01 August 2010

Happily Ever After

I am not far into my current book. Young Despereaux (a tiny mouse) is being condemned to the dungeon for allowing humans to see him and talking to them. He find himself confused.
How, he wondered, had things gone so terribly wrong? Wasn't it a good thing to love? In the story in the book, love was a very good thing. Because the knight loved the fair maiden, he was able to rescue her. They lived happily ever after. It said so in the book....Did the knight and the fair maiden really not live happily ever after? ...Reader, do you believe that there is such a thing as happily ever after? (DiCamillo, Kate. The Tale of Despereaux. Candlewick Press, Massachusetts, 2003, pg58).
What a question to ask. Despereaux is in a very difficult situation. Giving up seems like a good option. How often do we get to this point in life. There must be many who feel giving up, during hard economic times, is a good option. Morale decay of our society may lead us to release the values we hold dear. At this point I wanted to share something with my young mouse friend.
In our most recent General Conference President Dieter F. Uchtdorf addressed the Young Women of the church. The title of his address:"Your Happily Ever After".
My dear young sisters, you need to know that you will experience your own adversity. None is exempt. You will suffer, be tempted, and make mistakes. You will learn for yourself what every heroine has learned: through overcoming challenges come growth and strength.It is your reaction to adversity,  not adversity itself, that determines how your life's story will develop. (Uchtdorf, Dieter F. "Your Happily Ever After", Ensign, May 2010, pg 124-127)
I am not too concerned about Despereaux. His name wouldn't be in the title if he didn't come out the hero. He, like all of us need to remember God's promise to His children:
  Ether 12:4 Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God.

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