I often get impatient with God when I petition Him for happiness and it doesn't manifest immediately in the way I expect it to. I have faith in a God of love who is no respecter of persons, and so I know Jesus Christ has my best interest in mind, but so often in the low dark valleys of life, I lose foresight of His greater plan and become frustrated with reality. Perhaps it would help if instead of asking God for more blessings and happy relationships and experiences, to pray for greater light by which I can understand the depth and profundity of life so that the suffering and trials of this world can cast meaning to my existence.
Men are that they might have joy. (2nd Nephi 2) I believe happiness is only a mere feeling, while joy is a much deeper state of being which only comes to those whose roots reach far down towards hell and whose branches extend high into heaven. (paraphrasing Carl Yung) Or as Joseph Smith said, "Thy mind o man, if thou wilt lead a soul unto salvation, must stretch as high as the utmost heavens, and search into and contemplate the lowest considerations of the darkest abyss, and expand upon the broad considerations of Eternal expanse; he must commune with God.”
Joy is refined through the opposition of all things. It emerges through confronting the dark nights of the soul and is purified as we conquer the demons and slay the dragons of life. Sacrifice and suffering gives deeper value to happiness, but it's treacherous and chaotic. It's much more enticing to become complacent with the world's substitute of the shallow mediocre "elevator music". However, a true life of quality and meaning requires that one venture into and embrace the intricacy and profound depth of heaven's symphony.
Salvation is an acquired taste and only comes to those who are willing to sacrifice and be refined through the necessity of suffering.
