"Higher Father Higher"

 In our lesson today we visited about Elder Uchtdorf's conference address, "A Higher Joy"

Happiness is one the greatest desires of the human heart.  Elder Uchtdorf referenced a quote by Aristotle made two hundred and forty years ago "Happiness is the one thing all humans desire most.  In his treatise Nicomachean Ethics, he taught that the greatest good in life is the thing we pursue as an end itself (opposed to those things we pursue that are a means to some other end) Happiness, above all else, is just such a thing.  'We always desire happiness for it own sake' he said, 'and never a means to something else."  (The Nicomachean ethics of aristotle, trans J.E.C. Weldon {1902} 13-14)

Yet, why are there so many unhappy people surrounding us?  Daily I hear heart wrenching stories from my brothers and sisters who simply want to be happy but yet it eludes them.  I have met others who are happy due to their passions and joys ie music, creativity,  nature, or loving what they do.  They feel that they do not need God to be happy.  Like Elder Uchtdorf I respect their views and have forged wonderful friendships with many of them but as Elder Uchtdorf pointed out the joy we are searching for is "better, higher and holier."

He made this inspirational comment:  "The Gospel of Jesus Christ is truly the good news of great joy!  It is a message of matchless hope! A message of yoke-bearing and burdening lifting,  Of light-gathering.  Of heavenly Favor, higher understanding, holier covenants, eternal security and everlasting joy!  Joy is the very purpose of God's plan for His children.  It's what you were created for--that {you} might have joy!  You were built for this!  Our Father in Heaven has not hidden the path to happiness.  It is not a secret.  It is available to all!  It is promised to those who walk the path of discipleship, follow the teachings and example of the Savior, Keep His commandments, and honor covenants they make with God.  What a remarkable promise!"

When we share our love for the gospel and our beloved Savior we are not discounting our friends who find their joy and happiness by other methods we are just sharing with them that their Father in Heaven  has a higher joy that would fill their souls and radiate throughout their bodies.

Like Elder Uchtdorf, I've had pure joy which filled my soul so full that I didn't think my body could contain it.  Elder Uchtdorf then explained "Worldly happiness...does not last.  It cannot.  It is the nature of all earthly things to grow old, decay and wear out, (try going on a bike ride with a 9 year old and I found out how old and worn out I am 😂) or become stale.  But Godly joy is eternal because God is eternal.."  I have cherished moments in which the veil was parted and I partook of that eternal joy that Elder Uchtdorf talked about.  During my darkest times those warm memories of that pure joy kept me holding on.  In our mortal journey we can taste that eternal joy but there must be "opposition in all things, and because our Father in Heaven does weep we too must weep."  But as the lyrics to a beloved Michael McClean song states "Hang on the light will come."  

Elder Uchtdorf opened his address by talking about the Wright brothers and their first flights.  They never went up into the air together due to the danger but on one of their last trial flights not only did they go up but Orville encouraged his 82 year old father to go up and then with excitement his father exclaimed, "Higher, Orville, Higher!"  I have rode in planes and I must admit once your in the clouds it is an amazing site that brings joy to your soul but my goal is to continue to draw closer to my Beloved Friend and Savior, so that one day I can say to our Eternal Father "Higher, Father, Higher" when He is bestowing upon me His Eternal Joy.