With Optimism and Gratitude

Perhaps things have calmed down a bit by now despite the uncertainty that continues... My values as a conservative remain unchanged and it is likely that we will have a president that will challenge those values on many fronts going forward. I believe that the majority of Americans will have their lives--at least their financial lives--get worse in the coming four years. But who knows... maybe I'll be proven wrong about this and the leftist establishment. Nothing would be a more welcome surprise. 

Time will tell... 

It doesn't seem like we have much control over these issues outside of a single vote among millions. It's easy sometimes to get lost in despair being blown about by these partisan winds of power struggles. In the words of King Theoden, "What can one do against such reckless hate?" 

I believe in absolute truth. God is the source of it, for where else would it come from? If there is no absolute truth, we are doomed to confusion via moral relativism that will have mankind in constant conflict with itself until extinction (though some could argue this is the condition we live in anyways). In ancient scripture one way God conveyed this truth to his people was through prophets, and part of my church is a belief that there is a prophet today. What have they been saying? President Gordon B. Hinckley, the prophet for much of the late 90's through 2008 often talked about optimism. It was during this time that I adopted the simple word "optimism" as the key to happiness. I know it's probably easy for me to say considering my relatively simple life, but I still honestly believe that happiness is a choice and not a state enacted upon us no matter who we are. It may be an incredibly difficult choice sometimes, and sometimes it might not be "happiness" but rather "peace" that we choose, but I still think that whatever happens it is a choice available to us. All of us. I also believe in modern day apostles. One of our current apostles, Elder Dallin H. Oakes, gave out this portion of truth about finding strength in anxious times: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/new-era/2020/10/strength-and-guidance-for-anxious-times?lang=eng.

Additionally, our current day prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, spoke about gratitude (here). It's easy sometimes to focus on everything that is going wrong. President Nelson said to maybe try shifting our focus, so here's some things I am grateful for:

1. I am grateful for this knowledge: "All things have been done in the wisdom of Him who knoweth all things." -2 Nephi 2:24. And "I know that [God] loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things." -1 Nephi 11:17. These two scriptures combine to let us know that God is in charge and He has our best interest in mind, even if we don't understand why some things happen the way they do.

2. I am grateful for my family and my faith. I have often called these the anchors to my happiness, but more than that they provide me with purpose in life, something I would probably be severely lacking without.

3. I am grateful for modern technology that allows us to take on modern problems like pandemics without having to hit the panic button. Life goes on so we keep living it, trusting that the human innovation and the unconquerable human spirit will move us through the most difficult times. 

4. I am grateful for America. It was divinely founded and the world is a better place because of it. 

Anyways, these are only some of the things I am grateful for. I could get into the smaller stuff like Kraft Cucumber Ranch and lemon scented dish-washer soap, but I'm trying to keep it a little real this time around. 

Before I finish here, this is not to say that we just lie down and take what happens. There are a lot of questions to be answered regarding our electoral process and the people deserve the answers. But after all we can do, hopefully we face the future with optimism and gratitude. I say we choose happiness!