They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion, which cannot be removed but abideth forever. as the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people from henceforth even forever.
We humans long for stability. We want to know that there are things and people in whom we can put our trust. They will always be there for us.
We are fascinated by the pyramids and ancient ruins. Yet we also know there are civilizations that have completely been destroyed, leaving little evidence they ever existed.
We build homes and communities where we invest in infrastructures that will be there for everyone - schools, community centers, parks. And yet natural disasters this year (2018) have reminded us that cities and even whole islands can be devastated by fires, floods, and hurricanes.
And in today's world where divorce is so rampant, we realize that even our families can be disrupted.
What can we trust? Is there anything permanent? What is there"abideth forever"?
I remember the day I first watched the movie Man's search for happiness. It was at the New York World's Fair in 1964. I had gone with a friend. Her sister had a reunion in New York and we bummed a ride. The fair was magnificent - 140 pavilions hosted by 80 nations but I had one pavilion in mind; the Mormon pavilion. The facade was a replica of the east side of the Salt Lake Temple. The Christus statue that is in the Temple Square Visitors Center was first displayed at that fair. And it was for this fair that the movie "Man's Search for Happiness" was produced.
That movie asked these three questions:
- Who am I?
- Where did I come from?
- Where am I going?
The movie fascinated me. I watched it multiple times. It challenged me to seek a happiness that "doesn't fade with the lights, the music and the crowds". Those three questions prompted me to think differently about my life and my purpose. This was the day my conversion really began. I was beginning to see things of eternal importance - the things I could trust - the things that "abideth forever". The movie ended with these words:
"Therein lies your happiness, a happiness deeper than passing pleasure, a happiness beyond the understanding of man, a happiness not of the moment but of eternity. This is every man's search. This is the purpose of life. This is the key to happiness for the God and Father of us all has said 'This is my work and my glory to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.' "
I knew right then and there that I wanted a life based on eternal principles. I was seeking and I wanted to know "that the Lord is round about his people from henceforth even forever."
A sentence from my patriarchal blessing describes accurately the change that was taking place in me. "You realize that the things which are most purposeful, useful, and valuable in life are basically of a spiritual nature."
My faith in my Savior and in His restored gospel is the foundation upon which I have lived my life. Such faith does not bring answers to all the complications of human life. But knowing that my Heavenly Father lives, and that He knows and loves me gives me the strength to trust Him and to let go of the things I cannot understand. I put my trust in Him and His plan for His children. I have found happiness in living the principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
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