Doctrine and Covenants 136:28-33

"If thou art merry, praise the Lord with singing, with music, with dancing, and with a prayer of praise and thanksgiving.
If thou art sorrowful, call on the Lord thy God with supplication, that your souls may be joyful.
Fear not thine enemies, for they are in mine hands and I will do my pleasure with them.
My people must be tried in all things, that they may be prepared to receive the glory that I have for them, even the glory of Zion; and he that will not bear chastisement is not worthy of my kingdom.
Let him that is ignorant learn wisdom by humbling himself and calling upon the Lord his God, that his eyes may be opened that he may see, and his ears opened that he may hear;
For my Spirit is sent forth into the world to enlighten the humble and contrite, and to the condemnation of the ungodly."
Doctrine and Covenants 136:28-33


This scripture was suggested by Jeff W, who has this to say:
If you read the chapter summary at the beginning, it lumps these verses together and says "the saints should sing, dance, pray and learn wisdom."  It's cool how these 4 things are put together. :)
What I think is interesting is that the verses talk about being happy and joyful... then say that we're here to be tried and have hardships, going from one to the other as if they were the same thing.  I think that what God's saying is that he knows that this life can be hard... but he wants us to be happy anyway.

[Me again] ... just one additional comment on the last verse.  I like the interesting idea that Jeff has about how the scriptures are grouped together.  I think that I sometimes see the separate verses as completely separate ideas and take them out of context.  But *in* context, verse 33 seems like a great summation of these ideas... be happy, enjoy your life... whether you are merry or sorrowful, look to God.  We have to be tried, and being tried is part of learning, and to learn we have to be humble and call upon God.  Then the summation.  It seems to me that God is kind of bringing back that happy feeling in the beginning... call upon God, because that is why my Spirit is *there* ... to enlighten the humble and contrite.  And I see enlighten here as being not only learning, but real light... and joy... pouring into us, as we are humble and repentant seekers of happiness. :)