What is Your Manner of Happiness? — 2 Nephi 3–5
Come, Follow Me: Book of Mormon 2024 (February 12–18)
In 2 Nephi 5, we read how Nephi’s life moved into a time of amazing, a time when his family and those who followed God “lived after the manner of happiness.” It’s worth studying this chapter to discover your own ingredients of happiness, but here are mine:
Trust in the Lord and make it a priority to do whatever it takes to always be guided by His Spirit. This includes keeping the commandments, believing the warnings and revelations of God, following the prophet, temple attendance and consistent scripture study.
Find where you belong and feel safe, physically and emotionally. This may be with family and/or others who lift you up and encourage you to grow.
Work hard to be self-sufficient. Enjoy the fruit of your labors and share with others.
Be a continual learner of new skills. Create beauty.
Love animals.
Keep a record of spiritual experiences and look for God’s hand in your daily life.
I’m also struck by something we don’t typically consider on a list for happiness–preparation. For Nephi that was making fine swords, knowing that war with the Lamanites was likely. For us, it’s examining our past hard experiences and determining what new skills or tools we need to be better prepared for the next trial. For example, learning how to express our emotions, ask for what we need directly, and listening without judgement are vital skills in the modern wars of conflict and contention.
Do Hard Divinely Better Lesson #6: Identify your “manner of happiness”. How does your life match up?
Do Hard Divinely Better Lesson #7: Identify what skill or tool would help you be better prepared for your next challenge. How could you learn it?
“Life is amazing. And then it's awful. And then it's amazing again. And in between the amazing and awful it's ordinary and mundane and routine. Breathe in the amazing, hold on through the awful, and relax and exhale during the ordinary. That's just living heartbreaking, soul-healing, amazing, awful, ordinary life. And it's breathtakingly beautiful” (L.R. Knost).