If you had the opportunity to listen to the General Relief Society meeting, you were lucky to hear the words and direction of Pres. Dieter F. Uchtdorf.  His message to us deserves to be noted and analyzed.  I found it full of promising challenges.
His first statement recalls our purpose and goal in life, “the innate desire to please the Lord to the best of your ability.”  Surely, this is the way we all feel.  The best of our ability, however, should not give us relief to “settle”, but to give us a challenge to stretch ourselves and strive to do that very thing; please the Lord.
He acknowledged the struggles, the trials, the heartaches so many of us experience.  In spite of life’s difficulties, “I want to speak about God’s happiness and how each one of us can taste of it in spite of the burdens that beset us.”  The two keys to God’s happiness that he gives us are creativity and compassion.  I love that!  Think of what that means!
To be able to use our creativity in order to feel God’s happiness is like one huge circle.  Who gives us creativity?  I believe it is a gift from God.  Some people are born creative (innate gift), others can ask for it and receive it.  When I was a very uncreative child, I remember praying for the gift of creativity.  It sounds silly, but there was no imagination in my family growing up and I realized I desperately wanted some.  Over the years, I have recognized this gift creeping into my life and I give all credit to the Lord.  And for Him to offer this gift freely, so I can use it as I please; why wouldn’t I use it to seek after His true happiness?
Women were born with the gift of compassion.  When we hear that a woman has committed some heinous crime, it baffles us, because we wonder where her compassion went; we know she had some at one time.  We were born to spread that innate gift with everyone around us.  The satisfaction we feel brings us happiness; as well as the happiness that occurs as we minister one another.
What an honor it is to have the confidence of the Lord to carry out His work.  By using our own creative methods (natural gifts), and offering compassion to those who struggle with trials and heartache, we are front row players in the purposes of the Lord.
His promise to us is, “discouragement, inadequacy, and weariness will give way to a life of meaning, grace, and fulfillment.  As spirit daughters of our Heavenly Father, happiness is your heritage.”  We know the Lord follows through with His promises.  May we serve Him with all diligence; with love, patience, and hope to our fellow beings, that we may all find happiness.