The Beatitudes

Here are a couple definitions to consider:
Blessedness: being higher than happiness. An inward fountain of joy in the soul itself, which no outward circumstances can seriously affect.
Blessed: not letting an earthly circumstance disable oneself spiritually and achieving blessedness.

 

The Sermon on the Mount lists some attributes, or beatitudes, of those who are "blessed." (Mat 5:1-12)

• The poor in Spirit
• Those who are meek
• Those that hunger and thirst after righteousness
• The pure in heart
• The merciful
• The peacemakers
• Those who are persecuted for rightesousness' sake
• They that are continuing their efforts to acquire the attributes of God

 

It is said that the Sermon on the Mount is our constitution for perfection. I like this idea. Let's look at it like this: Along time ago, we chose to come to earth. And guess what happens while we are here on this earth? Well...we experience these things called earthly circumstances. Are they always easy? Ha! Of course not. Earthly circumstances can be very hard at times, but they are put in our path so that we may become blessed. And when we are blessed, we have achieved blessedness. And guess what that means? Yup, happiness. No wait... what's the definition for blessedness again? Oh that's right, being higher than happiness. Isn't it nice knowing that achieving perfection entails something greater than happiness?

 

Here are some examples in my life where living some of these beatitudes has increased my happiness.

 

1. Blessed are they that mourn. Harold B Lee defines this beatitude with the following, “To mourn, as the Master’s lesson here would teach, one must show that ‘godly sorrow that worketh repentance’ and wins for the penitent a forgiveness of sins and forbids a return to the deeds of which he mourns.” There was a time in my life when godly sorrow finally urged me to talk to my bishop. Then after time and many prayers, I won the forgiveness of my sin. My happiness has increased ever since and continues to increase as I choose not to return to the deed of which I once mourned for.
2. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness. While living in Mainland China, I hard a time at first feeling the Spirit. It was hard to go from BYU-Idaho where I was constantly surrounded by spiritual activities to China, where it was against the law to talk about my religious beliefs to anyone besides my roommates. I started to really hunger and thirst for righteousness. If there is one thing I learned while in China, it was that the Spirit can be felt anywhere. One time I was using a computer in an Internet cafe. I was surrounded by people who were smoking and playing video games. I didn't expect to feel the Spirit in that room when I sat down at my computer. But then I started reading a talk given by President Monson and I felt the Spirit very strongly. When looking at the pattern of happiness in my life, happiness has always followed a conscious effort to strive for righteousness. Sometimes it's immediate, and sometimes it takes a while... but it always comes.
3. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake. I have only experienced this in minor forms. It reminds me of the scripture D&C 122:9. "Fear not what man can do, for God shall be with you forever and ever." There have been times in my life where I have worried what the people around me think more than what God thinks. But when I stand up for what I believe in and do what God would have me do, I feel much happier in the end than the times when I conformed to the people around me. I hope to have the strength one day that saints have had in the past when they were faced with persecution.