The
Happiness of a Sunbeam
By KellieAnn Halvorsen,
October 19, 2013
Happiness
in life is something semi-elusive that we all are searching for. No
matter our life situation or current blessings we already have, we
reach for this “Happiness Goal” for ourselves, our family, our
friends. We in the church are blessed with the knowledge of having a
loving Heavenly Father, who we learn wants only our Happiness in life
and has established a plan and path that is to lead “Men that they
may have joy.” (2 Nephi 2:25) During this past General Conference,
this is the idea that seemed to permeate my thoughts as I listened to
the apostles and leaders of the church. That even amide the trials
and tribulations of my life, God wants me
to be happy. I would like to bear my testimony to you today brothers
and sisters, that God wants you to be happy too.
We
are taught this concept many times from the time we are small
children. I can look back with fondness to when we were asked in
primary to sing the song, “Jesus Wants me for a Sunbeam.”
(Children's Songbook, pg. 60) I remember even as a little three year
old how excited I was to participate in this my first ever memorized
Sunday hymn. I loved waiting to spring out of my chair and become
that spastic ray of sunlight “shinning for Him each day” with my
arms extended out and falling back down only to spring back up once
more.
At
that time I didn't quite understand what the point of the song
actually was, I remember graduating from my Sunbeam class and being
confused that we would still be asked to sing the song even as we
where no longer in the 3-year-old Sunbeam's age bracket. I admit that
it wasn’t for years that I understood that, besides using up the
build up energy from attempting to sit quietly during primary, that
the song was asking me to be a happy person. To find and shine the
excitement and joy that comes from learning and living the Gospel of
Jesus Christ.
While
writing this talk I couldn't help but smile as I imagined using this
song as a regular hymn during our sacrament services. In my mind's
eye I could see the entire congregation, adults and children,
bursting forth in the same energy that I witness during singing time
as a primary teacher. The congregation singing with hand and body
movements proclaiming proudly how “Jesus wants me for a sunbeam to
shine for Him each day.”
In
the sessions of this past General Conference some of my favorite
apostles talked on this matter of happiness, and conversely, matters
dealing with sadness and depression. Pres. Eyring spoke of finding
happiness in the gospel, in the keeping of commandments and creating
it within the walls of our homes. He gave these wise words,
“Heavenly Father has made each of us unique. No two of us will
have exactly the same experiences. No two families are alike... Yet a
loving heavenly father has set the same path of happiness for all of
His children. Whatever our personal characteristics or whatever will
be our experiences, there is but one plan of happiness. That plan is
to follow the commandments of God.” close quote. (Eyring,
October 2013)
This
plan Goes hand-in-hand with the knowledge of the plan of salvation.
God is our loving Heavenly Father. He sent us to earth to become more
like him. To be more like him we needed to be make our own choices
and grow in our own understanding. Along the path of this
understanding we come across harsh trials and powerful blessings. We
all stumble and become unworthy to return to Him. So in God's wisdom
he incorporated into the plan, the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Wherein
we can be forgiven of these sins, learn to live a righteous life, and
return home to Him. This is the path of Happiness that the God wants
us to live. To have faith, repent, and strive keep the commandments,
this will leave to long and lasting happiness. Not the fleeting and
often hollow happiness of this temporal mortal life, but an eternal
joy in the kingdom of God.
I
know from personal experience, that happiness can be hard to find,
even while striving to live a Christ centered life. Sometimes the
weight of our trials and sins, wither active transgression or sins of
omission, can weigh on our lives and cause us great sorrow and
depression. Blocking our vision of happiness and even our desire to
reach out for it. When in this state of mind it can be extremely
difficult to hear the encouragement or reprimand of others. It is in
these times of darkness that we must turn from comforting ourselves
by wallowing in our own misery, and actively seek for the light. The
light that emanates from the life and atonement of the Savior Jesus
Christ. To find and exude that ray of “Sunbeam” in our lives.
During
conference Elder Holland in his amazing talk “Like a Broken
Vessel,” spoke on the reality of depression, mental illnesses and
sadness, adding through observation and experience his own advice on
how to work through these times of doubt and darkness saying
“Faithfully pursue the time-tested devotional practices that
bring the Spirit of the Lord into your life. Seek the counsel of
those who hold keys for your spiritual well-being. Ask for and
cherish priesthood blessings. Take the sacrament every week, and hold
fast to the perfecting promises of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
Believe in miracles. I have seen so many of them come when every
other indication would say that hope was lost. Hope is never lost. If
those miracles do not come soon or fully or seemingly at all,
remember the Savior’s own anguished example: if the bitter cup does
not pass, drink it and be strong, trusting in happier days ahead.”
close quote. (Holland, October 2013)
It
can be hard to keep moving ahead, to keep the fires of hope stoked
when our righteous desires seem to be coming to us to slowly or not
at all. I must admit that I struggle daily with this, but I am still
a happy person. When in doubt I often think of a marvelous talk
giving by President Eyring to the students at BYU thirty years ago
called “ A Law of Increasing Returns.” (Eyring, March 1982) I
listen or read this talk often, on what feels like a weekly basis
having downloaded it even to my every handy kindle.
It
speaks of working hard at your goals, even if the rewards are not
coming to you a quickly or as often as you like. Eyring speaks of
keeping a vision of the blessings and happiness you would like to
achieve. Of working towards the “Late harvests” in life. Near
the conclusion of his talk he states that “There
are some things you should work for and expect results now. But along
with getting early harvests, I hope you’ll work and wait for the
late ones. That will take seeing the law of increasing returns as an
opportunity, not just a test. Delayed blessings will build your faith
in God to work, and wait, for him. The scriptures aren’t demeaning
when they command, “Wait upon the Lord.” That means both service
and patience. And that will build your faith.
It
may help you to watch both for the chance to smile and the blessings
around you on the way. And it may help to picture both the future of
the people whom you serve for God and his promise of peace in this
life.” Close quote.
Brothers
and Sisters, I ask of you today to watch for these chances to smile
while working on finding your happiness in life. To remember that
excitement of a youngster springing from a chair to declare that
merits of “shining for Him each day.” Let us strive to live by
the simple lyrics of this children's Hymn:
Jesus
wants me for a sunbeam,
To shine for him each day;
To shine for him each day;
In
every way try to please him,
At
home, at school, at play.
A
sunbeam, a sunbeam,
Jesus
wants me for a sunbeam.
A
sunbeam, a sunbeam,
I'll
be a sunbeam for him.
I bear my testimony that happiness comes from continually striving
to live the commandments of God, the little and the big. I also would
like to bear my testimony that we all struggle with sadness along
this path. That we all struggle with our own pet sins and vices. But
that through the atonement of Christ and the power of repentance
these weaknesses can become our strengths. Again I would like bear my
witness that God truly wants you to be happy and that true and
lasting happiness can only come through following the promptings of
the spirit and keeping the commandments of God.
I
say these things in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.
-
- - - - - - - - - -
References:
References:
- 2 Nephi 2: 25, The Book of Mormon.
- Eyring, Henry B. "A Law of Increasing Returns." Brigham Young University. March 28, 1982
- Eyring, Henry B. “To My Grand Children” Fall General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. October 6, 2013.
- Holland, Jeffrey R. “Like a Broken Vessel” Fall General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. October 5, 2013.
- “Jesus Wants me for a Sunbeam” Children's Songbook. pg. 60
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