From the beginning of civilization, humanity has pursued a common goal—though under many names and forms: success. Over the centuries, this pursuit has taken various paths: political power, social status, the accumulation of wealth, public influence, or intellectual prestige. Yet, upon closer examination of human history, philosophical reflection, and divine revelation, one foundational truth emerges: the highest form of success is not measured by what one obtains but by what one becomes. And to become truly happy—deeply, enduringly, and eternally happy—is, ultimately, the highest success the human soul can attain.
This idea is not an emotional oversimplification of success, but rather its greatest expansion. While the world’s standard definitions of success are typically measurable and external, true happiness reveals itself as an inner condition—inseparable from character, virtue, and alignment with divine, eternal purpose.
In the restored scriptures, especially the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants, the relationship between happiness and God’s plan is central. “Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy” (2 Nephi 2:25). This statement not only explains the very purpose of man’s existence, but it presents joy as a legitimate, God-given objective. The Plan of Salvation is, at its core, designed to lead us to lasting joy. Happiness is therefore not just a blessing of the gospel—it is its very aim.
This same truth is embedded throughout religious history. In the Old Testament, the prosperity of the people of Israel was not solely tied to their land or military victories, but to their relationship with God. Obedience brought blessings, and those blessings were expressed in peace, abundance, and meaningful spiritual identity. That’s why the Psalms proclaim: “Blessed is the man who walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly… but his delight is in the law of the Lord… he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water” (Psalm 1:1–3). In Hebrew thought, happiness—often rendered as “blessedness”—was tied to righteousness, covenant loyalty, and trust in the divine.
When Christ came to earth, He redefined success entirely through what we now call the Beatitudes (Matthew 5). “Blessed are the poor in spirit… they that mourn… the meek… the peacemakers.” Each of these states—often contrary to the world’s definition of success—are linked by the Savior to a deep and enduring form of happiness: blessedness, wholeness, divine approval. In Christ’s kingdom, success is not about accumulation but about consecration; not about being known, but about being known of God. The greatest shall be the servant of all. Those who lose their lives for His sake shall find them. His crown was not golden, but thorned—and yet He reigns eternally.
Philosophers, too, have sought to understand happiness and its relationship to success. Aristotle spoke of “eudaimonia” as the flourishing life—one lived in harmony with virtue and purpose. According to him, humans do not find fulfillment in pleasure or fame but in living ethically, rationally, and with moral excellence. This aligns deeply with the restored truth that “men are, that they might have joy,” where joy is the natural consequence of living in harmony with divine law.
In the Christian medieval tradition, Thomas Aquinas taught that perfect happiness could only be found in God. Man might experience momentary pleasure, success, and even intellectual triumph, but none of these would satisfy the immortal soul. Only the “beatific vision”—the eternal presence of God—could fulfill the soul’s deepest longing. This theological perspective is reinforced in modern revelation: “Man is spirit. The elements are eternal” (Doctrine and Covenants 93:33). Thus, no form of success that ignores the eternal can ultimately satisfy the human spirit.
President Russell M. Nelson taught, “The joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives.” This doctrine reveals a powerful truth: success is not found at the end of a checklist—it is present wherever a person lives in harmony with Christ. The world teaches that success is conditional; the gospel teaches that it is covenantal. The soul that aligns with Christ becomes happy, and that happiness is success in the eyes of God.
This understanding transforms success from a conquest to a conversion. It is not about dominating the world around us but about surrendering the world within us to the divine order. To be happy, then, is not an emotional accident, but a deliberate spiritual construction—built through repentance, obedience, faith, and enduring devotion.
Historically, the most spiritually prosperous societies have not been the richest or the most powerful, but the most just and reverent. After Christ’s appearance in the Americas, the Book of Mormon describes a golden era of unity and peace: “There were no contentions… no envyings… and surely there could not be a happier people who had been created by the hand of God” (4 Nephi 1:15–16). In that context, success was not measured by armies or monuments but by righteousness, community, and holiness. The result was an enduring happiness that no worldly empire has ever rivaled.
Individually, the doctrinal path to true success—eternal happiness—requires specific steps: faith in Jesus Christ, sincere repentance, obedience to God’s commandments, and enduring to the end. These steps purify the soul, invite the Spirit, and prepare us for celestial glory. As Doctrine and Covenants 121:45–46 teaches: “Then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God… the Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion… and thy dominion shall be an everlasting dominion.” This is not only a reward—it is the description of a soul that has succeeded in the eyes of God.
Modern narratives often equate success with wealth, fame, or influence. But these false standards have a cost: anxiety, emptiness, broken families, and spiritual numbness. As our modern age reaches for artificial forms of meaning, it becomes ever more clear that restoring the right vision of success—rooted in eternal joy—is not only desirable, but urgently needed.
To the question “How does one reach this kind of success?” the answer is gradual: it begins in the heart, extends to the family, spreads into the community, and eventually transforms nations. To the question “Why pursue this kind of happiness?” the answer is in the very reason we exist: we were created for joy. “Where does it happen?” Within the soul and beyond the veil—wherever the Spirit of the Lord is. And “When?” Now. Not after retirement. Not when the children grow up. Not when we reach financial independence. But today—through living the gospel of Jesus Christ, even amid hardship.
True happiness is not devoid of suffering; rather, it gives suffering purpose. The Atonement of Jesus Christ not only made forgiveness possible—it made joy accessible. Joy is not an external prize; it is the natural condition of a sanctified soul.
To declare that happiness is the highest form of success is not idealistic. It is doctrinal. It is historical. It is eternal. God’s entire work and glory is to bring about the eternal life and joy of His children. That is success as heaven defines it—not by what the world applauds, but by what heaven acknowledges. Not by what we possess, but by what we consecrate. Not by what we conquer, but by what we become.
As Lehi declared: “ And he hath said that: Inasmuchas ye shall keep my commandmentsye shall prosper in the land; but inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall be cut off from my presence.” (2 Nephi 1:20). And if we endure to the end, we shall be exalted in glory.
That is God’s definition of success: to be happy—forever.
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