Faith. Patience. Diligence. Process.

A few weeks ago I received the below message from my mission president. (Each week he sends out a weekly thought of something he's been studying and learning more about.-I love it!) I have been thinking about faith and patience a lot a lot :)  

Faith, Patience, Diligence

Alma went to teach the Zoramites. From this experience we learn so many powerful principles and practices. From the conversion of Korihor through the teaching about Faith, to Amulek’s teaching about prayer, there is wonderful learning that benefits us very much.

The concluding verse in chapter 32 reads: “. . . Ye shall reap the rewards of your faith, and yourdiligence, and patience, and long-suffering, waiting for the tree to bring forth fruit.” (Emphasis mine.)

I don’t know how many hundreds of times I have read this. As I read it yesterday it opened a whole new thought for me. In that verse we learn a “Process”.  Alma applied this process to the accumulation of Knowledge using Faith. As I read it I recognized that the process is the same in the accumulation of anything. The ingredients do not change, only the end goal changes.

When you decide you will have a great marriage it will take Faith, Diligence, Patience, and Long Suffering.

When you decide you want a healthy body, it will take Faith, Diligence, Patience, and Long Suffering.

When you decide you want happy and productive children, it will take Faith, Diligence, Patience, and Long Suffering.

When you decide you want good grades in school, it will take Faith, Diligence, Patience, and Long Suffering.

When you decide you want a successful career, it will take Faith, Diligence, Patience, and Long Suffering.

More than education, experience, or good breaks, these four powerful principles and activities shall lead us to success.

Once these principles and activities have been applied we will experience the “fruit” from the “tree”.

So, here is the process:

Identify the desired “fruit” (Goal).

Apply Faith, Diligence, Patience, and Long Suffering for as long as it takes.

Enjoy the “Fruit” forever.

Happiness is in Following The Way

Today I googled the word happy. I was curious what would be in listed. Wikipedia and dictionary.com where the first two. One link I found interesting was a site called Happy News- their motto is to share positive real-world news. There was a link on how to be happy. And one of the top links was happymeal.com a site sponsored by McDonald's that has games and activities for kids. There were many sites had daily happy thoughts for readers. The how to be happy was for me the most interesting. The article cites simple, everyday things like smiling, being positive, surrounding yourself with family and good friends, find happiness in the present, and focusing on basic needs when it comes to finances. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the how to be happy. It teaches these basis principles. The ways to be happy- for the real, lasting happiness are found in and through Jesus Christ. They always have been and they always will. I know the way to truly be happy is to do things He would have me and live my life the way He wants to me to. I am happy. I am becoming the woman I know He would have me become. Happiness is a choice. Happiness doesn't mean everything is hunky dory, but it means choosing to see life they way He sees it. He strengthens and wraps peace around us. Lately, I am learning more and more about the peaceful, happy feelings in the heart and mind, even when some things are tough. I am choosing to continue to trust Him and follow Him for I know that His way is the way of happines. Masaya Ang Aking Puso :)