Your Happily Ever After, Dieter F. Uchtdorf

For a moment, think back about your favorite fairy tale. In that story the main character may be a princess or a peasant; she might be a mermaid or a milkmaid, a ruler or a servant. You will find one thing all have in common: they must overcome adversity.

Cinderella has to endure her wicked stepmother and evil stepsisters. She is compelled to suffer long hours of servitude and ridicule.

In “Beauty and the Beast,” Belle becomes a captive to a frightful-looking beast in order to save her father. She sacrifices her home and family, all she holds dear, to spend several months in the beast’s castle.

In the tale “Rumpelstiltskin,” a poor miller promises the king that his daughter can spin straw into gold. The king immediately sends for her and locks her in a room with a mound of straw and a spinning wheel. Later in the story she faces the danger of losing her firstborn child unless she can guess the name of the magical creature who helped her in this impossible task.

In each of these stories, Cinderella, Belle, and the miller’s daughter have to experience sadness and trial before they can reach their “happily ever after.” Think about it. Has there ever been a person who did not have to go through his or her own dark valley of temptation, trial, and sorrow?

Sandwiched between their “once upon a time” and “happily ever after,” they all had to experience great adversity. Why must all experience sadness and tragedy? Why could we not simply live in bliss and peace, each day filled with wonder, joy, and love?

The scriptures tell us there must be opposition in all things, for without it we could not discern the sweet from the bitter.2 Would the marathon runner feel the triumph of finishing the race had she not felt the pain of the hours of pushing against her limits? Would the pianist feel the joy of mastering an intricate sonata without the painstaking hours of practice?
In stories, as in life, adversity teaches us things we cannot learn otherwise. Adversity helps to develop a depth of character that comes in no other way. Our loving Heavenly Father has set us in a world filled with challenges and trials so that we, through opposition, can learn wisdom, become stronger, and experience joy.

...We all search for happiness, and we all try to find our own “happily ever after.” The truth is, God knows how to get there! And He has created a map for you; He knows the way. He is your beloved Heavenly Father, who seeks your good, your happiness. He desires with all the love of a perfect and pure Father that you reach your supernal destination. The map is available to all. It gives explicit directions of what to do and where to go to everyone who is striving to come unto Christ and “stand as [a witness] of God at all times and in all things, and in all places.”4 All you have to do is trust your Heavenly Father. Trust Him enough to follow His plan.

...I understand that, at times, some may wonder why they attend Church meetings or why it is so important to read the scriptures regularly or pray to our Heavenly Father daily. Here is my answer: You do these things because they are part of God’s path for you. And that path will take you to your “happily ever after” destination.


“Happily ever after” is not something found only in fairy tales. You can have it! It is available for you! But you must follow your Heavenly Father’s map.
Sisters, please embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ! Learn to love your Heavenly Father with all your heart, might, and mind. Fill your souls with virtue, and love goodness. Always strive to bring out the best in yourself and others.



Full text here

Obedience, Boyd K. Packer

Obedience- that which God will never take by force- He will accept when freely given. And He will then return to you freedom that you can hardly dream of- the freedom to feel and to know, the freedom to do, and the freedom to be, at least a thousandfold more that we offer Him. Strangely enough, the key of freedom is obedience.

Alma 26:37

“Now my brethren, we see that God is mindful of every people, whatsoever land they may be in; yea, he numbereth his people, and his bowels of mercy are over all the earth. Now this is my joy, and my great thanksgiving; yea, and I will give thanks unto my God forever. Amen.”

The Young Women theme

We are daughters of our Heavenly Father, who loves us, and we love Him. We will “stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places” (Mosiah 18:9) as we strive to live the Young Women values, which are:

Faith

Divine Nature

Individual Worth

Knowledge

Choice and Accountability

Good Works

Integrity and

Virtue

We believe as we come to accept and act upon these values,we will be prepared tostrengthen home and family,make and keep sacred covenants,receive the ordinances of the temple,and enjoy the blessings of exaltation.

There is so much power in reciting this every week.

Create, Dieter F. Uchtdorf.

This comes from one of my all time favorite talks, Happiness Your Heritage

The Human Family, Joseph Smith Jr.

"The Great Parent of the universe looks upon the whole human family with a fatherly care and parental regard; He views them as His offspring, and without any of those contracted feelings that influence the children of men... He is a wise Lawgiver, and will judge all men... "according to the deeds done in the body whether they be good or evil," or whether these deeds were done in England, America, Spain, Turkey, or India. He will judge them, "not according to what they have not, but according to what they have."...We need not doubt the wisdom and intelligence of the Great Jehovah; He will award judgment or mercy to all nations according to their several deserts, their means of obtaining intelligence, the laws by which they are governed, the facilities afforded them of obtaining intelligence, the laws by which they are governed, the facilities afforded them of obtaining correct information, and His inscrutable designs in relation to the human family; and when the designs of God shall be made manifest, and the curtain of futurity be withdrawn, we shall all of us eventually have to confess that the Judge of all the earth has done right."

Mi Testimonio muy simple

I wrote this out while in Mexico to practice to give it in sacrament meeting... jaja :)

Yo sé, con ninguna duda, que esta iglesia es la iglesia verdadera. Sé que José Smith fue un profeta llamado por Dios, y que nuestro profeta actual es Tomás S. Monson. Sé que el libro de mormón es un libro verdadero y la mejor guía para la vida que existe. Es la palabra de Dios. Sé que Dios nos ama mucho y conoce a cada persona íntimamente e individualmente. Sé que Dios oye nuestras oraciones y es consciente de nuestros problemas, y Dios quiere bendecirnos con todo. Sé que Jesucristo es el Salvador, nuestro hermano mayor, y el hijo de Dios. Sé que por la expiación de Cristo, todos puedan salvarse, si obedezcan las leyes del evangelio, guarden los mandamientos, y escuchen a la voz del espíritu santo. Estoy muy agradecida por las bendiciones que Dios me da.

translation: I know without a doubt that this is the true church. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet called of God, and that our current prophet is Thomas S. Monson, I know that the book of Mormon is a true book and the best guide to life that exists. It is the word of God. I know that God loves us very much and knows each person intimately and individually. I know that God heard our prayers and is conscious of our problems, and God wants to bless us with everything. I know that Jesus Christ is the Savior, our older brother, and the son of God. I know that through the atonement of Christ, all can be saved, if they obey the laws of the gospel, keep the commandments, and listen to the voice of the holy spirit. I am very thankful for the blessings which God gives me.

Love of God, Marion D. Hanks

The Bible teaches us that “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son.” (John 3:16.) The Doctrine and Covenants teaches that “Jesus Christ your Redeemer … so loved the world that he gave his own life.” (D&C 34:1, 3.)
God so loved that he gave.
Christ so loved that he gave.
We are here on this earth to learn, after the example of the Father and the Son, to love enough to give—to use our agency unselfishly. We are here to learn to do the will of the Father.

Trust, Joseph B. Wirthlin

“The simple secret is this: put your trust in the Lord, do your best, then leave the rest to Him.”

Patience, Neal A. Maxwell

“Sometimes we pound on the vault door for something we want very much, in faith, in reasonable righteousness, and wonder why the door does not open. … Our rejected petitions tell us not only much about ourselves, but also much about our flawless Father.”