God wants you to be happy. Happiness is not a golden ticket won by chance. Happiness is yours for the taking, by making righteous choices and living a good life. Life does not have to be perfect for you to happy, because happiness is not found outside of yourself. You hold the key to happiness within yourself, at this very moment.

In his talk “Be a Quality Person” (Ensign, Feb 1993, 64,) Marvin J. Ashton, listed six ways that we can be better people and in bettering ourselves, becoming quality people, we will find the well of happiness within us. He said “Don’t worry about being a good wife [or husband]. Concern yourself with life’s number one priority: being a quality person. If you are a quality person, you don’t have to worry about being a good wife, mother, daughter, Church member, leader, single, or community strength. If you are a quality person, you will be good in any situation in which you find yourself.”

1. Respect yourself. Respect your morals, your virtues, your body and your choices. If you respect yourself you will take care in your appearance and your behavior. When you respect yourself, you will be happy with yourself knowing that you have not compromised your values or beliefs. William George Jordan once said, “Man has two creators, his God and himself. The first creator furnishes him the raw materials of his life—the laws and conformity with which he can make that life what he will. The second creator—himself—has powers he rarely realizes. It is what a man makes of himself that counts.”

Mormon beliefs (members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) include the ancient Book of Moses. In that book we read: “And it came to pass that Moses looked upon Satan and said: Who art thou? For behold, I am a son of God, in the similitude of his Only Begotten; and where is thy glory, that I should worship thee?” (Moses 1:13)I love that! It all comes down to that. You are a child of God, in the similitude of His Only Begotten. Remember.

2. Value integrity. Be the sort of person other people can trust. Elder Ashton said “Truly happy persons will always be totally honest in their dealings with their fellowman.” The scriptures are replete with examples of the value of integrity, but I love this scripture the best: “for I, the Lord, love him because of the integrity his heart, and because he loveth that which is right before me, saith the Lord” (D&C 124:15, 20.) Knowing that God can trust you, what a happy feeling!

3. Do not be easily offended. Life is too short to spend it with hurt feelings. Don’t let yourself get bogged down in despair over the bothersome things other people do or say. Be optimistic and have hope, then you will be truly happy. Allowing yourself to take offense is like shutting yourself off in a prison. Dark and lonely, there is rarely happiness in such a place. In Proverbs we read, “A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city: and their contentions are like the bars of a castle” (Proverbs 18:19.)

4. Develop the capacity not only to love, but to be loveable. Be tender and sincere with others at every possible opportunity. Worry less over who loves you, and more over who you love and how you can show them. Giving love and kindness to others, without thought for how those feelings might be recriprocated is your surest route to personal happiness. That is the pure love of Christ and it will enliven your soul and bless you. "But charity is the pure blove of Christ, and it endureth cforever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him" (Moroni 7:47.)

Thomas P. Malone said: “Almost every emotional problem can be summed up in one particular bit of behavior: it’s a person walking around screaming, ‘… Love me.’ Love me, that’s all. He goes through a million different manipulations to get somebody to love him.

“On the other hand, healthy people are those who walk around looking for someone to love. And, if you see changes in the people who are screaming, ‘Love me, love me,’ it’s when they realize that if they give up this screaming and go to the other business of loving another human, they can get the love they’ve been screaming for all their lives. It’s hard to learn, but it’s good when you learn it.” (“Points to Ponder,” Reader’s Digest, Jan. 1974, p. 151.)

5. Don’t be a complainer. If you have a habit of criticzing or nagging others, let it go. If you adopt an attitude of optimism, you’ll find where there is something to complain about, there is also something to be grateful for. Focus on the good, see the glass as half full and your spirit of optimism will see you through.

6. Develop real faith and live by it. Model your life in this fashion: “and they humbled themselves and put their trust in the true and living God. And behold, they were faithful until the end; therefore they were saved” (Alma 5:13,) and you will also find joy in your journey. “With true faith we will increase our meaningful relationship with God. This will develop and expand our knowledge that God is our father. He lives. He loves us. He hears our prayers and would lead us to eternal happiness.”

Above all, be kind to yourself. When you look at yourself in the mirror, be slow to judge. See the good in you. Your Father in Heaven does! He created you. He loves you. You have all the potential in the world to be truly happy, and you hold that happiness within you every day. It is only up to you to decide if you will be the kind of quality person that can unlock the happiness within and live your best life now.

Joseph Smith, the first prophet of the Mormon Church, was confident about his mission. He once said of himself:

“I calculate to be one of the instruments of setting up the kingdom of Daniel by the word of the Lord, and I intend to lay a foundation that will revolutionize the whole world.” (“Chapter 44: The Restoration of All Things: The Dispensation of the Fulness of Times,” Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, [2007], 507–16.)

That is quite an impressive statement, almost bordering on lunacy. How could someone so young, and so for away from the matrices of action—New York, Paris, London, Berlin—even dream about revolutionizing the whole world? He was not of noble birth. He was deprived of the benefits of education. He was just an obscure man born in the backwoods of Vermont. How could someone with the deck stacked against him revolutionize the world?

Being in the Twenty First Century, we have the benefit of twenty-twenty hindsight. We can look back on the courage of the early pioneers plowing their way across the Great Plains. We can see the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, referred to as the Mormons, membership grow incrementally over the decades, until it has reached a membership in the multi-millions. We can see the great humanitarian work that the Church does, with feeding the poor and teaching principles of self-reliance and provident living. We can also see what church membership does to individuals. Practicing Mormons do not smoke, drink, live healthier, and they get married and stay married.

So what is behind all of this?

Part of the answer, as I see it, comes from another statement that Joseph Smith made:

“Friendship is one of the grand fundamental principles of ‘Mormonism’; [it is designed] to revolutionize and civilize the world, and cause wars and contentions to cease and men to become friends and brothers." (“Chapter 40: How Glorious Are Faithful, Just, and True Friends,” Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, [2007], 458–67)

If we want to not only make a difference, but also to revolutionize the world, Joseph Smith says simply, be a friend. Sometimes we forget the power of being a friend. The Greek philosopher Aristotle said, “For without friends no one would choose to live, though he had all other goods.” (Ethics, 1155a5) That is quite an impressive statement coming from such a deep thinker. But the point stands—simply being a friend is no simple thing.

For example, a kind word spoken at the right moment has worked wonders for me when I was down. And in the church, some of the most helpful members were not the bishops and stake presidents (congregational leaders), but my dutiful home teachers. Maybe this was what Joseph Smith was driving at. We look to President Thomas S. Monson with anticipation for his new calling as prophet, but we sometimes forget that the best way to be a leader is to be a friend. Leadership and office-holding are not synonymous.

I also see a second thing that makes Mormonism so revolutionary. It is founded in the Atonement of Jesus Christ. A successor to Joseph Smith, President Ezra Taft Benson taught about the power of Christ’s sacrifice in revolutionizing individuals:

“The Lord works from the inside out. The world works from the outside in. The world would take people out of the slums. Christ takes the slums out of people, and then they take themselves out of the slums. The world would mold men by changing their environment. Christ changes men, who then change their environment. The world would shape human behavior, but Christ can change human nature.” (Ezra Taft Benson, “Born of God,” Ensign, Jul 1989, 2)

So Mormonism is also revolutionary because Mormonism is a call back to Christ. He is the Son of God, and His life, example, teachings, and sacrifice can transform, and even revolutionize people. This is the essential miracle of Mormonism: a changed human soul.

Joseph Smith was a revolutionary in the best sense of the word. He had a mission of changing the whole world for the better. And, at least for me, he has accomplished his goal.

Within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the very first covenant, or promise, we make with God is baptism. When we recognize our testimony of Jesus Christ and feel those first stirrings that encourage us to be more like our Savior, we want to cast off as much of the world as we can and form a connection with the Heavens. When we are baptized, that connection is made.

One invitation to be baptized is found in the Doctrine and Covenants.

“All those who humble themselves before God, and desire to be baptized, and come forth with broken hearts and contrite spirits, and witness before the church that they have truly repented of all their sins, and are willing to take upon them the name of Jesus Christ, having a determination to serve him to the end, and truly manifest by their works that they have received of the Spirit of Christ unto the remission of their sins, shall be received by baptism into his church.” D&C 20:37

Baptism within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints serves a couple of purposes.

First, it establishes our alignment with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. With baptism our membership in the gospel is established. Our name is recorded with the millions of others who have made the same commitment.

Second, it establishes the connection between us and Jesus Christ. Because of the priesthood authority present in the ordinance, we make promises with Heavenly Father and in return He makes promises with us.

Third, it opens the way for us to make more covenants and receive more blessings from our Heavenly Father. Step-by-step we commit, promise, and turn our lives over to Him.

In all of these, the central theme is Jesus Christ. When we choose to enter the waters of baptism:
We are inviting Him into our lives.

We are promising to carry His name.
We choose to honor and represent Him in every aspect of our lives.
We are committing ourselves to try our best every day to live His commandments.
We step out of the darkness of the world to join His flock and grow in His light.

In return He promises us the gift of the Holy Ghost to be our constant companion and give us the knowledge and guidance we will need to continue our course of faithfulness.

Elder Robert D. Hales once said: “The gift of the Holy Ghost, given to us when we are confirmed, gives us the ability to discern the difference between the giving ways of the kingdom of God and the taking practices of the world. The Holy Ghost gives us the strength and courage to conduct our lives in the ways of the kingdom of God and is the source of our testimony of the Father and the Son. As we obey the will of our Father in Heaven, this priceless gift of the Holy Ghost will be with us continually.” (Robert D. Hales, “The Covenant of Baptism: To Be in the Kingdom and of the Kingdom,” Ensign, Nov 2000, 6–9)

With the Lord’s help we become who we want to be, disciples of Christ who carry His name in our lives and His image in our joyful countenance.

I've talked with many people who have joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, referred to as the Mormons, and I love hearing their conversion stories. Rarely does a person join the Church because of one member...it's usually the result of a variety of experiences with many members. Such is the case of this conversion story from Debi Onken. Her son is currently serving a mission in Boston and another son served in Venezuela.

I was about 12 or 13 when my mother joined the Church. We were living in San Marcos, TX. My mother was either just starting or just ending her second marriage. All of her children over the age of eight were baptised at the same time, including me. I remember the missionaries (Elder Bean and Elder Bower) and I remember some of their discussions (gospel lessons.) I have some vague memories of attending a meeting or two but that's about it. We were never active and when I went to live with my father (who was stationed in Germany) when I turned 14 that pretty much was the end of my contact with the Mormons.

Many years later when I was in my early 20's I had moved out to California and my mother moved to Hidden Hills (part of the Calabasas area where we still live). She lived across from a Mormon family - Ginny and Mike Purdy - who managed to "resurrect" the family's church membership files. For a very short time I lived with my mother and her husband and I remember having women (probably from the Young Single Adults ward) come to visit me. I always refused their visits.

Several years later I was married and my husband and I moved from Glendale into our first home in Calabasas (the same ward as the Purdys). Suddenly we found ourselves with "visiting teachers" and "home teachers." At this point in my life I didn't even know what Relief Society was, but I didn't want to appear rude by turning such nice people away from my door. My visiting teachers were Ellen Crane and Marcy Koch. I've long since lost touch with them but I will always remember them. Each month these lovely ladies would come, usually in the evenings while Martin and I were bathing babies in the kitchen sink or otherwise tending to chores, and they would stand in the kitchen and visit with us - never staying too long, often bringing vegetables from a garden or some other little thing. They usually left a small printed lesson which I would place on the refrigerator door.

Truthfully, I don't think I ever read them. Through these ladies I did inquire about some sort of "church christening" - first for my oldest and then for my second child which they then helped to arrange. Once, when my second child was still an infant, I broke my ankle and suddenly a stream of women began appearing at my door bringing meals to our family.
eThe visiting teachers were really the first contact that Martin had ever had with the church and for all intents and purposes, they were my first contacts as well. When we moved away from Calabasas for a year, I was genuinely sorry I would not be seeing them again.

I had become so accustomed to being visited that I was a bit let down when we arrived in our new home in Central California and were not visited at all. In fact, although I know our records had been sent, it was the elders tracting that stumbled upon us by accident. There were a few attempts at visiting us, but never with the steadfastness and spirit that Ellen and Marcy had brought to our home.

I believe it was the diligence of these fine visiting teachers that caused Martin and I to actually seek out the church once again when we returned to Calabasas. It was Ellen and Marcy and their friendly, caring presence that impressed Martin and relaxed any reservations he had about contact with the church. We started coming out to meetings - not every Sunday, but frequently. We had a third child by this time who was also blessed in the ward.

Once we returned to Calabasas, my husband spent a lot of time traveling to the Rocky Mountain states. He spent time in Colorado traveling with a devout Baptist who often spoke poorly about the LDS Church (Mormon) not knowing Martin had contact with the church. He also spent time in Salt Lake City traveling with a man who turned out to be a Ward missionary. This gentlemen spent a lot of time talking about the church (still not knowing about Martin's connections.) One day while in Salt Lake City Martin went to the Visitors Center. While there, he signed up for the missionary discussions. Of course the missionaries back home were only too happy to teach a family who was already occasionally attending meetings! While Martin went through the discussions (and several sets of missionaries) I had very ambivalent feelings. I was comfortable with my "part membership" and did not have a testimony. I enjoyed my association with the church, but I didn't make much of an effort to gain a testimony.

Once Martin decided to become baptized, I realized that I needed to come to some decision for myself. I picked up the Book of Mormon and read it and that was when I became converted to the Gospel. To this day I am the only active member of my family. Neither my mother nor my siblings has expressed any interest in resuming contact with the church.

Two missionaries planted a seed when I was a young girl but it was two visiting teachers who watered and nurtured and tilled the earth until the gospel was able to take root and grow. I often tell my story to missionaries now to let them know that even if they feel frustrated with their converts who seem to fall into activity soon after baptism, they never really know what will happen many, many years down the line.