Happenstance and Happiness.

This week kept me on my toes the whole time! It seemed to me like every day had its own note worthy story but I think the best one happened yesterday at the BYU vs Hawaii game. First lets rewind four or so months ago. I'm nearing the end of my mission serving with Fabrizio Cena and Sridar Paramalingam  in central London. Sunday morning a group of enthusiastic Americans walk in bright eyed. I was so happy when each of them stood up that fast and testimony meeting and bore their testimonies about a great missionary opportunity that they had in a cab. Well they grabbed us afterwards and asked if they could get a few copies of the Book of Mormon so they could be prepared for their next chance at sharing the gospel. So i invited them to walk back to our office with us and we would get them some. Well along the way as we are chatting it turns out that they know of Fabio Cena. I guess he made quite a name for himself during his dancing days at BY prior to coming to London. By their reactions he was some what of a celebrity amongst that particular group. So we laughed about it and sent them on their way never expecting to see them again. Come Friday night I found myself with out a ticket and without a date to double with my roommate so I sat watching the game on the tele. When half time came around it was obvious that it wasn't much of a game, BYU had scored 20 unanswered points. So I figured I would try my luck and try to get in. Along the way I ran into Richie Edwards who gave me his pass since he saw all he wanted to and was escaping the cold. After I got past the ticket gates I had the problem of finding the right seat. Wondering from row to row, section by section I finally found it and sat down with a good two or three empty seat to either side of me. Then it happened. I looked to my left and saw two enthusiastic bright faces heading, over, under and through the crowd, my way. They had that unmistakable look in their eye; they knew who I was. I began to panic and looked away as I tried desperately to plan an escape route and figure out who they were. Well before i could come to a conclusion on either account there they were standing right next to me. They introduced themselves as Kendall and Nicolle and asked if I was Elder Solomon. Then they I made the connection as they explained that they ran into me in London! How random? I ended up spending the rest of the evening with them. Not a really manly end to the evening but they showed me their roof, we played catch phrase and sat around talking about soul mates, international humanitarian projects, and Europe. It was great fun!
Other key events from the week include a 16 hour night shift (shot me) finding a 30GB iPod in my couch, running a 7 minute mile (first time in a long time) and my daily fortune cookie being spot on with each day.
Now to start my pontifications. I love my job, mostly because with labor intensive jobs such as digging holes for plans the distractible portion of my brain is occupied with the mundane labor leaving a more intellectual part open for pondering. The other day I was trying to draw parallels between the teaching of the gospel and philosophy. I was thinking about universals. There is a prevailing idea that you cannot prove something to be true because there is always an antithesis waiting to revel its self. The Sophist used this to create a great feeling of skepticism across the Greek states. Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle countered this idea by teaching about universals. If a concept or idea is found to apply universally then it must be true. For example. Dogs have four legs. They all do, yes some don't because they lost one but universally dogs have for legs. Therefore we can surmise that the statement 'dogs have four legs' is a true statement. So then I was trying to find the universals between the teachings of these different philosophers. Its important that each had their different ideas or else they would not have made a name in history, and I would not be studying them right now. However, for their ideas to have any importance and relevance there would need to be truth in them. So I tried a secular approach to finding truth by identifying universal opinions of these philosophers. The first I found was that the purpose of our existence as humans is to be happy. Yes, some interpreted happiness a bit differently but ultimately it came down to having peace in our mind and joy in our hearts. So the question is 'how do we obtain this happiness'? Plato taught that we are happy when we are good. Now to define good. We call a knife good which cuts properly, a boat good which floats properly, and a house good that shelters us properly. We identify something as good if it performs its primary functions according to expectations. So what does that say of us? We are 'good' when we do what we are suppose to do. When we act in the right manner. Then comes the ethical debate which has lasted for millenniums. How does one act right? Now looking at history and watching current political debates we still have not found the answer by taking a secular approach. Silly really because they whole time we have had the answers sitting in a Good Book. The gospel will always answer the questions that philosophy cannot. Revelations are always more valuable then research. Now all of these philosophical points can be found in Holy Writ. 'Adam fell that men might be; MEN ARE THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE JOY.' A familiar teaching from a prophet long ago which is congenial with the teachings of the ancient philosophers, that is our purpose is to find happiness. So we are to find happiness. We find happiness by being good. We are good when we act correctly. There are two parts to acting correctly. First you need to know what the correct choice is. Second you have to make the decision to do the right thing when it is time for the choice. Seems easy but when it comes down to it it can be a pretty daunting task. Now let me talk for a bit about our Father in Heaven. His purpose is a little different then ours. He already has obtained a full measure of joy, being an exalted Being and all. So His focus has changed a little more. He tells us 'My work and my glory is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man' or in short. 'My purpose is to help you become happy, eternally happy, like me.' All of a sudden this daunting task become a little less daunting. The great thing is that He takes care of all the hard parts, such as changing our hearts, working out immortality, and satisfying justice. Each is worthy or a sermon in itself but for now I want to focus on the process that He puts us through to help us become 'good' and find happiness. It is important to note here that unlike Aristotle's Allegory of the Cave, we are not dragged for stage of enlightenment to stage of enlightenment. God works we us as long and as far as we allow Him to through our humility and eagerness to learn. Right having said that, here is the process; justification, purification, sanctification, and salvation. For me definitions are extremely important so let me share with you my perceived definitions of these words and explain their purpose is becoming good. Justification- becoming right with the law. Each of us develop our own perception of truth as we gain life experience. Truth is truth and when it comes to the eternities and their principles it does not change according to perception. Truth is never false but our perceptions can be. With false perceptions we cannot act in accordance with truth. Therefore to act is a right manner we have to know what the right manner is. The act of justification in this sense is when the Lord teaches us and changes our perception of truth to be accurate and 'in line' with His. It is a 'line upon line' process where we are taught 'things as they really are'. Of course this comes through receiving individual testimonies bore to us by the Holy Spirit. It comes from asking, seeking, and knocking. It comes from 'diligently searching in the Light of Christ.' Then, ultimately, listening and responding. Justification is how our mental image and perception of the world around us becomes bona fide. Being Justified we can then be purified. As we go through life we make mistakes, some ignorantly, other mistakes we make hoping good will come of it, and some we are just out right rebellious and malicious. While becoming justified we learn that no unclean thing can enter the kingdom of heaven. This is where purification comes in. Purification is being cleansed of all impurities. Now there are many points that can be included in that. Purified from past transgressions. Purified of evil and wrong desires. Purified of guilt. Eventually if we are to become 'good' we need to be completely purified in all senses. Fundamentally entire purification begins and ends with a purification of our heart. This is an act which is performed by God. As we are justified the Lord promises that He will give us a new heart. "A new heart also will i give you, and a new spirit will i put within you: and i will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and i will give you an heart of flesh." (Ezek. 36;26) With this new heart we will have no more desire to do evil, but to do good continually, and will will not be able to look on sin save with abhorrence. After God justifies us he will purify us. Next is sanctification. To be sanctified is to be made holy, or to be separated and set apart for a holy purpose. Sanctification is when we completely turn ourselves over to God. When we dedicate all our time, efforts, and resources to the building up of His kingdom and the establishment of Zion. This is the complete and total submission which Elder Neal A. Maxwell so frequently spoke about. This is when we are invited to and become 'one' with the Son as he is 'one' with the Father. This is when we give to him the only thing that is uniquely ours to give. The one thing God will never take from us. I speak of our Free Agency. Sounds like a high offer, but if we correctly go through the first two processes it will be an easy decision to make. If we fully understand the implications and as cleaned from our selfish desires sanctification will be an honor  and a privilege we will humbly  and gratefully accept. Last is Salvation. To be saved is to be put beyond the reach of our enemies. It is at this point that we are put beyond the bounds of death and hells powers. We will receive a sure word of prophecy that there is a place in the mansions of heaven prepared for us. When we are saved our ability to act correctly in no longer limited and we will be eligible for complete happiness. Thus fulfilling our purpose. All of this possible because of Jesus Christ. His infinite and eternal sacrifice, performed on our behalf, gave him all the necessary tools to help us on our way. He satisfied the demands of justice making purification possible. Being full of grace and truth he is able to justify us by teaching us the right way. His grace makes it possible for us to do thing which are beyond our capabilities thus allowing us to turn our hearts and our everything to him and be sanctified. I am so grateful for all of this. I know that happiness is Gods ultimate design for us. I also know that true, complete happiness is obtainable, because I have tasted it. Just today in fact as I walked in the doors of the Holy Temple, and each time I feel and here the whisper of the Still Small Voice telling me that I'm a stranger and a wanderer here, destined for higher things and celestial realms. I know that as we live and follow the teachings of Christ we become 'good' and find happiness.