The above quote from President Hinckley has been a most repeated message in our home. My children will remember it from their youth. The quote is so great! It really causes one to pause and think. I guess that is why I liked saying it often to my children. Because, really, who wants to be stupid and miserable?
Gordon B. Hinckley might have said this quote other times, but he did say it at a youth New Year's Eve gathering in 2006, when he counseled again about some of the "Be's" he orginally shared with the youth earlier in 2000.
In my kitchen is this black quote board with the 6 B's. It was a gift given to me by my sister, Sherrie, years ago. A reminder to: Be grateful, Be Smart, Be Clean, Be True, Be Humble, Be Prayerful. Don't be stupid and miserable. Rather, be smart, be wise, be happy.
I have been reminded of President Hinckley's quote a few times while reading from the Book of Mormon with the Come, Follow Me study this year (2024):
Including this week, Jacob 6:12 - "O be wise; what can I say more?"
2 Nephi 2:27 - "Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself."
2 Nephi 2:18 - "And because he had fallen from heaven, and had become miserable forever, he sought also the misery of all mankind."
What is Satan's purpose? It is to make people miserable like himself.
Even the words miserable and misery sound heavy, sad, and difficult.
How about the words wise, smart, and happy? How do they make you feel?
In October 2023, Elder Yoon Hwan Choi began his message in General Conference saying:
"Do you want to be happy? What makes you unhappy? President Russell M. Nelson said: “If you want to be miserable, break the commandments—and never repent. If you want joy, stay on the covenant path.” Isn’t it simple to be happy? Just make covenants and keep them in your lives."
Which is very similiar to what Jacob says: "O then, my beloved brethren, repent ye, and enter in at the strait gate, and continue in the way which is narrow, until ye shall obtain eternal life." (Jacob 6:11)
While it might not always be that simple. Especially when the enemy of our souls will lie and discourage us. Putting into our minds unkind thoughts and lies such as: "it is too hard"; "you can never change"; "you are too far gone"; "there is no hope for you"; "you were born this way, this is just how you are"; "you'll be happier if you ________"; "just hide, isolate, and cover this up, because you can never tell anyone about _________"; and on and on. The enemy is not very orginal, I bet he tells you some of the same lies too.
Because Satan seeks to make all men miserable like himself, "he and his followers try to lead us away from righteousness. He directs his most strenous opposition at the most important aspects of Heavenly Father's plan of happiness. For example, he seeks to discredit the Savior and the priesthood, to cast doubt on the infinite Atonement of Jesus Christ, to counterfeit revelation, to distract us from truth, and to contradict individual accountability." (See "Satan" in Topics and Questions.)
I rejoice and am grateful for a loving, kind, merciful Jesus Chirst who always wants me and you to come to Him. His hands are always stretched out. He always wants me to return and come back to Him when I fall short, sin, or make an unwise choice. I am never "too far gone" and neither are you. Change is hard, but with Jesus Christ He strengthens and helps and blesses us. He will do it again, and again, and again. I cherish the gift of repentance and the opportunity to improve each day. He truly is my Savior!
I rejoice in the gift of agency and the opporutnity to learn from my mistakes and sometimes even from others. I am continuing to learn "to be wise and happy" and strive not be to "stupid and miserable". I do have a choice.
I rejoice that our leaders are talking more and more about keeping our covenents with God and the power and the strength our covenants give us. I am grateful to know more about what walking the covenant path looks like.
I am grateful to know that mistakes and wrong choices were always part of God's plan. He knew those experiences could add to our wisdom. But let us not forget, central to His plan is Jesus Christ, who overcame it all. God's fabulous plan is wonderful! God be blessed for gifting us His Son in helping us to be wise and happy as we live out this plan. Because of Jesus Christ we can do it!
