2 Nephi 5:27

"And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness."
2 Nephi 5:27


SO interesting to me today.  At work, we are trying to get this program going about having fun at work... that it increases people's morale, and also their productivity... if you like what you are doing, you are more willing to do it, and remain committed to it.  That sort of thing.  So, I was thinking about that in terms of the gospel.  At work, we usually separate work and play... they are opposites, right?  and that you can't play while you are at work, it's against "the rules" or something.  unfortunately I think that we do that with the church too... we think that the gospel isn't fun, we put church in a totally separate box from life... think that they are different things, and don't really relate to one another except in negative ways.  But if we fuse work and life... and church and life... and we are the same person in both places, then we should be able to enjoy ourselves wherever we are.  Man is that he might have joy, right?  So why do we have to force ourselves to get up for work... or to go to church sometimes?  How do you get to the point in this scripture... where they lived after the manner of happiness?  How do you stay joyful with consistency?  Some of it I think is our faulty perceptions.  We really believe somewhere down deep that God isn't fun.  All of our social models of "adult, responsible" behavior are extremely serious and non-emotional.  "why can't you grow up" is a popular saying.  I don't think that God is like that.  He laughs.  He plays.  He has fun.  And I don't think that it distracts at all from his work... it's part of it.  We are that we might have joy... it's one of the top things on his list.  We make judgments about heaven sometimes thinking that it will be boring, or "nothing special" ... but how *could* it be boring?  This is God we are talking about. :)  And I *know* that he is fun.  We share private jokes all the time.  We are his children... he wants us to play.  He wants us to learn something too... so educational games or something. :)  Anyway, I am not saying anything about him not wanting us to accept some personal responsibility... but hey, personal responsibility can be fun too.
Anyway, that's why this scripture intrigued me... how did they live after the manner of happiness?  they were righteous *and* they enjoyed their lives?  wow. :)  What a concept.  I think that we need to consider this... not ever assume that living the gospel is a chore.  It is the funnest, most fulfilling life there is.