Life is easier when we allow the Savior to walk with us. As I have grown closer to Him, I have learned to recognize when His presence is near and when He is not. The more distance I allow between me and Christ, the more unhappy I feel. On the other hand, when my focus is on the Savior, His presence directly correlates to feeling happy, regardless of the trials I’m facing.

When Lehi described the tree of life he saw in a dream, he stated that the “fruit was desirable to make one happy” (1 Nephi 8:10). In later chapters we learn that the tree (and its fruit) represents the love of God. In John 3:16 we read that “God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son.” Therefore, the tree represents the Savior and the atonement. He is the Love of God and the source of happiness in this life.

I testify that the Savior is the true source of joy and happiness. I know that He lives and will always be near if we allow it.

Brad Clegg

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