"..the manner of happiness."

2 Nephi 5:27 "And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness."

    This is the theme of my blog. This is the theme of my life. This is the theme of my scripture study. I want to live in a manner of happiness! I want at the end of my life to be able to say that I did my best to be happy and share happiness with others.
    So, in an essence, what is happiness? "Happiness," the Prophet Joseph Smith wrote, "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 of the Prophet Joseph Smith, http://www.lds.org/liahona/2002/07/pathways-to-perfection?lang=eng&query=pathways+perfection)
    In the talk that President Thomas S. Monson gave, referenced above, he outlined four ways to stay on the path to happiness as described by Joseph Smith. Those four ways are:

1. An attitude of gratitude
2. A longing for learning
3. A devotion to discipline
4. A willingness to work

    Gratitude. Something so easily overlooked. When I focus on what I'm grateful for, I realize how much I have to be happy about. In Alma 34:38, Alma says, "...live in thanksgiving daily, for the many mercies and blessings which he doth bestow upon you." Over the summer, I had a goal to text what I was grateful for every day to one of my friends. When I did this I found the good in supposedly awful days. I saw the sunshine where before I'd only seen rain.
    A longing for learning. I'm not going to lie, I can't say I've ever longed to learn. However, I've always loved to read. I love to lose myself in stories of mischief or romance, of theory or passion. Reading is an amazing way to commune with the world, even though one is alone when they read. Out of the best books to read is, of course, the Book of Mormon.  “I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.” (Joseph Smith) When we abide by the precepts in the Book of Mormon and learn from it, we become closer to God, and thus are happier.
    A devotion to discipline--not my strong point. I procrastinate. I get lazy. I get on Facebook instead of doing my homework. This is definitely an area I need to work on. "Our Heavenly Father has given to each of us the power to think and reason and decide. With such power, self-discipline becomes a necessity." (Thomas S. Monson) We have agency, and thus, self-discipline is a necessity. 
    Lastly, a willingness to work. Doing leads to happiness. I really do see this in my life. Even though I love to sit at home and watch Heroes on Netflix, this doesn't make me happy. At the end of the day I feel pathetic for not having accomplished anything. Of course, some relaxing days are great, but when I do things, when I accomplish my goals, I am happier. I live in the manner of happiness when I work.

    But beyond all these ways to stay on the path to happiness, I have a firm testimony that this church, this gospel, is happiness. Jesus Christ enabled us to be happy through his Atonement. I'm so grateful to have the truth in my life.