Is there anything that you want more than to be happy? You might list several things that you feel you need to make your life complete, but probably the overarching desire, the thing you want most of all, is just to be happy.

This has been mans’ goal since the beginning of recorded history. Mans’ search for happiness is the root behind any great advancement in society—as hopes rose that around the next corner things would get easier, better, and we could finally be happy.

It’s not a surprise that we are so consumed with the desire to be happy. In the Book of Mormon the Lord said, “Men are, that they might have joy” (2 Ne. 2:25.) We were created to desire and search for happiness—and God means for us to find it.

Even the founding fathers of United States of America gave our pursuit of happiness prime billing in the Declaration of Independence:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

The problem with a pursuit that is so all-consuming is that we tend to believe we have found it, only to discover that our hopes are false. What is happiness? Where do we find it? How do we obtain it?

Most people would claim that money was an essential element in achieving happiness. You’re unhappy without it, surely you would be very happy with it. However, endless research fails to prove that to be true. In fact, research tends to indicate that money alone is seldom, if ever, our key to true happiness.

David O. McKay, then president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints or Mormon Church, once made reference to a statement by John D. Rockefeller—then one of the world’s richest men—who apparently had stomach trouble and had purportedly said, “I would rather be able to enjoy a good meal than have a million dollars.” Then with a wink of the eye, President McKay remarked, “Of course, he had a million dollars when he said that.”

It’s easy to make light of the need of money when you have more than enough. But when you see no end to your money troubles and you feel that you are constantly drowning in debt, you can’t imagine any happiness without money.

But beyond a sufficient amount for our needs, money has little to do with true happiness. W. Eugene Hansen, a leader in the Mormon Church wrote “Often it is the work and sacrifice one experiences in obtaining money for a worthwhile purpose that produces the most satisfaction” (“The Search for Happiness,” Ensign, Nov 1993, 81.) He goes on to share a story from his father’s personal history about his Grandmother’s experiences growing up in Brigham City, Utah, in the late 1800s.

“Their family was very poor, having emigrated from Denmark with little more than the clothes on their backs. She wanted so much to have a pair of shoes she could wear on special occasions. To accomplish this worthy desire took a full summer’s work of picking berries and tending children, since money was very scarce and labor was cheap. But the joy Grandmother felt as she obtained those shoes is indescribable, for not only was she able to wear them, but her mother did also. In fact, they had it arranged so Grandmother would wear the shoes to Sunday School in the morning, and then her mother would wear them to sacrament meeting in the evening.”

William George Jordan, American editor and essayist, wrote:

“Happiness does not always require success, prosperity or attainment. It is often the joy of hopeful struggle, consecration of purpose and energy to some good end. Real happiness ever has its root in unselfishness—its blossom in love of some kind” (The Crown of Individuality, 2d ed., New York: Fleming H. Revell Co., 1909, pp. 78–79.)

Don’t mistake the pursuit of riches as the pursuit of happiness. Money is a needful thing, but it is not the sum of all things. Find happiness in the journey, and you will be doubly blessed in the end.

I heard someone say the other day that the internet and other types of technology were bad. I was startled by that sentiment.

Yes, Satan and his followers have hijacked television, movies, music, the internet and all forms of media. But first and foremost, inspiration for great things only comes from one source, our Father in Heaven.

With the internet, for instances, the Gospel of Jesus Christ can spread to every corner of the world that all withing reach of a computer and internet connection can learn about God and His purposes. And conversely, there are many who use the internet to fight against Jesus Christ, denouncing His Church, His people and His Gospel. But just as dedicated, are those who use the internet to defend Jesus Christ and His divine nature.

Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said:

“The emergence of New Media is facilitating a world-wide conversation on almost every subject including religion, and nearly everyone can participate.

“Conversations will continue whether or not we choose to participate in them. But we cannot stand on the sidelines while others, including our critics, attempt to define what the Church teaches.

“The challenge is that there are too many people participating in conversation about the Church for our Church personnel to converse with and respond to individually. We cannot answer every question, satisfy every inquiry, and respond to every inaccuracy that exists. ...some who seek answers want them to come directly from a member of the Church, like each one of you.” (M. Russell Ballard, “Sharing the Gospel Using the Internet,” Ensign, Jul 2008, 58–63)

Mormons from across the globe answered that call. They created blogs and websites,posting about their belief, their lives and their families. They began correcting misperceptions and falsehoods about their principles and practices of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They bore testimony of Jesus Christ and His Gospel.

Sites such as LDS.net sprung up, along with Mormonwiki and others, like this one, in order to spread the truth of Mormon beliefs and lifestyles. Oh yes, my friends, technology can be very good for many reasons.

The call of a prophet's voice can be heard around the world. This is something the world didn't have until just recently and it is an amazing thing.

So when you hear someone arbitrarily say: "The internet is bad . . ." Stop, think and remember it is only bad if we only let the enemies of Christ and goodness have control of it carte blanche.

If you want good movies, support good movies. If you want to read good books, support good books. If you want safe internet sites where you can read truth, instead of lies, then do not patronize the sites which spread lies. We live in the information age, but we control how much and of what kind by what we support.

Technology is not bad, it can be good, very, very good.

I ran across a beautiful article the other day by a modern day apostle, Boyd K. Packer entitled The Spirit of Revelation. Though directed to the youth of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, his words offer encouragement for each of us about the importance of mastering our own thoughts. What we think and feel creates the most intimate parts of who we are. Do the things we harbor in our minds and hearts reflect the things that God would have there, or have we let this sacred space be taken over by the philosophies and worries of the world around us? God has asked us to focus our thoughts on Christ and virtue, among other things. One of the greatest things we can master in this life is our mind. We can use it to focus on good, evil, and every shade in between the two. But the disciple of Christ should be mindful of the first and greatest commandment:

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. (Matthew 22:37)

This can not be accomplished if we spend more time thinking about our landscaping, car, finances, hobbies, or anything else, more than we spend time pondering the ways of Jesus Christ and His gospel. Above all else, we need to avoid putting things into our mind that drive the Spirit out of our lives— these things can enter in the form of entertainment such as movies, music, books or it can come in the form of friends, associations, or other influences. We may not always be able to control what we are exposed to, but we always control what we do with it after that. If it doesn’t belong in the heart and mind of a disciple of Christ, it has no place in our lives and should not be allowed to take root within us.

Though we must learn what works best for us personally, President Packer offers one valuable solution about learning to control our thoughts that happens to be one of my favorites. It has to do with the power of music to affect our thoughts and mood. Does music affect you in such a way that it can bring you peace, energy or even frustration that accentuates thoughts and feelings you had before the music began? It can be used to enhance or to change our mood. It can be used to control our thoughts and outlook on life.

If we choose carefully and give root to things that can inspire and uplift, we have ammunition against those things we do not want to entertain. Worthy music can provide protection and inspiration when we need it most. In just the opposite manner, music that is destructive to our spirit, it can lead and keep us in darker places that become hard to escape from.

President Packer reflects on how this lesson was learned in his own family. His brother taught him to face the challenges of war and life with a hymn and a prayer in his heart, saying. He said, “I have a favorite hymn . . . and when things got rough I would sing it silently to myself, and there would come a faith and an assurance that kept me on course.”

It was a lesson well learned, President Packer reports the value of what he learned from his brother. “As the years passed I found that, while not easy, I could control my thoughts if I made a place for them to go. You can replace thoughts of temptation, anger, disappointment, or fear with better thoughts— with music.”

Then, it the fun and straight-forward manner I have come to value in Boyd K. Packer’s counsel he ends with this great summary of the challenge to control our thoughts.

“Shape up! Face up! Take hold of your lives! Take control of your mind, your thoughts! If you have friends that are not a good influence, make changes, even if you face loneliness, even rejection.

“If you have already made bad mistakes, there are ways to fix things up, and eventually it will be as though they never happened.

Sometimes guilt controls our minds and takes us prisoner in our thoughts. How foolish to remain in prison when the door stands open. Now, don’t tell yourself that sin really doesn’t matter. That won’t help; repentance will.”

Take control of your thoughts and feelings and you will find yourself with a clearer focus and steadier feet on the path of Christ you seek to follow.

Since truth is the only meaningful foundation upon which we can make wise decisions, how then can one establish what is really true? Increasingly more people are finding that making wise decisions is becoming more and more difficult because of the ultra-interconnected world in which we live. Constantly forced into our consciousness is an incessant barrage of counsel, advice, and promotions. It is done by a bewildering array of media, Internet, and other means. On a given subject we can receive multiple strongly delivered, carefully crafted messages with solutions. But often two of the solutions can be diametrically opposed. No wonder some are confused and are not sure how to make the right decisions. (Richard G. Scott, “Truth: The Foundation of Correct Decisions,” Ensign, Nov 2007, 90–92)

What is truth? Truth is the state of being the case or, the body of real things, events, and facts. In this case, let's talk about truth in relation to God and religion.

One: God lives. Jesus Christ, as I have mentioned over and over, is Jehovah of the Old Testament and the Messiah of the New. He was born into this world in humble circumstances. He did suffer for our sins, sorrows and illnesses in the Garden of Gethsemane. He not only suffered, He died. He was crucified and He was resurrected. There were not two or three witnesses of the resurrected Christ, but dozens. Thus, He forever broke the bands of death for Heavenly Father's children, for you and me.

Two: Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father are two distinct and separate personages of glorified flesh and bone. Along with the Holy Ghost, they comprise the Godhead: God the Father, God the Son and God the Testator.

Three: Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father did appear to Joseph Smith, Jr. early in the spring of 1820. At which time the fullness and truthfulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ was restored on the earth.

Four: We are children of God with a divine spark inside each of us that can be fanned into a great flame. We have only to reach for that divine potential, live the commandments of God and seek after His Son, Jesus Christ.

Five: The Holy Bible, as far as it is translated correctly, holds the word of God with the Book of Mormon standing as a second witness of Jesus Christ and a backup to the Holy Bible. Within its pages you will find the plain and precious truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

These are just five basic truths by which worlds revolve around. At the foundation of everything is plain and simple truth. The Gospel of Jesus Christ, in its entirety, is logical and based on plain and simple truth.

Elder Richard G. Scott, a living apostle, said,

The best way of finding truth is simply to go to the origin of all truth and ask or respond to inspiration. For success, two ingredients are essential: first, unwavering faith in the source of all truth; second, a willingness to keep God’s commandments to keep open spiritual communication with Him. (Richard G. Scott, “Truth: The Foundation of Correct Decisions,” Ensign, Nov 2007, 90–92)

In all things and in all matters, God will answer you. And, He will most definitely answer you in your search for truth. I invite you to read the Book of Mormon and come to an understanding of Jesus Christ and His Gospel.

With truth comes peace. With peace comes hope. With hope comes the understanding that there is so much more to life than the small piece we see. The foundation of all correct decisions is truth. That is what you must find.