If you have not yet read a higher joy from this past conference from Uchtdorf. His talk is where I get my blog from and is an amazing read that can help us in our lives.
He talks about the wright brothers invented flying and the joys from going higher. There's everlasting joy and happiness that can come into our lives by living the gospel even the higher law. Many feel like the gospel is too hard to live with too many laws that are hard to live. After all why do we need to pay a tenth of what we own when the church doesn't need it? Why do we need to serve in the church after all most churches pay people who serve in the church why not ours? Why should we go and do missionary work? Why do hard things happen to those who live the gospel to the fullest? Why should we spend time in the temple? Why forgive and give things to the Lord? Why should we always be modest when it's so hot or hard to find things that are modest? Why the word of wisdom? Why so many rules and how can they bring joy and happiness into our lives?
I have come to understand that all of the rules God has given to us all bring us to two things that are centered on love. Either we have the rules so we can show love to God and his children around us. Or the second reason is because God loves us and wants to protect us from being hurt. When we learn that every law or rule God has comes from love it will help us see those things in a way that makes it easier to follow. He is not a controlling God he has given us our agency as such it's our choice to follow God. But he does love us and knows what will be for our benefit so may we learn to see things in a different way to not only make it easier to follow but also brings blessings that we can never imagine.
Flying was risky in those early days. The brothers knew this. And so did their father, Milton. In fact, he was so terrified of losing both of his sons in a flying accident that they promised him they would never fly together. And they never did—with one exception. Seven years after that historic day at Kitty Hawk, Milton Wright finally gave his consent and watched as Wilbur and Orville flew together for the first time. After landing, Orville convinced his father to take his first and only flight and to see for himself what it was like. As the plane lifted from the ground, the 82-year-old Milton got so caught up in the exhilaration of flight that all fear left him. Orville rejoiced as his father shouted with delight, “Higher, Orville, higher!”
Just as there was joy in flying higher I promise there's joy in living the gospel or the higher law. Not just by being a Sunday Mormon because they are not living the gospel but for those who honestly do their best to live the gospel. We are given comfort in times that would otherwise break us. Hope in times where we feel are hopeless. Joy that all things are for our good especially when we might not see it with our mortal eyes at the moment. Eternal joy that will never be taken no matter how unfair life might be. God wants to bless us with joy and happiness that we can never describe or imagine but are we willing to give all things to him? To realize that as we are given things that break us that seems so unfair that we can trust that he knows what will bring us to a higher, holier, happier place in life now and into the eternities.
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