Happiness and Hope Through Christ

     I would like to share my testimony that happiness in this life is only through our Savior Jesus Christ; and that He has placed His church on this earth to provide us guidance and direction. This last week a young man in one of my classes asked me, "Are you always this happy?" and after thinking about it for a second I replied, "yes". There may be moments when we are down and even long periods of "blueness", as there is for everyone, but there is always hope and light around us if we are looking for it. The world is being tossed about by Satan as seen by people's ever changing worries and problems (ie. gas prices, foreclosures, economy in general) but we can have stability in our lives.
     Elder Uchtdorf said in the October 2008 General Conference, "It is a hope that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the power of His Resurrection, we shall be raised unto life eternal and this because of our faith in the Savior. This kind of hope is both a principle of promise as well as a commandment, and, as with all commandments, we have the responsibility to make it an active part of our lives and overcome the temptation to lose hope. Hope in our Heavenly Father’s merciful plan of happiness leads to peace, mercy, rejoicing, and gladness."