The Secret To Life Is Happiness
By Alan on Dec 27 in Blog tagged adversity, art, ceation, chance, choice, commandments, eternity, Family, gospel, happiness, joy, needs, ordinances, prophets, Temples | Comments Off
The Secret To Life Is Happiness
Our Heavenly Father desires that we find true, lasting happiness.
Our happiness is the design of all the blessings He gives us—gospel teachings, commandments, priesthood ordinances, family relationships, prophets, temples, the beauties of creation, and even the opportunity to experience adversity.
His plan for our salvation is often called “the great plan of happiness”.
He sent His Beloved Son to carry out the Atonement so we can be happy in this life and receive a fulness of joy in the eternities.
For The Family
Happiness Is An Attitude
By Alan on May 05 in Blog tagged an attitude, commandments, creation, design of all blessings, enduring joys, family relationships, gospel teachings, happiness, hard work spiritual growth, Jesus Christ, joy, lasting, live the gospel. wholesome activities, meaningful service, miserable or happy, not wickedness, strong, Temples, temporary, the great plan of happiness, true and lasting, work | Comments Off
Happiness Is An Attitude.
We either make ourselves miserable, or happy and strong. The amount of work is the same.
Heavenly Father desires that we find true, lasting happiness. Our happiness is the design of all the blessings He gives us—gospel teachings, commandments, priesthood ordinances, family relationships, prophets, temples, the beauties of creation, and even the opportunity to experience adversity. His plan for our salvation is often called “the great plan of happiness” (Alma 42: 8). He sent His Beloved Son to carry out the Atonement so we can be happy in this life and receive a fulness of joy in the eternities.
Testifying of God’s “eternal purposes,” the prophet Lehi taught, “Men are, that they might have joy” (2 Ne. 2: 15, 25). Many people try to find happiness and fulfillment in activities that are contrary to the Lord’s commandments. Ignoring God’s plan for them, they reject the only source of real happiness. They give in to the devil, who “seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself”
(2 Ne. 2: 27). Eventually they learn the truth of Alma’s warning to his son Corianton: “Wickedness never was happiness” (Alma 41: 10).
Others seek only to have fun in life. With this as their main goal, they allow temporary pleasure to distract them from lasting happiness. They rob themselves of the enduring joys of spiritual growth, service, and hard work.
As we seek to be happy, we should remember that the only way to real happiness is to live the gospel. We will find peaceful, eternal happiness as we strive to keep the commandments, pray for strength, repent of our sins, participate in wholesome activities, and give meaningful service.
For The Family
Answering Our Accusers In The Savior’s Way – It Takes Christian Courage
By Alan on Apr 03 in Blog tagged answering our accusers, because they know not where to find it, become contentious, become more Christlike, can subdue the adversary, follow him, genlteness, goodness, great tests, humble, it takes Christian courage, Jesus, joy, kept from the truth, longsuffering, love, meekness, not a weakness, opposition, patience, peace, principles, show forth love, silence, staying on high ground, temperance, the Lord's purposes, the Savior"s Way, truths, turn the other cheek, values | 1 Comment
Kept From The Truth Because They Know Not Where To Find It
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That Is Christian Courage
Recently I have been getting some of my really good blog and internet followers and friends on my websites and social networks that wonder why I don’t speak out and defend myself more actively when accusations that are made against me or my beliefs by those who don’t agree, can’t live moral standards, or are just trying to upset me when I post my feelings and various articles about certain values and principles and those religious truths that I believe and know to be true. Yes, sometimes I have had to block someone from my various sites who 
are trouble makers or have a personal agenda and are so blunt or who curse, and others that I have tried to just ignore or reason with and try to explain my thinking, my beliefs and those values in which I believe.
To their inquiry I would say that one of mortality’s great tests comes when our beliefs are questioned or criticized. In such moments, we may want to respond aggressively—to “put up our dukes.” But these are important opportunities to step back, pray, and follow the Savior’s example. Remember that Jesus Himself was despised and rejected by the world. And in Lehi’s dream, those coming to the Savior also endured “mocking and pointing … fingers” (1 Nephi 8:27). “The world hath hated [my disciples],” Jesus said, “because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world” (John 17:14). But when we respond to our accusers as the Savior did, we not only become more Christlike, we invite others to feel His love and follow Him as well.
Responding in a Christlike Way
To respond in a Christlike way cannot be scripted or based on a formula. The Savior responded differently in every situation. When He was confronted by wicked King Herod, He remained silent. When He stood before Pilate, He bore a simple and powerful testimony of His divinity and purpose. Facing the moneychangers who were defiling the temple, He exercised His divine responsibility to preserve and protect that which was sacred. Lifted up upon a cross, He uttered the incomparable Christian response: “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).
Some people mistakenly think responses such as silence, meekness, forgiveness, and bearing humble testimony are passive or weak. But to “love [our] enemies, bless them that curse [us], do good to them that hate [us], and pray for them which despitefully use [us], and persecute [us]” (Matthew 5:44) takes faith, strength, and, most of all, Christian courage.
Our Prophet Joseph Smith demonstrated this courage throughout 
his life. Though he “suffer[ed] severe persecution at the hands of all classes of men, both religious and irreligious” (Joseph Smith—History 1:27), he did not retaliate or give in to hatred. Like all true disciples of Christ, he stood with the Savior by loving others in a tolerant and compassionate way.That is Christian courage.
When we do not retaliate—when we turn the other cheek and resist feelings of anger—we too stand with the Savior. We show forth His love, which is the only power that can subdue the adversary and answer our accusers without accusing them in return. That is not weakness. That is Christian courage.
Opportunity in Opposition
Through the years we learn that challenges to our faith and family values are not new, and they aren’t likely to disappear soon. But true disciples of Christ see opportunity in the midst of opposition.
Experience shows that seasons of negative publicity about the Church or principles of belief can help accomplish the Lord’s purposes. In 1983 the First Presidency of our Church wrote to our leaders, “Opposition may be in itself an opportunity. … These criticisms create … interest in the Church. This provides an opportunity [for members] to present the truth to those whose attention is thus directed toward us.” 1 The same goes for those principles that are good for The Family.
We can take advantage of such opportunities in many ways: a kind letter to the editor, a conversation with a friend, a comment in an email, a blog, or a reassuring word to one who has made a disparaging comment. We can answer with love those who have been influenced by misinformation and prejudice—who are “kept from the truth because they know not where to find it” (D&C 123:12). I assure you that to answer our accusers in this way is never weakness. It is Christian courage in action.
As we respond to others, each circumstance will be different. Fortunately, the Lord knows the hearts of our accusers and how we can most effectively respond to them. As true disciples seek guidance from the Spirit, they receive inspiration tailored to each encounter. And in every encounter, true disciples respond in ways that invite the Spirit of the Lord.
Avoiding Contention
One should never become contentious when discussing their faith. The Savior has said, “He that hath the spirit of contention is not of me” (3 Nephi 11:29). More regrettable than the Church being accused of not being Christian is when Church members react to such accusations in an un-Christlike way! May our conversations with others always be marked by the fruits of the Spirit—“love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, [and] temperance” (Galatians 5:22–23). To be meek, as defined in Webster’s dictionary, is “manifesting patience and longsuffering: enduring injury without resentment.” 2 Meekness is not weakness. It is a badge of Christian courage.
This is not to suggest that we compromise our principles or dilute our beliefs. We cannot change the doctrines of the restored gospel, even if teaching and obeying them makes us unpopular in the eyes of the world. Yet even as we feel to speak the word of God with boldness, we must pray to be filled with the Holy Ghost (see Acts 4:29, 31). We should never confuse boldness with Satan’s counterfeit: overbearance (see Alma 38:12). True disciples speak with quiet confidence, not boastful pride.
As true disciples, our primary concern must be others’ welfare, not personal vindication. Questions and criticisms give us an opportunity to reach 
out to others and demonstrate that they matter to our Heavenly Father and to us. Our aim should be to help them understand the truth, not defend our egos or score points in a theological debate. Our heartfelt testimonies are the most powerful answer we can give our accusers. And such testimonies can only be borne in love and meekness.
True disciples avoid being unduly judgmental of others’ views. My family and I have cultivated strong friendships with those who are not members of our Church. We need them, and they need us. As President Thomas S. Monsonhas taught, “Let us learn respect for others. … None of us lives alone—in our city, our nation, or our world.” 3
Staying on the High Ground
As the Savior demonstrated with Herod, sometimes true disciples must show Christian courage by saying nothing at all. Some may try to provoke us and engage us in argument. In the Book of Mormon, we read about Lehonti and his men camped upon a mount. The traitorous Amalickiah urged Lehonti to “come down” and meet him in the valley. But when Lehonti left the high ground, he was poisoned “by degrees” until he died, and his army fell into Amalickiah’s hands (see Alma 47). By arguments and accusations, some people bait us to leave the high ground. Sometimes others want us to come down off the high ground and join them in a theological scrum in the mud. These few contentious individuals are set on picking religious fights, online or in person. We are always better staying on the higher ground of mutual respect and love.
In doing so, we follow the example of the prophet Nehemiah, who built a wall around Jerusalem. Nehemiah’s enemies entreated him to meet them on the plain, where “they thought to do [him] mischief.” Unlike Lehonti, however, Nehemiah wisely refused their offer with this message: “I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?” (Nehemiah 6:2–3). We too have a great work to do here at TheFamily.com and in spreading the love of Jesus Christ, which will not be accomplished if we allow ourselves to stop and argue and be distracted. Instead we should muster Christian courage and move on. As we read in Psalms, “Fret not thyself because of evildoers” (Psalm 37:1).
To my inquiring friends and all who seek to know how we should respond to our accusers, I reply, we love them. Whatever their race, creed, religion, or political persuasion, if we follow Christ and show forth His courage, we must love them. We do not feel we are better than they are. Rather, we desire with our love to show them a better way—the way of Jesus Christ. His way leads to the strait and narrow path of righteous living, and the temple of God. He is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). Only through Him can we and all our brothers and sisters inherit the greatest gift we can receive—eternal life and eternal happiness. To help them, to be an example for them, is not for the weak. It is for the strong. It is for you and me as friends and believers who pay the price of discipleship by answering our accusers with Christian courage.
We must never become contentious when we are discussing our faith or values.
When we respond to our accusers as the Savior did, we not only become more Christlike, we invite others to feel His love and follow Him as well.
Like all true disciples of Christ, they stood with the Savior by loving others in a tolerant and compassionate way. That is Christian courage.
True disciples of Christ see opportunity in the midst of opposition.
“For there are many yet on the earth among all sects, parties, and denominations, who are blinded by the subtle craftiness of men, whereby they lie in wait to deceive, and who are only kept from the truth because they know not where to find it.” D&C 123: 12
For The Family
JOY – A Daily Prayer
By Alan on Mar 31 in Daily Inspiration tagged a Daily Prayer, Jesus is first, joy, Others is second, The Family, Yourself is last | Comments Off
JOY – A Daily Prayer
‘A Morning Prayer’
Father, I’m grateful for the blessings of Joy. It comes when Jesus is first, Others second, and Yourself is last.
As we do so we find ourselves to be more like Christ who gives us fulfillment and joy as we serve others. We learn from scriptural teaching, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
Show us the many ways we can assist and serve others and help us also to joyfully receive from others when they serve us.
In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Joe Ollivetti
For The Family
(See more of The Family images and slogans at Alan and Suzanne’s Pinterest.com)
Happiness Comes To All Ages In The Family
By Alan on Nov 10 in Blog tagged all ages, happiness comes to all ages in the family, joy | Comments Off
Happiness Comes To All Ages In The Family
“And now, behold, if Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen, but he would have remained in the garden of Eden. And all things which were created must have remained in the same state in which they were after they were created; and they must have remained forever, and had no end.
And they would have had no children; wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin. But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things. Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.” 2 Ne. 2: 22-25
Tom Osmond
For The Family
The Family is Central to God’s Plan
By Alan on Jan 07 in Blog tagged brother, church, eternal, Family, God, happy, home, joy, One, organize, parents, plan, sister, success, two | Comments Off
“No other success can compensate for failure in the home.” –David O. McKay
It’s no stretch to say that a person has a serious advantage in life if they come from a loving, supportive home. Many people still succeed though they come from less-than-ideal family situations, but having our basic needs met, knowing that our parents love us and learning life lessons at home make all the challenges of day-to-day living that much easier to face. Likely, as an adult you want a happy home for your family.
This is no coincidence. God organizes us into families so that we can grow up in happiness and safety, and so that we can learn to love others selflessly—the key to true joy. Within the family is the best place to learn to love others the way Heavenly Father loves each one of us.
God’s Church exists to help families gain eternal blessings. We believe the greatest blessing He gives us is the ability to return to live with Him in heaven with our families. We follow our Heavenly Father’s will because that is how we earn this blessing.
We Are All Part of God’s Family
When we call a fellow Church member “Brother” Artigas or “Sister” Brown, we really mean it. It’s not a slang term like saying, “Hey brother!” or “What’s up dude?” We believe that each of us—including those who aren’t members of our Church—is a literal son and daughter of our Heavenly Father (Hebrews 12:9) and therefore, our heavenly siblings. We were loved and taught by our Heavenly Father as part of an eternal family before coming to earth. So we share a bond that transcends this life. Think about it, if you truly thought of your neighbor or coworker as your brother or sister, would you treat them any differently? In the same vein, knowing that your earthly family had eternal significance might help you treat them better as well.
Families are Number One
Maybe you’re one of the lucky ones who was raised in a happy and secure family with two loving parents. Maybe you weren’t, and growing up was tough without the love and support you longed for. Chances are, as an adult you want the happy home you never had. Living peacefully in a family isn’t always easy, but in God’s restored Church, marriage (Genesis 2:18) and families (Genesis 1:28) are the most important social unit now and in eternity. God wants you to do all you can now to prepare yourself to live with your family forever.
Now and forever, what matters most is family. People who have lived through a disaster never say, “All I could think about during the earthquake was my bank account.” They almost always say, “All I could think about was my wife and kids.” It shouldn’t require a disaster for us to know this truth. But too often, we let earning money, chasing pleasure, or even the needs of people outside our families divert our attention.
More Here! From The LDS Church
The Family is Central to God’s Plan
By Alan on Dec 01 in Blog tagged bad, basics, central, church, eternal, Family, God, GOF, good, happiness, home, joy, life, love, plan, safety | Comments Off
“No other success can compensate for failure in the home.” –David O. McKay
It’s no stretch to say that a person has a serious advantage in life if they come from a loving, supportive home. Many people still succeed though they come from less-than-ideal family situations, but having our basic needs met, knowing that our parents love us and learning life lessons at home make all the challenges of day-to-day living that much easier to face. Likely, as an adult you want a happy home for your family.
This is no coincidence. God organizes us into families so that we can grow up in happiness and safety, and so that we can learn to love others selflessly—the key to true joy. Within the family is the best place to learn to love others the way Heavenly Father loves each one of us.
God’s Church exists to help families gain eternal blessings. We believe the greatest blessing He gives us is the ability to return to live with Him in heaven with our families. We follow our Heavenly Father’s will because that is how we earn this blessing.
The apple that Eve ate in the Garden of Eden…was it Good or Bad?
Through the power of the Holy Ghost, Adam “began to prophesy concerning all the families of the earth, saying: Blessed be the name of God, for because of my transgression my eyes are opened, and in this life I shall have joy, and again in the flesh I shall see God” (Moses 5:10). Because of the witness of the Holy Ghost to Eve, she said, “Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient” (Moses 5:11).
That was part of The Plan. Again, “God organizes us into families so that we can grow up in happiness and safety, and so that we can learn to love others selflessly—the key to true joy.
What Eve did has blessed us with The Family.
Marriage
By Alan on Oct 23 in Blog tagged chastity, covenant, death, eternity, exalt, faith, Family, forever, God, happiness, heart, heaven, Jesus, joy, man, marriage, relation, temple, unity, woman | Comments Off
Marriage is ordained of God.
“Marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children.” When a man and woman are married in the temple, their family can be together forever. Life’s greatest joys are found in the family.
Strong family relationships require effort, but such effort brings great happiness in this life and throughout eternity. In our Heavenly Father’s plan of happiness, a man and a woman can be sealed to one another for time and all eternity.
This is a common goal of Latter-day Saints. Those who are sealed in the temple have the assurance that their relationship will continue forever if they are true to their covenants. They know that nothing, not even death, can permanently separate them.
The covenant of eternal marriage is necessary for exaltation. The Lord revealed through Joseph Smith: “In the celestial glory there are three heavens or degrees; and in order to obtain the highest, a man must enter into this order of the priesthood [meaning the new and everlasting covenant of marriage]; and if he does not, he cannot obtain it. He may enter into the other, but that is the end of his kingdom; he cannot have an increase” (D&C 131:1–4).
After receiving the sealing ordinance and making sacred covenants in the temple, a couple must continue in faithfulness in order to receive the blessings of eternal marriage and exaltation. The Lord said: ”If a man marry a wife by my word, which is my law, and by the new and everlasting covenant, and it is sealed unto them by the Holy Spirit of promise, by him who is anointed, unto whom I have appointed this power and the keys of this priesthood; . . . and if [they] abide in my covenant, . . . it shall be done unto them in all things whatsoever my servant hath put upon them, in time, and through all eternity; and shall be of full force when they are out of the world” (D&C 132:19).
Those who are married should consider their union as their most cherished earthly relationship. A spouse is the only person other than the Lord whom we have been commanded to love with all our heart (see D&C 42:22).
Marriage, in its truest sense, is a partnership of equals, with neither person exercising dominion over the other, but with each encouraging, comforting, and helping the other.
Because marriage is such an important relationship in life, it needs and deserves time over less-important commitments. Couples can strengthen their marriage as they take time to talk together and to listen to one another, to be thoughtful and respectful, and to express tender feelings and affection often.
Marriage partners must be loyal to one another and faithful in their marriage covenants in thought, word, and deed. The Lord has said, “Thou shalt love thy wife with all thy heart, and shalt cleave unto her and none else” (D&C 42:22). The phrase “none else” teaches that no person, activity, or possession should ever take precedence over the marriage relationship.
Married couples should stay away from anything that could lead to unfaithfulness in any way. Pornography, unwholesome fantasies, and flirtations will erode character and strike at the foundation of marriage. Couples should work together to manage their finances and cooperate in establishing and following a budget. Wise money management and freedom from debt contribute to peace in the home.
Finally, couples must center their lives in the gospel of Jesus Christ. As couples help one another keep the covenants they have made, attend church and the temple together, study the scriptures together, and kneel together in prayer, God will guide them. Their companionship will sweeten through the years; their love will strengthen. Their appreciation for one another will grow.
