Keep the Commandments

Why are our happiness and keeping God's commandments inextricably intertwined?

Humans desire happiness and are driven to seek it in many ways. Some seek it in pleasures or possessions, others in exhilaration and extreme sports. Some believe they will find it in money, power, or fame. Some seek it in learning some new or strange thing. And the list might go on and on.

Our Heavenly Father has created us that we might be happy and provided us all that we need to find happiness. He knows and loves us best, and knows what will make us truly happy. He teaches us that without righteousness there can be no happiness and that wickedness never was happiness. (See 2 Nephi 2:13; Alma 41:10) He has given us His commandments that we might be happy.

Among the many reasons this is true, two stand out to me. First, his commandments lead to happiness, because he has decreed that it be so; He has conditioned many of His choicest blessings upon obedience to His commandments.

"There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated— [a]nd when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated." D&C 130:20-21.

"And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold outfaithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it." Mosiah 2:41

Those who seek happiness by violating God's commandments seek that which can never be obtained, because it runs contrary to the law of God.

But a second and related reason that happiness is found in keeping the commandments of God, is that the commandments themselves are designed by a loving Heavenly Father to make us happy, to make us like Him.

Joseph Smith taught:

Happiness is the object and design of our existence; and will be the end thereof, if we pursue the path that leads to it; and this path is virtue, uprightness, faithfulness, holiness, and keeping all the commandments of God. [Teachings, 255–56]

God's commandments are not capricious or random in nature, but their very object and design is our eternal happiness. Even when we don't see how that can be the case, or we think we know better what will make me happy, we should lay aside our own wisdom and trust in our loving Heavenly Father, for He knows best what will make us happy.

My favorite scripture is the following:

"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 Nephi 2:24-25

To the degree that we keep the commandments of God, to that degree and no greater shall we find happiness in this life and in the world to come.

Guatemala--Land of Natural Wonders

Guatemala is not a vacationers' paradise.  On neither its Pacific nor Atlantic coast does it have a single destination resort or world class hotel.  Visiting the beach is a third world experience.  With the exception of parts of Guatemala City, the country lacks the kind of amenities one expects in the developed world.  But what Guatemala lacks in modern development it makes up for in spades in natural wonders and beauty.

This past weekend, we had the opportunity to visit the city of Coban in Alta Verapaz to the north of Guatemala City.  You begin at nearly 5,000 feet in Guatemala City and within a few short miles descend to the Motagua River basin at less than 1,000 feet, and then within another few miles ascend to Coban at 4,350 feet, passing through beautiful pine forests and a natural reserve for the Quetzal bird.  Alta Verapaz is a beautiful part of Guatemala.  We stayed in a fairly nice hotel for Guatemala standards in the small community of Santa Cruz south of Coban.

Coban is a fairly traditional Mayan city.  Most of the women dress in their traditional Mayan dress with long pleated skirts, some with beautiful embroidery, and their distinctive lacy Huipiles over a chemise like undergarment.  Coban is small city, but it had a nice mall in the city center.  We arrived on Independence Day and enjoyed a Marimba band in the main plaza with the performers being two young and very talented boys with their father or grandfather.  En route to Coban we stopped in the small village of Union Barrios and watched the Independence day parade where all the children, and there were lots of them for such a small town, grouped in their school classes marched and danced along the highway through town.

The next day we made a trip to a famous nature site in Guatemala--Semuc Champey.  The last few miles of the road was a rough dirt road descending from the highway high on the mountainside to the Cahabón River and then up to Semuc Champey, which is a National Park.  This is really a natural wonder of the world!  The raging Cahabón River crashes down a canyon and at the top of the site is funneled into a natural underground tunnel that goes under the pools of Semuc Champey for some 300 meters and then emerges again in a torrent of white water surrounded by waterfalls from the sides of the canyon and from the crystal pools above.  The pools are beautiful natural pools that cascade down to the point where the river reemerges.  It is incredibly beautiful.  We took some pictures which we will try to add to this blog, but they just can´t do the site justice.

After spending a few hours swimming in the pools and enjoying the beauty of Semuc Champey, we headed back to Coban, but missing a left turn early on we spent several hours on a wild goose chase down the canyon along the Cahabón River on very rough dirt roads.  The amazing thing was passing buses and big trucks traversing these back woods trails to get to various points in the river valley.  It was a pretty rough ride.

We rested on Saturday and enjoyed the city.  Sunday we attended Church in the small town of Valparaíso where up from the dirt road into town we found a beautiful chapel where probably 100 to 125 local Mayan members gathered for Church.  Not a single car, other than ours was in the parking lot (well really basketball court) in front of the building.  The valley was beautiful and the faith and warmth of the Saints in this tiny town was inspiring.  It is really a testimony to the truth of the Restored Gospel to see these faithful Saints who have so little of the things of this world, but are true disciples of the Lord, Jesus Christ.  We returned to Guatemala City inspired by the beauty of this country and its humble people.

Guatemalan Independence Day

Today and tommorrow my beloved Guatemalans will celebrate their independence.  Today they travel in caravans from all over the country to come to the Obelisco, a monument to their independence that is perhaps a hundred yards from where I sit in the Area Offices.  They come as groups from schools and colleges, churches, civic organizations, or communities and at the Obelisco they will light a torch that they will then carry as they run back to their point of origin, even if it is clear across the country (they will run in a relay).  I walked over to the Obelisco this morning and watched the groups of students coming with their head bands saying 100% Chapin and other messages.  Most carried Guatemalan flags, had face painted messages, and were blowing whistles and horns.  They love their country and celebrate her birthday in grand style.  I didn´t see anyone protesting their flag here.

Why I Love the Book of Mormon

I have been thinking lately about the many reasons that I love the Book of Mormon.  Surely my undeniable witness of its truth has been an anchor to my soul against the vicissitudes and vagaries of life.  But its influence in my daily life is its surest testament.  In the depths of my soul, I find its words resonating with the deepest desires of my heart.

1.  When life is difficult and understanding fails me, I hear these words:

"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 Nephi 2:24-25.

2.  When I feel the weight of my own weakness and sins, I find myself praying for faith to put off the natural man and deny myself of all ungodliness: 

 "For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father."
Mosiah 3:19

"Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.  And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot."  Moroni 10:32-33

3.  At times I find myself pleading as does Nephi:

Nevertheless, notwithstanding the great goodness of the Lord, in showing me his great and marvelous works, my heart exclaimeth: O wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities.  I am encompassed about, because of the temptations and the sins which do so easily beset me. And when I desire to rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my sins; nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted.  2 Nephi 4:17-19

4.  When others' words or deeds try my patience, I plead for charity, that I might be long suffering, patient, and kind, and put aside my own interests:

"And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things."  Moroni 7:45

5.  And again, in my strivings to follow the Savior and become like Him, I find myself pleading that my heart and mind and soul will be filled with His pure and perfect love as Moroni explains:

 "But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.  Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen."  Moroni 7:47-48

6.  When I feel my strength slacken and my determination wane, I remember the words of Nephi:

"Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life."  2 Nephi 31:20

And the words of Helaman:

"And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall."  Helaman 5:12

And this could go on and on.  No other book has had such a profound influence for good in my life as has the Book of Mormon.  It truly is a marvelous work and a wonder.

Our Trip to Costa Rica

Earlier this month they closed the dental clinic for a week, because of a holiday celebration that blocks the road to the clinic.  So we took advantage of the break and took a trip to Costa Rica with Elder Jeffrey and Sister Ellen Clason and Elder Ross and Sister Kari Sanford.  Elder Clason is the new AALC working with us in the legal department and Elder Sanford is a dentist.  The six of us flew to Costa Rica and stayed in the Barcelo Hotel in San Jose.  We toured the city and took a trip to Volcan Poas and a privately owned park with a butterfly nursery, zoo, and beautiful waterfalls.  We attended the San Jose temple and had a relaxing Sunday with the Saints in the inner city.  The Sanfords and we spent a day white water rafting on the Pacuare River through the rain forrest.  It was incredibly beautiful.  All of us took a trip to Tortuga Island off the Nicoya Penninsula where we saw sea turtles breeding and a humpback whale with her calf, did some snorkeling, and enjoyed the beach.  We also spent a day riding the ziplines through the rain forrest canopy.  It was a fun week and a nice mid-mission break.  We developed deeper friendships with our fellow missionaries and enjoyed Costa Rica very much.

Our Guatemalan Summer

This is the season of the year they call "invierno" (winter) in Guatemala.  But for us it has been an incredibly beautiful summer.  We have had sunny cool days (70´s or low 80's) and overnight rains all through June and July.  Everything has been so green and fresh.  When I get up at 5:00 a.m. it is often still cloudy from the night´s rain, but in short order it clears up and is very nice throughout the day. They say the time is coming when we will have steady rains for several days, like it was last September when we arrived here, but in the meantime, we have enjoyed just about perfect weather all summer long.

My Deacons Quorum

I am enjoying so much my calling as the Deacons Quorum advisor.  Today I taught the boys about the baptismal covenant.  They need so much for the fundamental doctrines of the Gospel to be taught to them in plainess.  They lack the depth of Gospel knowledge that our children had, but they are eager to learn.  I see so much potential in them to become great missionaries, faithful priesthood leaders, and good fathers.  I thank the Lord for the opportunity to teach them.  The spirit in our quorum this morning was so powerful and moving; it is a testament to the love Our Heavenly Father has for these young men.

Monday Devotional

One of the wonderful experiences I have here in Guatemala is meeting every Monday morning with the employees of the Church in the Area Office in a devotional to begin the week´s work.  This morning we had the privilege of listening to Elder José Alonso of the Area Presidency.  He spoke of the important role of women in the counsels of the Church and family in helping open the windows of heaven and ensure that the power of Godliness is manifest in our lives.  He testified of the importance for those holding the Holy Priesthood of listening intently and receiving counsel from the sisters.

Elder Alonso shared an experience in his life when he was a young father and medical doctor working very long hours at the hospital including on Sundays and late in the evening.  His only day off was on Thursday.  On one occasion his young son asked him why he never went with the family to Church. He explained to the boy that he had to work very hard at the hospital, but that he did it all for him and the family.  Later when he and his wife were discussing this concern of their son, his wife told him that he did not work that way for the benefit of the family, but did it because he wanted to. She counseled him that if he worked for the family, he would be with the family for Church.  Elder Alonso testified that his wife´s counsel changed his life.  He resolved that he would make the changes necessary in his job so that he could be with his family in these important times.  The next day he asked to meet with his supervising doctor at the hospital, and the man asked him to wait for a few minutes as he had an appointment to talk with another doctor in the hospital at that time.  After the other doctor departed, Elder Alonso went in to talk with his boss.  The boss said before he heard what Elder Alonso wanted to discuss, he needed to ask him for some help.  He explained that the other doctor had come to see him about a personal problem that made it difficult for him to work his Saturday shift, and he wanted to rearrange his schedule so that he worked on Sunday instead of Saturday.  The boss asked Elder Alonso if he would be willing to rearrange his schedule so that he took his day off on Sunday.  Elder Alonso said he would be glad to, of course. When his boss asked him what he had come to talk to him about, Elder Alonso just said he had come to invite him to lunch.  He testified that when he listened to the counsel of his wife and determined to follow her counsel, the Lord opened the windows of heaven and made it possible for him to do His will.

I so enjoy rubbing shoulders with these wonderful latter-day saints in the area office.  Each is temple worthy and faithful in the Church and the spirit in the Area Office is strong.  These special devotionals every Monday morning are a great way to start the week.

Funval

One of the most enjoyable assignments I have here in Guatemala is teaching Institute classes in a nearby educational institution called Funval.  Returned missionaries get training there in English and many other disciplines to help them obtain good jobs.  They are wonderful young saints with solid testimonies, and I love sharing the truths of the Book of Mormon with them.  As part of my lesson for this evening, we will be discussing how Our Heavenly Father always prepares the way for us so that we may keep the commandments that He gives us.  He loves us and wants us to be happy, and His commandments are designed to help us take advantage of the plan of redemption and find happiness in this life and in eternity.  He wants us to succeed, and thus He carefully prepares the way for us, so that we may keep His commandments if we will trust in Him and give our best effort.  I know this to be true, as I have experienced it again and again throughout my life.  When we have God on our side preparing our way, nothing is impossible.

Our 4th of July Celebration on July 1st, 2016, Guatemala Army Day.

Yesterday we had a day off for a Guatemalan holiday called Army Day.  So Sister Kari Sanford organized a picnic for the Senior Missionaries at the wonderful Church owned camp near Chimaltenango called Las Colinas.  It is a spectacular property with first class facilities that beat anything I have seen in the States.  We drove over with Elder and Sister Tony and Margo Reyna.  Elder Reyna served with me in Colombia over 40 years ago.  We also picked up Carol Mancilla who we knew from our days of serving as inner-city missionaries in Barrio Lucero in Salt Lake City.  Her husband, Oscar, is a counselor in the bishopric in Barrio Lucero.  She is here with her daughter visiting her home country of Guatemala for the summer (well, actually the winter here).

We had such a nice day at Las Colinas.  We got to the camp about an hour ahead of the group, so we took a hike around the property.  It turned out to be quite a hike as the terrain along the east side of the property is very steep.  There was a nice trail that descended the steep hill to a stream (they call it the River Sidon, as all the features of the camp bear Book of Mormon names).  It wound along the stream through the thick forest.  It was a very pleasant place to hike.  We found an obstacle or confidence course that they have constructed for the youth down in that ravine.  We then had to climb back up the steep hill at the north end of the property and work our way back around to the south end where our camp was located.  The separate camp sites, and there must have been seven or more spread around the property, have big pavilions with great barbecue facilities and tables.  There are shower houses and restroom facilities and a large meeting hall as well.  All the camps have large fields for soccer and activities, and the whole property, about 250 acres, is beautifully maintained and landscaped.  We had a barbecue with shared sides of all types, a very nice meal.  We then played games and visited.  It was so nice to get away from the office for a day.  We enjoyed our time with Carol and with the missionaries.