THE NATURE OF HAPPINESS

 

When we think of the nature of God we usually reflect on the godly attributes such as love, compassion, mercy, righteousness, perfection. God has other characteristics though that we don’t remember from our time with Him. Consider the profound insight of President Heber C. Kimball :

“I am perfectly satisfied that my Father and my God is a cheerful, pleasant, lively and good-natured Being. Why? Because I am cheerful, pleasant, lively, and good-natured when I have His Spirit. That is one reason why I know, and another is – the Lord said, through Joseph Smith, “I delight in a glad heart and a cheerful countenance.” That arises from the perfection of His attributes. He is a jovial, lively person, and a beautiful man. (In Journal of Discourses 4:222)

“The plan of happiness, which is spoken about so often in the Church today, comes from a “Man of Happiness” as well as a “Man of Holiness”. Our developing faith comes as we understand better the purpose of the scriptures, and that is to teach us the nature of a saved being, he who beckons us to become like Him.”  (Jerry A. Wilson, “The Great Plan of Happiness-Insights From the Lectures on Faith” p 37)

I once posted a picture of Jesus laughing that enraged one sister who thought that was very disrespectful. She said she could imagine Jesus smiling but not laughing. Yes, He was a Man of Sorrows but I am hoping that His life was not all misery. He had a family who loved Him. He had friends and followers who adored Him. He must have had moments of laughter and joy.

It is amazing to me that some of us do not believe that God the Father and His Son have the full spectrum of emotions. I love to laugh and I am hoping that there will be lots of laughter in eternity.

I am pretty convinced we lived in a state of happiness with our heavenly parents before this life. This is what the Father wants us to come back to. We hail from a happy place and from happy parents. We are in their likeness and have the potential to become as they are in their immortal perfection. That should be the focus of our entire existence.

 

I wish to reside in the shadow of your heart,

To never know sadness

Or the wretched heat of my tears.

I know I would be happy there,

Cradled in the perfect centre of Your being.

I want to feel the miracle of Your love

And worship the wonder of You.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: My Heart Flutters by Greg Collins)