A Happy People:
How Will the Holy Ghost Help Me to Keep My Baptismal Covenant?

If ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do (2 Ne. 32:5).

After the Savior’s visit, His disciples established His church under the new covenant in the land. “And as many as did come unto them, and did truly repent of their sins, were baptized in the name of Jesus; and they did also receive the Holy Ghost” (4 Ne. 1:1).

The Saints of that time kept their baptismal covenants and enjoyed peace and prosperity for almost two hundred years. Nephi, the son of one of the disciples, said: “Every man did deal justly one with another.

“And … there were not rich and poor, bond and free, but they were all made free, and partakers of the heavenly gift. …

“And they … did walk after the commandments which they had received from their Lord and their God, continuing in fasting and prayer, and in meeting together oft both to pray and to hear the word of the Lord. …

“And it came to pass that there was no contention in the land, because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people.

“And there were no envyings, nor strifes, nor tumults, … nor lyings, nor murders, … and surely there could not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God. …

“And how blessed were they!” (4 Ne. 1:2–3, 12, 15–16, 18.)

We can each be blessed and happy in our own lives if we keep our baptismal covenants and follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost. Since we all make mistakes, the Holy Ghost will prompt us to repent. Eight-year-old Stacie Brook Peck of Payson, Utah, was taking part in a competition. A coach told her to tell the judges that she had sewn the letters on her costume herself, though she had not. She obeyed the coach but felt so bad about lying that she told her mom what had happened.

“Mom asked me if I wanted to find a judge and tell him about the lie. I thought about it a long time. I felt very sad and scared. I thought the judges would get mad at me. I thought my team would be mad because the judge would have to take points off our score. However, telling a lie felt so horrible that I said yes.

“We told my coach about my decision. She felt really bad that an eight-year-old girl had to remind her that honesty was more important than winning.

“My coach came with us. When we found a judge and told him about my lie, he said that he would do something about it. I never found out what the penalty was, but my team still won first place and I was glad of that. But mostly I was happy because I had made the right choice, even though it was very hard. I know that it was the Holy Ghost who helped me to choose the right. I also know that Heavenly Father has forgiven me, because whenever I think about what I did, instead of being embarrassed, I am happy that I chose the right. I feel good inside, and I want to always choose the right.”

Color the flannel-board figures, then mount them on heavy paper. Cut them out and use them to retell the story “A Happy People.”

Nephite Saints being given the Holy Ghost; Happy Nephites meet together in worship; Happy Nephites working together; Modern girl confessing to contest judge
(Illustrated by Beth M. Whittaker.)

Painting by Jerry Thompson