How to Find Happiness When Life is Hard
By Tiffany Thomas
Sometimes it feels like life is a roller coaster (especially after experiencing 2020). We go through many ups and downs in life and it’s difficult to feel happiness when it seems we are hurdling towards the ground at full speed.
However, in Alma 50:23, we learn about the Nephites, who were surrounded by was and devastation. We’re told that “there never was a happier time among the people of Nephi, since the days of Nephi, than in the days of Moroni.”
How was that possible? And how can we obtain that happiness?
I have severe Crohn’s disease, which means that sometimes I’m in remission, but sometimes my life is full of physical pain. During once such difficult time, I received a priesthood blessing where the Lord told me that if I built my rock on the Redeemer, the waves of life would just seem like little ripples.
It reminded me of the scripture Helaman 5:12: “And now my sons, remember, remember, that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.“
So how do we do that? How can we build a rock on our Savior?
President Monson said General Conference in Oct. 2006 that to build a firm foundation, we need to do 3 things: read, pray, and serve.
Wow, how original.
I was already doing it. I’d been doing it since my mission! And on my mission I didn’t feel down on the bad days. What was I doing wrong?
Then I found Alma 41:5, which says, “The one raised to happiness according to his desires of happiness, or good according to his desires of good; and the other evil according to his desires of evil; for as he has desired to do evil all the day long even so shall he have his reward of evil when the night cometh.”
Once I read this and hit me, I began finding this concept EVERYWHERE in the scriptures.
Alma 27:18: “Now was not this exceeding joy? Behold, this is joy which none receiveth save it be the truly penitent and humble seeker of happiness.”
Alma 29:5. “Yeah, and I know that good and evil have come before all men; he that knoweth not good from evil is blameless; but he that knoweth good and evil, to him it is given according to his desires, whether he desireth good or evil, life or death, joy or remorse of conscience.”
Why is this so important? At the Resurrection, if we’re not happy now we won’t be happy then.
Mormon 9:14 says, “And then cometh the judgment of the Holy One upon them; and then cometh the time that he that is filthy shall be filthy still; and he that is righteous shall be righteous still; he that is happy shall be happy still; and he that is unhappy shall be unhappy still.”
Elder Haight said in his last conference talk before he died, “Come what may and love it.” This was an amazing talk. But he said this as well, “I think she may have meant that every life has peaks and shadows and times when it seems that the birds don’t sing and bells don’t ring. Yet in spite of discouragement and adversity, those who are happiest seem to have a way of learning from difficult times, becoming stronger, wiser, and happier as a result…. How can we love days that are filled with sorrow? We can’t—at least not in the moment. I don’t think my mother was suggesting that we suppress discouragement or deny the reality of pain. I don’t think she was suggesting that we smother unpleasant truths beneath a cloak of pretended happiness. But I do believe that the way we react to adversity can be a major factor in how happy and successful we can be in life. If we approach adversities wisely, our hardest times can be times of greatest growth, which in turn can lead toward times of greatest happiness.”
It’s ok to have a bad day, to go home and cry. But then shake it off, put on a smile, get out and serve, and let the Spirit come in and comfort you. Allow that comfort. Don’t sink into sorrow or misery.
It’s all in our efforts on our attitude. There are so many scriptures that cover this concept:
- Matthew 6:16-18
- D&C 59:13-21
- D&C 121:7-8
- 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
- D&C 61:36
There are 14 places in the scriptures where the Lord says to “be of good cheer.” If you’re struggling with this, begin your scripture study by reading the verses under “Cheer” in the Topical Guide. In each instance, Christ reminds them of why they should be of good cheer.
Trust in the Lord. Trust that He loves you more than you will ever possibly imagine. D&C 3:1-3: “The works, and the designs, and the purposes of God cannot be frustrated, neither can they come to naught……Remember, remember that it is not the work of God that is frustrated, but the work of man.”
Elder Faust said, “Mortality is a precious drop I the bucket of eternity. Why not make each minute pleasant and fulfilling? We must make our own happiness. Happiness does not depend upon what happens outside of you, but what happens inside of you. It is measured by the spirit with which you meet the problems of life.”
You can do this. You can find happiness. You can be of Good cheer.
Tiffany Thomas is a chocoholic former math teacher and homeschooling mom with Crohn’s Disease. She and her husband Phillip (who is an engineer) work together on the blog Saving Talents. They enjoy spending time with their family, geeking out over sci-fi together, and saving money.
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