Decide to be happy

I was driving in Salt Lake City on a Wednesday night. Wednesday nights are really poor usually and I was afraid I wasn’t going to make too much money so I was trying to work at the airport and pick up bonuses. It seemed to me to be very difficult to get to the airport.

Every time I tried to get to the airport I would be taken somewhere else. One time I even got to the airport in the waiting area for an airport ride. The first thing that flashed up was a trip to Park City from the airport and I accepted it quickly. Then the app malfunctioned and said “oops sorry something went wrong” and it sent me on another ride outside of the airport over to East Salt Lake. I had to pick somebody up and take them down to Sugar House. That should never happen. It just seemed like I wasn’t going to make it to the airport

Once I dropped the couple off in Sugarhouse I looked at the map and it showed there was still a $15 bonus at the airport. I decided this time I’m going this time I’m getting there and I drove there with my app off so that I could make it all the way to the airport. I waited until I had been in the airport waiting area for 15 seconds before I turned my app on. That way I couldn’t suggest that I wasn’t in the area. I wanted to qualify for the $15 bonus and drive someone from the airport.

I immediately received a ride request and accepted it. I was going to go from the airport down to Cottonwood Heights. That would be a good ride and I would make good money. I was excited and I went to pick up this young lady.

At the airport she had gone over to the wrong area and it takes quite some time to come back from that area. Normally drivers cancel and let them just get another driver when they get to the right place but I decided to wait for her and I told her to take her time, no sweat, I got you etc. etc.

When she got into the car she thanked me for waiting for her. I could feel that she was a happy person so I was glad I had waited for a happy person. I I told her that I could feel she was a happy person and that this made me happy. I told her my theory about the heart monitor, that we make our own decision on how we are going to react and that’s the only power we have and we can decide to be happy. With regards to the heart monitor some people live their life on the bottom and every now and then blip up when they let something make them happy. Then they settle back down to their miserable selves and then wait for something else to make them happy.

I told her that the challenge was to decide to be happy, flip that monitor upside down and live your baseline as happy and every now and then something will make you sad but you bounce right back up to your normal state of happiness. We discussed how people who chase victimhood or grudges make the decision to not be happy and allow their circumstances to determine their level of contentment.

The only power we have is our power to decide how we react and we need to decide if we want to be happy. She talked about how she was having her ACL repaired the next day and I marveled at how happy she seemed to be.

She was coming back from a business meeting and she said that it went really well. I asked what she did and she said she worked for a nonprofit and she had presented in a conference. The spirit started telling me things to say to her so I asked her if she minded if I told her some impressions I had. She said no, go ahead.

I told her the words that were in my heart which were that she was pursuing a life that she wanted to pursue but that everyone else in her life was telling her she was wasting her life. Her family members and people around her wanted her to work in more lucrative pursuits. I told her that it caused some friction and that this was a great sorrow to her. I told her that these people didn’t understand how fulfilled she feels in this line of work and how happy it makes her.

I told her that almost everyone in her family was saying these things and that no one wanted her to move to Utah. I told her there was a reason though that she was brought here. I told her that was not the worst part, the worst part was that it was being whispered in her ear too that she needed to quit. She kept hearing that she needed to move onto another career and that she needed to leave this Utah. I told her that the person whispering that in her ear did not have her best interest at heart. I told her that that was Satan and she shouldn’t listen to him. I said that she should listen to the feelings that came from her heart and believe that.

As I was saying these things she was astonished. The shock from the backseat was palpable and the spirit accompanied each truth I spoke. There was silence! Reverent silence!

I asked her what she thought about what I was saying. She said It was right on and she said, “you have some kind of a crazy gift”. I told her, yes I do! It’s a gift of the Holy Ghost. I got that gift right after I was baptized and through that gift, God whispers to my heart the things to say. That’s how I knew what God wanted me to tell you and that it would touch you.

She said, I figured that’s what you would say! She said it in a loving happy way and not in a critical or mocking way at all. I could tell that this in and of itself was a sign to her. I believe it was an answer to a prayer in some fashion.

I said, the gift of the Holy Ghost gives us the gift of prophecy and revelation and through that God can tell us what to say and when to say it. I told her that tonight was a special time for her.

I told her that God puts us in situations and in places so that we can be his hands to touch the people that God would have us touch or be touched at the right time. I told her that I believe she knew that. She said, this is what I’m feeling right now that’s why I moved here. I’ve kind of known that. Right now I feel like this is why I’m here, God wants me here.

I told her that God loved her and that he was a loving father and everything he did was about loving his children, teaching his children and bringing his children home. I asked her what religion she belongs to and she said that she was a Catholic which she said means she really didn’t have a religion at all.

I told her we believe most of the stuff the Catholics believe but a whole bunch more. She said well I know you’re a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints even though you haven’t told me this, I can tell. She said I know you have a lot of beliefs that are different.

I told her that the church has a lot of teachings that bring great happiness to our lives and that it seems like she might do really well amongst the members of the church. She said it seems to me that’s why I’ve been led here, that’s why I’m here.

I told her that we believe that Jesus is the God of all the world not just Jerusalem and he went to America after his resurrection and then to other places. He did this because God loves everyone not just the people in Jerusalem. I told her that this is because he is a perfect God and God loves us unconditionally. I told her that God has all power to save his children if they will look for him.

I told her that when Jesus came to America he taught the people, he loved the people and then he left and ministered just like that in the other places where he went. He taught them the same things because God is the same and Jesus is his son and he sends him.

I told her about the Book of Mormon and how it contained this record. I testified to her that this book is true.

I asked her what she thought about this doctrine, that God is a God of everyone not just the God of Jerusalem and how he loved everyone and how he made a plan for everyone not just the people in Jerusalem. She said she never heard that before but she loved it and she knew that this is exactly the way it was supposed to be. She said that she knew that what I was saying was true. She said that it made sense with some of the other things that she’s heard about our beliefs, that God is the God of everyone. The spirit told me that she was thinking about baptisms for the dead, so I said, you’re talking about baptisms for the dead! She said yes!

I said that doctrine proves that God loves everyone that ever lived no matter where they lived and that everyone will have a chance to not only be taught the gospel, like it says in the book of Peter but to receive their baptism so that they can be exalted in heaven. She said that’s beautiful.

She said no other church had ever told her anything like that. I told her that this is proof that this is the church of God because no other church can explain how God will bring an opportunity for salvation to all of his children no matter where or when they lived in the history of mankind. She said, wow that’s amazing.

I told her that baptism is very important, so much so that when Jesus came to America he instructed everyone to be baptized even if they’ve been baptized before. I told her it was a baptism to a higher level, to a higher law. She said that makes sense.

I returned to speaking about God as our father and the feeling we have in his presence. I asked her what she felt in the car and she said it was really hard to explain but it was amazing. I said that this was the spirit of God and when she felt that she knew that what she was hearing was true. I asked her, think about it, do you doubt anything that I’ve told you tonight is true? She said no! I know it’s true. I told her the church was true and the Joseph Smith was a prophet. She said I feel that spirit and that these things are true.

I asked her if she had a Book of Mormon and she said yes, I do! It also has a wonderful little note written on the inside cover. I was promoted that this book was from a young man to whom she was special and I said, you will feel the spirit when you read the book. That’s why this person gave you that book because they know that you are a child of God.

The power of the spirit in the car was palpable and energizing for me. I knew she was feeling it. I knew it was speaking to her and I knew that she knew that these things were true.

I told her that I believe that God has a plan for all of us and he puts us in places to bless people and I told her that I believe that he uses her to lift people with her happiness.

I told her that I believe she was special and that God brought her to Utah by his hand and by that same hand, put her in my car to receive this message. She said that she had no doubt that this was true.

I asked her who gave her the Book of Mormon and she said that it was a young man. I already knew that. I asked her if she was still in contact with him and she smiled and said yes. I told her that she should call that young man and tell him what she felt and heard in the car tonight. She smiled and she said I can’t wait to do that. I asked her what the spirit had told her tonight and she told me that she believed that the things I had said were true and that the church was true.

I told her that we have the priesthood which is the power of God and with that we can give blessings for healing and comfort. I told her that the following day she was going in to have an ACL surgery and she should call this friend and have him give her a priesthood blessing.

She said, do you think he would do that? I said, if he gave you that Book of Mormon he absolutely would! She said, I’m going to text him right now and ask for that. I’m just a little nervous. I could use the power of God on my side.

I told her that if she followed through and read the Book of Mormon she would find in our church the home that her soul has been looking for. That’s why she came to Utah.