HAPPINESS IS A CHOICE

DEAR BLOG FOLLOWERS,

ONE OF OUR WONDERFUL AND VERY SPIRITUAL LEADER MISSIONARIES WROTE THIS BEAUTIFUL LETTER AND I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS WORTH POSTING. I KNOW YOU CAN FEEL THE STRENGTH OF THIS YOUNG MAN'S TESTIMONY.

Dear President Albright,

When I was young I had a cousin who was shot and killed when he was 14 years old in what at first appeared to be a shooting accident in the basement. Later, the shooter’s negligence and motives were questioned. My aunt, whose son had been killed, was serving in the church at the time as a relief society president, and had been to the temple. After the death of her son she could only blame God. She was filled with anger toward the other young man involved in the incident. She fell away from the church, lost sight of the hope of being with her son again. Her life, and that of her family, made a sudden change for the worse. Almost 15 years have now passed since her son’s death and the changes in her life have been dramatic. I love my family, but it is sad to see the road her family has taken since the tragic incident.

I also had the example of Joyce. She was my neighbor growing up. Her life was far from easy. She had 5 children and a loving husband. After being married for many years her husband was in an accident and became bedridden for what would be the rest of his life. A short time after that her oldest daughter was killed in a car accident. Soon after that her oldest son took his own life. Then her mother’s memory began to fade and she moved into the family’s home. Joyce was taking care of a diseased mother, a paralyzed and bedridden husband, and was mourning the death of her two children, all while raising her three children.

Despite all of that, she remained my faithful Sunday school teacher. She called every member of our ward and surrounding area on their birthdays. When the Olympic torch came through our area, Joyce was elected to run the torch through town. People would always turn to Joyce for help even though she was the one that was really in need of the service. Her faith in God increased and her hope and knowledge of the atonement and Plan of Salvation became stronger. Joyce is to this day one of the happiest people I have ever been around despite her unfortunate and tragic circumstances.

We all have trials and hard times. During those trials we must make the decision to blame God or turn to Him for help. It is a choice! Mission life is full of hardships, but we must put our faith in God and endure cheerfully to the end. This will bring us true and lasting happiness.

Name Withheld