How can the gospel make you sad?

Gospel, I was taught is translated to mean "Good news". Literally, the gospel of Jesus Christ is good news because it speaks peace to the troubled soul and assures that a Savior actually did live and suffer for us so that we may repent.

But, what made me sad last night was reading to my daughter from a church magazine what should have carried great peace and comfort to our hearts, but it made tears well up in my eyes so that I could not continue that story, but chose another.

The story was about the eternal nature of love. I told her that because she was not sealed to me that were either of us to die we would never see eachother again, and I love her too much for that. So, the gospel though good news can be hurtful if known but not obeyed.

This must be true for all facets. Like if I truly believed that there was a way provided to repent and have my every sin forgiven, but just ignored it, dying would be terrifying. Life would not be happy at all unless I lived that principle. That is how faith works. To believe a thing alone does not bring peace, but to live, and actually come to know the truth. The Book of Ether in the Book of Mormon teaches that witness comes AFTER the trial of our faith. So, the happiness and peace is felt after an idea has been acted upon. I have seen this through a good friend who has recently been sealed to her spouse and children. Her husband confessed to mine how He had not even begun to understand the true nature of love and life before and urged him to do the same if he valued his family. And that brings me to the same conclusion again that perhaps my situation is one of those where we are directed down the wrong path because it is the only way to truly know which is the right.

I may think an idea is but, I dare not assume to believe it, but for some reason I can willingly accept and know a thing is not good.

We are taught that we may know a thing by what it becomes. In a way easy to understand, we plant a seed and as a seed we may not know what it is, but by its fruits you will know what it is, and good trees yield good fruit, likewise the gospel yields peace and happiness, if I am not experiencing it, then it is not the gospel. Our Heavenly Father loves us so much and wants us to succeed, so if we ask him and love him and really want to find peace and happiness he will bless us somehow to find it. To find him, that is why he sent his son to earth. That is the gospel.