After a lot of deliberation, I decided to base my talk off of President Uchtdorf’s April talk, Your Happily Ever After. He starts his talk by saying “Over the years I have been exposed to many beautiful languages-each of them is fascinating and remarkable ; each has it’s particular charm. But as different as these languages can be, they often have things in common. For example, in most languages there exits a phrase as magical and full of promise as perhaps any in the world. That phrase is “Once upon a time.””
Those words always bring a smile to my face. I know that when a story starts with once upon a time it will be filled with adventure, romance, a challenge of courage, hope, and everlasting love. In most, it means that good will overcome evil. But, like President Uchtdorf, I love most of all when I turn to the end and read the final lines, “And they lived happily ever after.”
Isn’t that what we all truly desire; to be the heroes and heroines of your own stories; to triumph over all adversity; to experience life in all its beauty; and, in the end, to live happily ever after?
Today my dear brothers and sisters, I want to talk to you about how you can get your own happily ever after.
In the beginning of the Young Men Duty to God it reads: “You are a Son of God. The Lord has promised that as you fulfill your priesthood duties, you will be sanctified by the Spirit, you will become the elect of God, and eventually you will receive all that the Father has.”
And in the Young Women Personal Progress, we find these words: “You are a beloved daughter of Heavenly Father, prepared to come to the earth at this particular time for a sacred and glorious purpose.”
Brothers and sisters, these words are true! They are not made up in a fairy tale. Isn’t it wonderful to know that you Heavenly Father knows you, each of you. He hears your prayers, He watches over you, and He loves you with an eternal love. And, most glorious of all, He offers you a gift beyond price and compensation. Heavenly Father offers to you the greatest gift of all-eternal life- and the opportunity and infinite blessing of your own “happily ever after.”
But such a blessing does not come without cost. It is not simply given because it is desired. It must be earned, day by day. It comes only with understanding who you are and what you must become in order to be worthy of such a gift.
“For a moment, think back about your favorite fairly tale. In that story the main character may be a princess or a peasant; she might be a mermaid or a milkmaid; a ruler or a servant. You will find they all have one thing in common: they must overcome adversity.
Cinderella has to endure her wicked stepmother and evil stepsisters. She is compelled to suffer long hours or servitude and ridicule.
In Beauty and the Beast, Belle becomes a captive to a frightful-looking beast in order to save her father. She sacrifices her home and family. all she holds dear, to spend several months in the beast’s castle.
In the tale “Rumpelstilskin,” a poor miller promises the king that his daughter can spin straw into gold. The king immediately sends for her and locks her in a room with a mound of straw and a spinning wheel. Later in the story she faces the danger of losing her firstborn child unless she can guess the name of the magical creature who helped her in this impossible task.
In each of these stories, Cinderella, Belle, and the Miller’s daughter have to experience sadness and trial before they can reach their “happily ever after.” Think about it. Has there ever been a person who did not have to go through his or her own dark valley of temptation, trial, and sorrow?
Sandwiched between their “once upon a time” and “happily ever after,” they all had to experience great adversity. Why must all experience sadness and tragedy? Why could we not live in bliss and peace, each day filled with wonder, joy, and love?”
President Packer tells us “Remember this! The line: and they lived happily ever after is never written into the second act of a play. The line belongs in the third act, when the mysteries are solved and everything is put right!”
The scriptures teach us that we must have opposition in all things, for without it, we could not discern the sweet from the bitter. Would the marathon runner feel the triumph of finishing the race had she not felt the pain of the hours pushing against her limbs? Would the pianist feel the joy of mastering an intricate sonata without the painstaking hours of practice?
In stories, as in life, adversity teaches us the things that we could not learn otherwise. When we face adversity, we develop a depth of character that could not come any other way. Because our Heavenly Father loves us, He gave us a world full of challenges, and opposition, so we can gain wisdom, become stronger, and experience joy.
The process will not always be easy. There will be moments filled with despair, moments of suffering, but as you continue faithful, your happiness will be full in the Lord.
It is your reaction to adversity, not the adversity itself, that determines how your life’s story will develop. All in this audience have suffered a measure of grief and sorrow. You are all beloved to our Heavenly Father. Though at times, it may seem that you are alone, angels attend you. Though you may feel that no one can understand the depth of your despair, our Savior, Jesus Christ, understands. He suffered more than we can possibly imagine, and He did it for us; He did it for you. You are not alone.
When you feel your burden is too heavy for you to bear on your own, lift your heart to your Heavenly Father, and He will help to carry your burden. He has said “ your adversity and your afflictions shall be but a small moment; and then, if you endure it well, God shall exalt you on high.”
Enduring adversity is not the only thing you must do to experience a happy life. Let me repeat: how you react to adversity and temptation is a critical factor in whether or not you arrive at your own “happily ever after.”
Everywhere around us, there are promises of happiness. Ads in magazines, commercials on television promise you happiness and bliss if you buy a certain shampoo or lotion, or if you wear a certain style.
In a world where evil is portrayed as good and good as evil, sometimes it is difficult to know the truth. In some ways it is almost like Little Red Riding Hood’s dilemma: when you are not quite sure what you are seeing, is it a beloved grandmother or is it a dangerous wolf.
At times, when faced with adversity it can be equally difficult to remember who we are. The story of the son of King Louis the 16 is wonderful because he had a remarkable knowledge of his identity. As a young man, he was kidnapped by evil men who had dethroned his father, the king. These men knew if they could destroy him morally, he would not be heir to the throne. For six months they subjected him to every vile thing life had to offer, and yet he never yielded under pressure. This puzzled his captors, and after doing everything they could think of, they asked him why he had such great moral strength. His reply was simple. He said, I cannot do what you ask, for I was born to be a king.
Like the kings son, each of us has inherited a royal birthright. Each of you have a divine heritage. You are literally the royal sons and daughters or our Father in Heaven.
In such a confusing world, it can be difficult to know what to do when it feels like we stand alone. But Alma teaches us that in the premortal realms you exhibited exceeding faith and good works. You fought with your faith and testimony to defend the plan that was presented by God. You knew the plan was good, and you knew that the Savior would do what He said He would do-because you knew Him! You stood with Him, and you were eager for your opportunity to come to earth. You knew what was going to be required of you. You knewe it would be difficult, and yet you were confident not only that you could accomplish your divine mission but that you could make a difference. And now you are here to do what you have been reserved and prepared to do.
We all search for happiness, and we all try to find our own “happily ever after.” The truth is, God knows how to get there! He has created a map for you, He knows the way. He is your Father, who seeks for your good, and for your happiness. This map is available to all. It gives specific directions of what to do and where to go to everyone who is striving to come unto Christ and “stand as a witness of God at all times and in all things and in all places. All you have to do is trust your Heavenly Father. Trust Him enough to follow His plan.
Sadly, not everyone will follow the map. Some may not even look at it. Some will look and think that is it reasonable, perhaps even true. But the do not follow the divine directions given. Many believe that any old road may lead them to a “happily ever after.” Some may become angry or take offense then others who know the way try to help and tell them. They suppose that such advice is outdated, irrelevant, out of touch with modern life.
They suppose wrong.
I understand that, at times, some may wonder why they attend Church meetings or why it is so important to read the scriptures regularly or pray to our Heavenly Father daily. Here is President Uchtdorf’s answer: You do these things because they are part of God’s path for you. And that path will talk you to your “happily ever after” destination.
Happily ever after is not just for a fairy tale. You can have it! It is available for you! But you must follow your Heavenly Father’s map.
Please embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ! Learn to love you Heavenly Father with all your heart, might and mind. Learn how great His love for you is. Fill your soul with virtue and love goodness. Always strive to bring out the best in yourself and others.
Learn to accept and act upon the standards of the Church. These standards guide and direct you to your “happily ever after.” Living these standards will prepare you to make and keep sacred covenants int eh temple and establish your own legacy of goodness in your individual circumstances. Stand in holy places and be not moved, regardless of temptations or difficulties. I promise that future generations will be grateful for you and praise your name for your courage and faithfulness.
For those who stand for truth and goodness, who are baptized and walk in the ways of the Lord- our Father in Heaven has promised that you will “mount up with wings as eagles; you shall run, and not be weary; and you shall walk and not faint. You shall not be deceived. God will bless and prosper you. The gates of hell shall not prevail against you… and the Lord God will disperse the powers of darkness from before you, and cause the heavens to shake for your good, and his name’s glory.
You are loved. Be strong and of good courage. You are truly royal sons and daughters of the Almighty God. Your own wonderous story has already begun. Your “once upon a time” is now.
Testimony.
