The Plan of Happiness

There is a plan of happiness.  One that leads to eternal happiness.  Imagine that, eternal happiness!!!! In studying this week in 2 Nephi 9, verse 13 stood out to me."O how great the plan of our God!" and in verse 28, "O that cunning plan of the evil one!"
The Atonement is essential to the Plan of Salvation.  President Faust said,
“Our salvation depends on believing in and accepting the Atonement. Such acceptance requires a continual effort to understand it more fully. The Atonement advances our mortal course of learning by making it possible for our natures to become perfect. …"
As I tried to understand the Atonement more fully this week, a few things stood out to me.
1.  The Atonement wasn't just about atoning for our sins.  He took upon Himself our afflictions, sorrows, griefs, illness, and infirmities.  He did this so He would know how to succor his people.  (Alma 7:12).  There is not anything we will go through that He hasn't already suffered.  At a time when I thought that no one could possibly understand my pain, I watched a video with Elder Holland.  He talked about how salvation isn't cheap.  "The road to salvation always goes through Gethsemane.  And it will always require a journey to the summit of Calvary. " He said if we are true disciples of Christ than how can we not be willing to do as He did and suffer as He did.  It is a comfort to know that my Savior has experienced all that I do so that he can comfort me.  How grateful indebted to Him I feel.



2.  We are not required to be perfect and we will not be in this life.  My husband talked quite a bit about dying and he wasn't afraid.  I always asked him how he could be so ready.  I surely did not feel ready to account for everything I have done.  I didn't know if I would ever be.  He just kind of shrugged and smiled.  I know that he didn't think of himself as perfect.  I was watching a Mormon Message by Elder Nelson.  He said, "Be patient with yourself.  Perfection comes not in this life but in the next life.  Don't demand of yourself things that are unreasonable but demand improvement.  The Lord will make the difference."  Through the atonement, we don't have to be perfect.

I am so grateful to know of this wonderful plan of happiness.  I know that my Savior loves me and I will be forever grateful for all that he did to atone for me.  I am blessed to have a body and blessed to have this spirit.  I look forward to the day when I die, and I will run into Neil's arms and rejoice that our marriage and family will continue on together through eternity.  This gives me daily motivation to try and improve and better myself each day.  To hopefully be worthy of this wonderful blessing and to be forgiven of those things that I do wrong.