If man is that he might have joy, then the goal of society should be the same. Society’s very existence should serve the purpose of producing a collective joy and happiness. How is this attainable? It is the natural result of uniform obedience to the laws of God. The Lord would love for us to be this happy all the time if we would just be obedient. He doesn’t play favorites. If the Nephites were that happy and blessed, it was because they deserved it. If we are not, we know who to blame. Elder Theodore Tuttle stated, “Now, this blessed condition is attainable today, but it is attainable only upon the basis of accepting God as Father and all men as brothers and living the plan of salvation…This plan is bringing about a true brotherhood in this day and it is up to you and me to make it function even more perfectly.” (Conference Report, Apr. 1959, p. 48)
Joseph Fielding Smith
“What a glorious time that must have been when everybody was happy, when everybody was at peace, when everyone loved his neighbor as himself, and above all he loved God, because we are informed here that the thing which brought about this condition of happiness was the fact that the love of God was in the hearts of the people. There never will be a time of peace, happiness, justice tempered by mercy, when all men will receive that which is their right and privilege to receive, until they get in their hearts the love of God.” (Doctrines of Salvation, 3:320)
Neal A. Maxwell
“Thus the relevancy of ’love thy neighbor,‘ if practiced ’here and now,‘ one day will demonstrate how it will be applied in the coming ’there and then’-in a neighborhood as wide as the universe!” (If Thou Endure It Well, p. 98)
Neal A. Maxwell
“Insofar as a family can become a little Zion, it must stretch toward these same dimensions in its life.” (That My Family Should Partake, p. 107)
The First Presidency
“Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities.” (“The Family: A Proclamation to the World”)