The Path of Happiness

In “Do You Want to Be Happy?“, Elder Yoon Hwan Choi quotes President Nelson on how to be happy. “If you want to be miserable, break the commandments—and never repent. If you want joy, stay on the covenant path.” God has given us a plan and a roadmap to happiness. The roadmap is referred to as the covenant path and it encompasses the fullness of God’s plan (sometimes called the plan of happiness).

What Is the Covenant Path?

Elder Renlund has stated, “The term covenant path refers to a series of covenants whereby we come to Christ and connect to Him. Through this covenant bond, we have access to His eternal power. The path begins with faith in Jesus Christ and repentance, followed by baptism and receiving the Holy Ghost.” This series of covenants act as milestones on our trip through mortality and our return to God’s presence. The covenants “connect us more fully to [God and Christ]” (Elder Renlund). As we connect more fully with Them, our path becomes better illuminated and it’s easier to see where we are going.

God’s plan answers three basic questions:

1. Where do we come from?
2. Why are we here?
3. Where are we going?

The covenant path provides the answers to these questions as we understand and keep its covenant milestones.

How Do We Get On and Stay On the Covenant Path?

“The greatest lesson we can learn in mortality is that when God speaks and we obey, we will always be right. When we keep the commandments, our lives will be happier, more fulfilling, and less complicated. Our challenges and problems will be easier to bear, and we will receive [God’s] promised blessings” (President Thomas S. Monson). There are two important parts to this quote:

1. Obeying God puts us in the right
2. Challenges and problems don’t necessarily go away but rather become “easier to bear”

How do we get on the path? As a missionary, I had the great opportunity of introducing people to the covenant path. I could not put a person on the path, but I could help them understand how to get on it.

The 4^th Article of Faith explains how to get on the path. There are four steps:

1. Develop faith in the Lord Jesus Christ
2. Repent and desire to be cleansed of our sins (repentance plays a key role in staying on the path as well)
3. Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins. Baptism, as well as all ordinances, must be performed by one having authority from God
4. Have hands laid on us and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Again, this gift has to be given by one who has the authority to do so. Also, one must “receive” the Holy Ghost

These four steps get us onto the covenant path. As we progress, the opportunity to make more covenants becomes available.

How do we stay on the path? The easiest way to stay on the path is to resist temptations and stay true to our covenants. In the history of the world, only one person has been able to stay on the covenant path throughout the entirety of life. That person was Jesus Christ.

The rest of us are imperfect beings and therefore will yield to temptation at one point or another. Does this mean all is lost? No! Thanks to the Savior’s atoning sacrifice, we have the opportunity and ability to repent.

Repentance during our travels on the covenant path is just as important to staying on the path as it is to getting on the path. President Nelson has extolled the virtue of daily repentance. He has taught that repentance can liberate us and draw us closer to God and Christ.

What else can we do to stay on the path? I have learned that when times are tough and I don’t feel like staying strong, I just need to forge ahead. What do I mean by that? I mean that I keep doing the things that bring the Spirit to my life. Those things include:

1. Daily prayer
2. Daily scripture study
3. Exercise
4. Magnifying my calling

If I continue to do the things that bring the Spirit, I find that the burden of challenges and problems is lightened and becomes “easier to bear.”

The Yoke of the Savior

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30, emphasis added).

“Yoking yourself with the Savior means you have access to His strength and redeeming power. The reward for keeping covenants with God is heavenly power—power that strengthens us to withstand our trials, temptations, and heartaches better. This power eases our way. Those who live the higher laws of Jesus Christ have access to His higher power. Keeping covenants actually makes life easier! Each person who makes covenants in baptismal fonts and in temples—and keeps them—has increased access to the power of Jesus Christ.”

President Russell M. Nelson “Overcome the World and Find Rest“

When we yoke ourselves with the Savior we can expect:

1. Access to His strength and redeeming power
2. Strength to withstand our trials, temptations, and heartaches better
3. An easing of the way

I have seen this in action in my life. Our challenges in having children felt heavier than we could bear. However, by taking on Christ’s yoke, we had the strength to endure and eventually be blessed with five amazing children.

Being yoked may sound restrictive, and in a lot of cases can be. But, when we are yoked with Christ, we are made free to enjoy all that God offers.

How does yoking ourselves to Christ keep us on the path? Elder Bednar explains, “Making and keeping sacred covenants yokes us to and with the Lord Jesus Christ. In essence, the Savior is beckoning us to rely upon and pull together with Him, even though our best efforts are not equal to and cannot be compared with His. As we trust in and pull our load with Him during the journey of mortality, truly His yoke is easy and His burden is light” (David A. Bednar, “Bear Up Their Burdens with Ease“). Christ pulls with us as we travel the covenant path. The stronger we are yoked to the Savior, the harder it is for Satan to lure us off the path.

Conclusion

Elder Choi asks, “Do you want to be happy?” He answers, “Stay on the covenant path.” We enter the path through faith, repentance, baptism, and receiving the Holy Ghost. We stay on the path by continually repenting, making and keeping more covenants, and yoking ourselves to Jesus Christ. In the end, if we stay on the covenant path, we will find happiness and eventually be received into God’s presence.