"bear one another's burdens, that they may be light" -Mosiah 18:8
I was talking to a friend today about friendship. When you choose to be happy- and learn how, you find that a lot of negative people drop out of your life, and a lot of positive ones drop in. It's not really a conscious decision, it's just that we attract people like ourselves. when we're miserable, we tend to hang out with other miserable people. when we're happy, healthy people, we find ourselves surrounded by other happy people. you see, sometimes good, well-intending, caring people try to help other people bear their burdens, however they get caught up in it- and then those burdens never become light, they just get shared around and continue to make everyone miserable. that's not how God wants it to be.
"...and men are that they might have joy." (2 Ne 2:25) Help someone bear their burden, and then be happy.
The verses following "bear one another's burdens" include mourning with those that mourn, standing with those that are in need of comfort, and standing as a witness of God at all times, in all things, and all places. And then we are told what the point is for doing all of this: "that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life".
My friend pointed out that the result of loving and helping others is interestingly self-centered in a way. When I make a pattern of helping people selflessly, the result is an eternity of God-like happiness for me.
So don't get caught up in drama and suffering. Help people when they're hurting, but don't forget the end goal. The end goal is to be with God, to be like God, and to be happy. And while being physically with and truly like God are things that will take quite some time, being happy doesn't have to. Being happy can happen just as soon as you learn to live your life happily. And when you remember this end goal, the people you help will be better off. Your happiness will rub off on them, and truly help their burdens to become light.
