“Our Heavenly Father Wants Us to Be Happy,” Liahona, July 2021
Gospel Basics
Our Heavenly Father Wants Us to Be Happy
As we remember God’s plan of happiness, we can find joy even when life is hard.
All artwork by J. Kirk Richards
Before we were born on earth, we all lived with Heavenly Father as His spirit children. He presented a plan to help His children learn and grow. Through His plan, we can become more like Him and be worthy to enjoy eternal life. This plan is possible because God’s Son, Jesus Christ, came to earth to suffer for our sins, a sacrifice called the Atonement.
Heavenly Father’s plan is called the plan of
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happiness (see Alma 42:8),
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salvation (see Moses 6:62),
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redemption (see Jacob 6:8), or
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mercy (see Alma 42:15).
As these and other scriptures show, Heavenly Father wants us to become like Him, return to Him, and be truly happy (see Moses 1:39).
We Come to Earth to Learn and Grow
God sent us to earth, where we could have a physical body (see Genesis 1:26–27). We needed bodies to help us experience life on earth.
God knew that we would not feel happy all the time. We experience disappointments, pain, and even death. But through life’s challenges, Heavenly Father helps us learn and grow.
God also gave us agency, the ability to choose between good and evil. He lets us choose for ourselves what we think and do. He has given us scriptures and living prophets to help us learn to choose what’s right (see Abraham 3:25).
Try to Be like Jesus Christ
God didn’t send us to earth without an example to follow (see John 13:15). He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to show us the way. To learn how to follow Him, we can read the scriptures to learn who He is and what He did during His life on earth. We can also do our best to be like Christ by obeying God and loving others.
When we make mistakes, we ask for forgiveness and draw upon the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ to help us change. We can be happy as we try each day to become more like Him.
Death Isn’t the End
When we die, our spirits go to the spirit world. There we continue to learn as we prepare for the Resurrection.
During the Resurrection, our bodies and spirits will reunite. Our bodies will be perfect, and we will never again suffer death or disease (see Alma 11:44–45). Just as Jesus Christ died and came to life again, we all will live again.
When God judges us, He will consider our actions and our desires. If we have tried to keep the commandments and the promises we made to Heavenly Father, then we can live with Him again.
Life with God and Our Families in Heaven
In the celestial kingdom, we will live with God and Jesus Christ. We will also be able to live there with our families forever if we are sealed to them. We will find peace, happiness, and rest (see Mosiah 2:41).
Our life on earth may be hard at times, but if we follow Jesus Christ, we can find joy in this life and eternal happiness in the life to come.
What Do Scriptures Say about the Plan of Happiness?
The way we live our lives is important. God will judge and reward us according to our thoughts and actions (see Alma 41:3).
Satan is the enemy to our happiness. He tempts us to misuse our life on earth and to sin. He wants us to become miserable like him (see 2 Nephi 2:27).
When we have faith in God’s plan for us, we can have peace no matter what trials we face. We can look forward to living forever with God (see Doctrine and Covenants 59:23).
In an interview with the Church magazines, three adults share their testimonies of the plan of salvation and how the Savior’s atoning grace gives us strength and hope of a happy ending.