Happiness is there, in that simple life

This post is part of the General Conference Odyssey. This week covers the Sunday Afternoon Session of the October 2002 Conference.

This was a good session! I remember the "Dad, Are You Awake?" talk so clearly, I can't believe it was so long ago. Elder Scott gave the most Elder Scott-ish talk he may have ever given. And I really liked "Fun and Happiness" by Elder Claudio R. M. Costa. He re-told the story of the Prodigal Son, which I feel like I've been hearing everywhere lately, but he summed it up in a different way than I've heard before:

[The son] returns, repentant from all he has done, and his father, a righteous man, greets him as a special son. He finally understands that true happiness is there, in that simple life with his family.

I love that reading! Then Elder Costa says:

All who seek full happiness can find it in the gospel of Jesus Christ, taught in His Church. Through Christ’s doctrine, we are taught that we can be part of the great plan of happiness that He has prepared for all of us, His sons and daughters. As we keep His commandments, we are blessed and come to know true happiness. We learn that happiness lies in doing small things that build us up, that increase our faith and testimony. Small things we do in our everyday lives, such as:

We are happy as we pray every morning and every night, when we can feel that the Lord hears us and is always willing to bless, forgive, and help us. We are happy as we feel the promptings of the Holy Ghost in our lives—as we feel the Spirit when we have to make important life decisions. We are happy as we go home after a stressful and tiresome day at work to the arms of our families, as they express love and appreciation for us. We are happy to talk to our children, to enjoy the family, to get together on family night. In short, we can feel happiness every day in our lives through little things we do, and we are fully happy as we keep the commandments of a loving God who cares about us.

Sometimes, when I get overwhelmed thinking of the future and wondering how everything will work out (not to mention how many unknown trials are ahead) I have to remind myself of this truth. It is really true that happiness can come in these little moments, even during times of sorrow or fear. I can see it in my life in retrospect, but sometimes I forget to count on it in the future. But I should count on it! No matter what disappointments come, I can at least look forward to the happiness that can come from keeping the commandments and seeking the Holy Ghost. I can look forward to the little things that allow good moments even when days are hard…or good days when weeks are hard.