includes a fullness of life, a life dedicated to service, to love and harmony in the home, and the fruits of honest toil—an acceptance of the Gospel of Jesus Christ—of its requirements and commandments.

“Only in these will you find true happiness, the happiness which doesn’t fade with the lights and the music and the crowds.”   Elder Richard L. Evans

The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ

I love the Book of Mormon because it makes sense to me.   

• Most people think that the only history of God’s dealings with men is the Bible, yet there have been so many more people on the earth than just the Hebrew nation and it makes sense to me that there would be more records.

• In a court of law, the testimony of two witnesses is  powerful proof.  It makes sense to me that God would provide two witnesses of his Son, His gospel,  and His plan of happiness for us so that there would be no doubt.   The Book of Mormon serves as that second witness to the Holy Bible and was brought forth, through the power of God, as part of the Restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ to the earth. 

• When I read the Book of Mormon, I know that an uneducated young man in his early 20’s could never have written such a book.  I can 'hear' the voices of the different prophets who did write the book.  Joseph Smith records that the original plates were given to him by Moroni, the last prophet to write on the plates, and that he was given the means to translate the plates into English by the power of God.  When I read the Book of Mormon, I believe him and conclude that he was a true prophet of God, called to be God's instrument in restoring Christ's church back to the earth after a long period of apostasy.   I have felt the still, small, voice of the Holy Ghost confirm that truth to me.

This same Moroni who was the last prophet to write on the plates that would become The Book Of Mormon made a promise which held true for me.  He said,

"When ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of  the Holy Ghost.  And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things."  (Moroni 10:4,5 on page 529 of the Book of Mormon)

There is the promise to ALL of God's children.  Read the Book of Mormon and get on your knees and sincerely ask Heavenly Father if it is true record and He will answer your prayers  and you will recognize it for what it is:  personal revelation from God to you through the Holy Ghost.   When you know that it is a true book of scripture, then you know that Joseph Smith was a prophet and that he saw all that he said he saw (see the blog about the First Vision).

(The Book of Mormon is available in 107 languages.  To request a free copy go to www.mormons.org)