Now we enter into a long philosophical section about the purpose and nature of this life.
Alma describes how his joy for the people of Zarahemla came after wading through much affliction and sorrow.
ANSWER:
No. Not really.
To really taste joy, you have to also taste bitterness. There isn't really another way. This is the great paradox and mystery of life as a human being. It is the conflict in the story of Adam and Eve. We are here because in order to experience joy, we have to gain experience and knowledge that only comes from the pain of sorrow.
The greater the sadness and sorrow, the greater the potential for pleasure and happiness. I don't think we need to try to go looking for miserable experiences. They will just come on their own, and if there's one thing I learned from reading the Old Testament, it's that the most admirable men and women of history had one similar characteristic: they all had the ability to turn even the most terrible circumstances into something good.
That's basically God's superpower, after all. We are all these weak, frail beings. And yet, he uses us to accomplish his purpose, which is to expand our own potential. He places us in situations, guides our lives, and sets us on paths for his own reasons and designs. He uses us, in spite of our weaknesses and evil natures, to accomplish something great: to save us and exalt us, because he is our father. He loves us.
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