Hope and happiness and joy

A few months ago the Visiting Teaching lesson was on Personal Scripture study.
It was very sweet and after hearing my companion Sarah teach the lesson three different times, I started to think "Maybe I should try to read my scriptures, since that is something I am very bad at remembering to do."
So I've been trying.
Trying, mind you, not always suceeding.

But when I do set aside the time in the morning, I usually read a chapter from the Book of Mormon (get one for free here!) and then an article from the Ensign. Being as this month the Ensign is filled with talks from General Conference, I find this to be particularly wonderful.

Today I read these words:
Hope and happiness and joy are not products of circumstance but of faith in the Lord.

I cannot stop rereading it.
I am not happy merely because my life is good, or because I have a job, or because I have a perfect-for-me husband (though trust me, all those thing contribute) but one by one those things could disappear.
The only thing that would keep me happy then, and what keeps me happy now, is the gospel of Christ.

Today it is snowing, so I found this scripture to be especially apt as well:
Remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his might winds, yea, his shafts in the wirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which you are built, which is a sure foundation, whereon if men build they cannot fall.

I would highly recommend reading this conference talk if you have some time. It will only take about ten minutes, and even if you're not Mormon, it is beautiful to read. You know I don't often ask you to read these sort of things, and although I have a strong testimony of Christ, I hardly ever mention it on my blog for fear of turning people away.
But this is worth it.

If you're feeling down, or maybe cold and wet from the unexplicable snowfall outside, this will help you feel better.
I'm sure of it.