We often think we need to have perfect lives to be happy, but sometimes it’s the little things, like smiling, that bring true joy.
Many assume that feeling happy leads to smiling, but what if it worked the other way around? In 2022, a group of researchers published a paper about the facial feedback hypothesis, which suggests that the physical act of making facial expressions can actually influence and mold our emotional experiences, not just communicate or reflect them.
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In the study, they asked over 3,000 people to create smiling facial expressions, and when the participants were asked how they felt emotionally afterward, many participants said that they felt a small increase in their happiness. This means that, to an extent, we have the power to affect how we feel emotionally, based on the expressions we choose to make.
Not only is the power of smiling recognized by the scientific community, but it’s also acknowledged by Elder Carlos A. Godoy in his October 2025 talk, “Smiling Faces and Grateful Hearts.” In his address, Elder Godoy shares the many challenges that members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints face in Africa, including walking an hour to church, attending meetinghouses with inadequate conditions, and watching church from outside the building due to limited space.
Despite the challenges these members have faced, Elder Godoy observes that “there were no complaints—only smiling faces and grateful hearts.” It can’t be easy for these families to travel 60 minutes to church with their little ones, but they choose to stay positive and smile despite their hardships.
Elder Godoy goes on to reference President Nelson’s beloved quote about happiness: “The joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives.” At times, trials and tribulations bring us to our knees, but simple acts like choosing to smile and focusing on our blessings from God can help us feel true peace.
Read Elder Carlos A. Godoy’s full message to learn more about how you can choose joy during times of hardship: “Smiling Faces and Grateful Hearts.”
Source: General Conference
—Ellie Haverlock, Latter-day Saint Insights
FEATURE IMAGE BY LAURENT GENCE
Find more insights
Read or watch Elder Larry R. Lawrence’s BYU address, “Choose Happiness,” to learn more about feeling joy through the good and bad days.
Read President Thomas S. Monson’s talk “Finding Joy in the Journey” to learn about expressing gratitude no matter where you are in life.