Thomas S. Monson on the Father's plan of happiness

President Thomas S. Monson (born August 21 1927) was sustained to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in 1963.  He served as a counselor in the First Presidency with Presidents Benson, Hunter, and Hinckley until becoming Church president in 2008.

"Our Father’s plan for our happiness and our salvation is shared by our missionaries throughout the world. Not all who hear this divine message accept and embrace it. However, men and women everywhere... recognize its truths, and they plant their feet on the path that will lead them safely home. Their lives are forever changed.

"Essential to the plan is our Savior, Jesus Christ. Without His atoning sacrifice, all would be lost. It is not enough, however, merely to believe in Him and His mission. We need to work and learn, search and pray, repent and improve. We need to know God’s laws and live them. We need to receive His saving ordinances. Only by so doing will we obtain true, eternal happiness.

"We are blessed to have the truth. We have a mandate to share the truth. Let us live the truth, that we might merit all that the Father has for us. He does nothing save it be for our benefit. He has told us, 'This is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man' (Moses 1:39).

"From the depths of my soul and in all humility, I testify of the great gift which is our Father’s plan for us. It is the one perfect path to peace and happiness both here and in the world to come."

- Thomas S. Monson, "The Perfect Path to Happiness," General Conference, Sunday October 2, 2016
Click here to read or hear the complete talk

President Monson is now 89 years old. His health and strength are diminishing. He hasn't the strength to deliver long, detailed talks as he has in the past. In recent conferences, he has delivered a short message on a key point of doctrine. This message was no exception. He focused on God's love for us as expressed in His "plan for our happiness and salvation," and testified of the reality of that plan and of our potential to accept it and be blessed by it, as it leads us "safely home."

In the midst of our mortal experience of struggle and challenge, President Monson assures us from his lifetime of learning and experience that God's plan is "the one perfect path to peace and happiness both here and in the world to come." What a cherished blessing that should be to us!