Holy Laughter

rayb · Hot Air Balloon

Holy Laughter

PollyAnna · Senior Bucketkeeper

I believe that there is a risk of light-mindedness any time that we "make light" of that which is sacred... I also know that many of the brethren have a great sense of humor... Pres Hinckley is often very funny in some of his comments... But again I think it is that we should avoid making "light" of anything sacred. To me that is the main problem with light-mindedness. Not to recognize that some topics are above being joked about.

And there I go talking in riddles again...

Euphrasie · Senior Bucketkeeper

I kind of think of it as getting the giggles in the middle of family prayer. A little giggling isn't a bad thing, but if it stops you from doing what you're supposed to be doing, then you've got a problem.

Poncho29 · Senior Bucketkeeper

I've also wondered about that and I've wondered what they mean when they say "avoid loud laughter." I mean, I think even the Lord has a sense of humor. I never quite been able to understand what that means. Although it's usually mentioned with "lightmindedness" at the same time. THAT I think I understand.

rayb · Hot Air Balloon

Well the scriptures don't hold out a lot of positive for the word laughter... a quick search renders the following hits...

Eccl. 7: 3, 6
  3 Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.

  6 For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool: this also is vanity.
D&C 88: 69, 121
  69 Remember the great and last promise which I have made unto you; cast away your idle thoughts and your excess of laughter far from you.

  121 Therefore, cease from all your light speeches, from all laughter, from all your lustful desires, from all your pride and light-mindedness, and from all your wicked doings.
Ps. 126: 2
2 Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them.
Prov. 14: 13
13 Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful; and the end of that mirth is heaviness.
Eccl. 2: 2
2 I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?
Eccl. 10: 19
19 ¶ A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things.
James 4: 9
9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
D&C 59: 15
15 And inasmuch as ye do these things with thanksgiving, with cheerful hearts and countenances, not with much laughter, for this is sin, but with a glad heart and a cheerful countenance

Talk about major downers, man... :( I know the buddists have the "Laughing Buddah"... but that's um... well... not a religion we put a lot of faith in...

--Ray

glumirk · Senior Member

There is an article in this month's Ensign called The Power of Laughter. It has a more positive spin on laughter. Laughter is good, it just must be used in the right context.

Usually when I think of loud laughter, I think of those kids who are laughing so loudly just to make you feel bad about yourself. Usually you only do something loudly so that you can be heard. If you are laughing just so that people hear your laugh, chances are the occasion isn't really funny, and the laughter won't have the same healthy effects as the laughter you share when you are tickling a small child who just loves it, and they get up and give you a big hug afterwards and try to start tickling you!

Thanks for bringing this up, Ray, it was on my mind last night at the temple and I was curious too.

I searched "laughter" on the gospel library of lds.org, and many of the sources say about the same thing--loud laughter is irreverent laughter, inappropriate laughter, or as one source said (sorry I forgot which!) that some laughter can be like lust is to love.

I guess when we remember that we are given everything for the building of the kingdom of God, that our laughter must be used in that way too. When everyone can share in a funny joke like "ahhh! A talking muffin!", it draws them just a little closer to each other, and thus they are a strength in the Kingdom. But when someone laughs at someone merely to persecute them, or make them look bad, that causes a separation in the Kingdom, when a friendship could be born with charity as opposed to laughter. Maybe because I've been reading Corinthians for our lesson tomorrow, but maybe laughter is a spiritual gift that we can use for good. Everyone loves to laugh when they are really amused by something! And many times laughter does draw people together and can make a bad situation seem better because of the love and laughter that resides there. Maybe that's the key...love and laughter.

hmm...just a few thoughts.

p.s. I love to laugh...ha ha ha ha...loud and long and clear!

oops...loud...

Euphrasie · Senior Bucketkeeper

Job 8:19-21

19 Behold, this is the joy of his way, and out of the earth shall others grow.
20 Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man, neither will he help the evil doers:
21 Till he fill thy mouth with laughing, and thy lips with rejoicing.

Ecc. 3:1-4

1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

Luke 6:21

21 Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.

rayb · Hot Air Balloon

Thanks Euphie (and Polly)! Sometimes when I read the scriptures, I get to feeling really down, cuz I am so far from perfect. It really helps to have others looking over my shoulder. :)

--Ray

PollyAnna · Senior Bucketkeeper

Thanks Glummy and Euph... you expressed some of the thoughts I was having. I kept thinking to myself... "Men are that they might have JOY!" (not sorrow...)

Over the last few weeks I have REALLY needed humor to get me through some tough things. On one hand, our family has several WONDERFUL happy things going on, but on another hand I have faced the death of 2 good friends. They were younger than I and both left families... I sorrowed... I mourned with the families... But after a while I couldn't keep morning... and I felt like I was letting them down, by not being able to mourn longer... Neither was LDS, in fact neither was even Christian... and I just felt so helpless to comfort when the families could not accept the idea that this life is not all there is...

In retrospect I realized that I appreciated the positiveness of my parent's funerals MORE than I knew then... they encouraged us to celebrate their lives when they were gone and not get lost in the sorrow... That was marginally easier knowing that they had both lived very long lives... but it was also just who they were... They were people with smiling faces that enjoyed life and living... They both knew how to laugh... VERY well. AND they both looked forward to and eternity of joy and that included laughter, I feel sure of it.

Then there is the part about how sometimes we HAVE to laugh or we will completely succumb to the challenges of this life... I believe laughter has a very special purpose in our lives.

With regard to marriage I found this article that talks about:

Love, Laughter, and Spirituality in Marriage

Laughter can sometimes be as far from happiness as lust is from love. Whenever we make our spouses the butt of a joke, or belittle them with degrading humor, we offend not only them but also our Father in Heaven. This kind of laughter is never appropriate.

But using healthy humor to smooth the trials of life is part of a happy home. Couples marry each other in part because they are happy when they are together. How wonderful it is when, after marriage, they continue to make each other laugh. Dans humor, in all kinds of situations, has been a delight and a balm to our family. One day when I was doing some hand sewing, I lost my needle in the carpet. Dan knelt down to find it. As I started to help, he said, No, dont. Im sure Ill run it into my hand any minute.

Every marriage has incidents that can become private, lighthearted signals to each other. One of ours began many years ago when Dan told me of an idea that had come to him. Weve both forgotten what it was, but I must have abruptly squelched it, because he paused, then said, Well, for just a minute there, I thought it was a great idea. Now, whenever one of us feels put down and says, Well, for just a minute there, I thought We both laugh, and the message is clear and friendly.

There are some family crises that can become laughable lessons. My aunt and uncle, both fond of practical jokes played on themselves and others, lived on a ranch without running water. One cold, rainy evening, my uncle came in drenched to see his wife sitting comfortably by the fireplace. She said, Dear, since youre already wet and cold, will you bring in a bucket of water? He went out and returned with the water, dumped it on her, and said, Now youre wet and cold. Could you go get the water? They laughed as they retold the story, and the incident became a family joke. So now when we really shouldnt ask a favor, or when we realize we are imposing, we start the request with, Since youre already wet and cold , and the job usually gets done with a smile.

A key to unlocking healthy fun in marriage is faithfaith in God, in each other, and in the futurefaith enough to relax and enjoy the day we are now living. With faith, we can even see some humor in our trials.

beefche · Profuse Pontificator

One cold, rainy evening, my uncle came in drenched to see his wife sitting comfortably by the fireplace. She said, Dear, since youre already wet and cold, will you bring in a bucket of water? He went out and returned with the water, dumped it on her, and said, Now youre wet and cold. Could you go get the water? They laughed as they retold the story...

There's no way she laughed at the time it happened. I bet she was madder than a wet hen and only later came to appreciate the humor in that situation.

Cocobeem · Keeper of the Holy Grail

"...healthy humore to smooth the trials of life..."

I like that.

When I think of loud laughter I think more along the lines of out of control... like you're almost drunk or something. I don't know. My parents used to have parties with ward members when I was young and they would really get hooting it up when they were playing their games. I have nothing but good memories from that. In fact, some of my best memories were when we had funny, laughable times.

I like to laugh and have fun. Personally, I've never really "got" that prohibition on loud laughter, being in itself bad. Obviously if you're hurting someone, it is, but then why don't they say, "Thou shalt not hurt someone," instead of "No loud laughter" ???

Dyany · Senior Member

When I think of loud laughter/lightmindedness, I think of the times that I am purposefully avoiding dealing with the serious things that I should be dealing with in favor of the 'lighter' things that I would rather be enjoying, or laughing rather than 'mourning with those that mourn'.