Wickedness never was happiness

[_Buffalo]

You can find a lot of GC talks like this one that talk about happiness:

http://LDS.org/ensign/1986/05/happiness ... =happiness

Words such as reap, restored, and desire imply that happiness is a consequence, not a reward. We are restored to a state of happiness when we have chosen to live according to the plan of happiness. Our joy in God’s kingdom will be a natural extension of the happiness we cultivate in this life.

The doctrine is concisely summarized by Alma: “Behold, I say unto you, wickedness never was happiness.” (Alma 41:10; italics added.) If we are not pure, we would be miserable in the presence of God and Christ, who are by their very nature happy and joyful and cannot look upon sin with any allowance.

Our wise and loving Father in Heaven is concerned for the welfare of his children. He desires to see us happy. The very purpose of our lives can be defined in terms of happiness. The Prophet Joseph Smith said, “Happiness is the object and design of our existence; and will be the end thereof, if we pursue the path that leads to it.” (History of the Church, 5:134.)

These sorts of sentiments are frequently expressed in the church (of course that Joseph Smith quote is never given in context - he was trying to convince a young woman to be another of his plural wives).

Having said that, why do you suppose Mormons are the most unhappy group of people in America? They're the most depressed and have the most frequent thoughts of suicide.

Is Mormonism wickedness, and therefore the cause of great unhappiness? Or are Mormons themselves the most wicked group of people in America, and therefore the least happy? Or is it something else? What do you suppose the answer is? How can we help the Mormons to be more happy?

[_Rambo]

This is what I find people say that go inactive and then come back into activity into the church. They say they did some things they are not proud of and that they were never really happy doing them. These are the people that still believed while they were in-active so how could they be happy when they knew it was wrong. Once you don't believe those "sins" no longer are associated with guilt and you can be happy doing them.

Granted those "sins" just add to life's pleasures and don't really make you happy this just add to the whole experience of life. It's kind of like pizza. Do I want to live a life without pizza? no! Does it make me happy? no. But it does add to my life experience which makes me happy that I am alive. If there wasn't these pleasures around then life would be pretty boring.

[_just me]

Happiness and "joy" are never defined. Makes it easier to convince people that only Mormon's can know "real" happiness and joy because nobody knows what that actually means.

Then, of course, if you are not happy it is all your fault because you are doing something wrong...or not doing something right. You're not perfect and that is why you are not happy.

The church creates the problem and then offers the antidote.

"Oh, you're unhappy? You just need to repent, read the scriptures more, pray more, serve the ward more, feed the missionaries more, go to the temple more, pay more fast offering, have more faith, etc, etc, etc."

[_Rambo]

"Oh, you're unhappy? You just need to repent, read the scriptures more, pray more, serve the ward more, feed the missionaries more, go to the temple more, pay more fast offering, have more faith, etc, etc, etc."

Well I never said to people I wasn't happy because really I'm usually a happy guy most the time anyways. What made me un happy was to think of all the stuff I had to do that was suppose to give me happiness. That list you just made makes me cringe and it made me cringe as a Mormon as well.

[_Buffalo]

Happiness and "joy" are never defined. Makes it easier to convince people that only Mormon's can know "real" happiness and joy because nobody knows what that actually means.

Then, of course, if you are not happy it is all your fault because you are doing something wrong...or not doing something right. You're not perfect and that is why you are not happy.

The church creates the problem and then offers the antidote.

"Oh, you're unhappy? You just need to repent, read the scriptures more, pray more, serve the ward more, feed the missionaries more, go to the temple more, pay more fast offering, have more faith, etc, etc, etc."

Yes, the church acts much like a drug dealer, in that respect. The problem and the solution, all in the same needle.