Smile :)

"Smile though your heart is aching,
Smile even though it's breaking,
When there are clouds in the sky-
You'll get by,
If you smile through your fear and sorrow,
Smile and maybe tomorrow
You'll see the sun come shining through-
For you.

Light up your face with gladness,
Hide every trace of sadness,
Although a tear may be ever so near,
That's the time you must keep on trying,
Smile, what's the use of crying?
You'll find that life is still worthwhile,
If you just smile."
Smile by Charlie Chaplain

This morning, the young women in my ward did baptisms for the dead. And you know what I was feeling? Happy. Like, ridiculously happy. Like, so happy, that when I went to school and had to take a math test during A hour, I still had this big, silly grin on my face. So happy that when I went to first hour, and found the lyrics to a song that I probably haven't heard since I was six, I was ecstatic, and probably driving the people around me crazy. Even the news of Mrs. Jones leaving Mesa High didn't keep me down - and that was some pretty upsetting news for me. Why was I feeling so ridiculously happy? Well, let me share with you a scripture I found during my scripture study today.

"My son, be faithful in Christ; and may not the things which I have written grieve thee, to weigh thee down unto death; but may Christ life thee up" Moroni 9:25.

So. What was I doing in the temple? Performing service for the dead, giving them the opportunity to be baptized, if they so choose. What does that one scripture mastery say about service? That doing service to people is the same as serving Heavenly Father and Christ, right? So by doing baptisms for the dead, I was doing service to Heavenly Father and Christ. Which was building my relationship with them. And because of that, Christ was able to lift me up.

Why am I sharing this with you? Well, here's a story for you. In English, we have a project where we're supposed to make a soundtrack of our life, and like a common theme throughout it. I was thinking of what I could do for it. I thought of something my mom told me a few months ago. It was probably a few weeks after we had taken family pictures. I was just getting over a rough patch in my life, and, sort of, rediscovered my happiness. And so my mom was talking about family stuff, and the pictures came up. She told me she liked my smile in the pictures. She then went on and said, "You're my happy child." So, I was inspired. I'd do sort of a happiness theme. So I was thinking of songs to choose. And the song "Smile" popped into my head.

Why is this so important to me? Because "Adam fell that men might be, and men are that they might have joy." We are sent here to find happiness, to find joy. Christ wants us to be happy. Sure, we'll have bumps along the way. We'll have trials and hardships. But never let that get you down! Be happy! If you don't feel happy, smile anyway. Because you'll eventually feel that happiness. It's always worth it to be happy. If you're sad or upset, do your best to get happy instead. Be lifted up in Christ. Doesn't your best friend have the ability to make you smile and laugh no matter what? So make Christ your best friend. He'll never let you down, and He'll always find the best ways to make you smile. Like having an open-book math test. Or not having to take the speaking test in Spanish. Trust in the Lord. He'll make your day, I promise you. It's hard to not be happy when you have the Savior on your side. Because He gives you hope. And hope gives you joy and happiness.

So, moral of the story: smile. Be happy. "Be happy sings the little bird, on boughs beneath the blue. Be happy, happy all day long, and others will be too." Despite any trials or hardships you have, there is always a reason to smile.