Through the restoration of gospel of Jesus Christ and missionary work, we’re reminded that we are children of our Heavenly Father. We came here with purpose and the plan salvation. We have a body of flesh that we might have joy (2 Nephi 2:25); we are tested to see if we will do all things whatsoever the Lord our God shall command us (Abraham 3:25); and we can be perfected through the grace and redemption of Jesus Christ (Moroni 10:32).

We are here now and we do not live alone. During this learning process in life, we deal with people who surround us every day. As we encounter unpleasantness, we come to know what joy is; as we get sick we come to know what health is. As we face failure or difficulty, we come to know what success or happiness is as well.

As Latter-day Saints, what makes us different? How can we be of joyful all of the time? Let me share a few stories:

Story 1 - The Rising Balloon

There was a man who made a living by selling colorful helium-filled balloons at fairs. Whenever business was slow, he would release a balloon into the air and when the children saw it go up, they all wanted to buy one and his sales would go up again. He continued this process all day. One day, he felt someone tugging at his jacket. He turned around and saw a little boy who asked, "If you release a black balloon, would that also fly?" Moved by the boy's concern, the man relied with empathy, "Son, it is not the color of the balloon; it is what is inside that makes it go up."

As Latter-Day Saints, we 'go up' because we have a positive attitude:
The attitude of love for God, our families, and our neighbors.
The attitude of faith in our life.
The attitude of hope in Christ.
The attitude of obedience to God's commandments and local laws.
The attitude of sacrifice.
The attitude of service to our God and people.
The attitude of learning because we are teachable.
The attitude of appreciation for our blessings.

Story 2 – Gold Digger

As a young Scottish boy, Andrew Carnegie came to America and started doing odd jobs. He ended up as one of the largest steel manufacturers in the United States.
Someone asked Mr. Carnegie how he dealt with people and he replied, “Dealing with people is like digging gold: When you go digging for an ounce of gold, you have to move tons of dirt. But when you go digging, you don’t go looking for the dirt, you go looking for the gold.”

If we are looking for what is wrong with people or with things, we will never be happy. What are we looking for in this life and what is our focus? We know exactly what our gold is. Remember that we concentrate on our purpose in life with an eye single to the glory of God. We are not looking for tons of dirt (temporal concerns and items); we are looking for the gold (personal salvation; eternal families; missionary service; genealogy and temple work).

Story 3 - Image of Gold at the Bottom of the Pond

A man stopped by a pond and thought he saw gold glittering at the bottom. Shouting that he had found gold in the water, he dived in and stirred up the mud, looking for the gold. He was exhausted by all this effort and he found nothing. Frustrated, he came ashore for a rest. Minutes later, the mud settled and the water became clear and transparent. The image of gold reappeared in the water. The man again dived in to look for the gold, but he failed again.

His father came along and found his son in bad shape. “How come you look so tired? What have you been doing?” he asked.

The son told his father, “There is gold at the bottom of the pond. I’ve dived for it and stirred up the mud several times but I just can’t find it. I’m dead tired now.”

The father looked into the pond. He saw the image of gold but he sensed it was a reflection of the gold hanging on the branches of a tree on the bank. He therefore told his son, “It must be that a bird picked up the gold from the pond and hung it on a tree.”

The son followed his father’s advice and climbed up the tree. He found the gold he was looking for at last.

As parents, we have a sacred duty to rear children in love and righteousness; and to provide for their physical and spiritual needs. It is obvious that all of us will try our best to fulfill our family responsibilities. Unfortunately, some of us focus on the temporary at the expense of the spiritual welfare of our families. If we want to find the gold of real value for our family, the best way is to follow our Lord’s counsel and seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto us (Matthew 6:33).

Story 4 - Refiner's Fire

A group of women were studying the third chapter of the book of Malachi. The third verse, "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver,” puzzled them and they wondered what this statement meant about the nature of God. One woman offered to find out about the process of refining silver and report back at their next session.

That week the woman watched a silversmith at work. He held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest so as to burn away all the impurities.

The woman thought about how God holds us in similar “hot spots.” She thought about the phrase he "sits as a refiner and purifier of silver." She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The man answered that indeed, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. Silver left even a moment too long in the flames would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?" He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's easy! When I see my image in it."

Some of us encounter economic difficulties; health challenges; or the death of a beloved relative or friend. If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that you are in God's hand. He has His eye on you. He will not let you be destroyed, and He will keep holding you and watching you until He sees His image in you.