Here's an interesting thought. I've always split the set of possible emotions into two groups: good and bad (I think this is a common thing to do). Naturally we come to learn that some "bad" emotions are good, at times and for a time, such as guilt and lonliness and so forth. They cause us to make neccessary changes in our lives. I never thought that some "good" emotions could be bad, however. Well, I suppose we learn in the Church a distinction between pleasure and happiness, so that pleasure can be both a good and a bad emotion, depending on the circumstance. But I hadn't thought that hope or love could be "bad" emotions.

I think now though that when any emotion is based on a false foundation, then it should be considered bad. Likewise, any emotion, pleasant or unpleasant, which is based on a true foundation, is good. It's all a matter of seeing things as they really are. With that kind of a perspective, you won't countenance any pleasure stolen on false pretenses. You won't harbor hope in things that aren't true. You won't be consumed by guilt any longer than is needful (which is to say, once you're repentent the guilt should gradually slip away).

So anyhow, I suppose this is just more reason to consider honesty a virtue of paramount importance.

The problem you run into with that is you then begin to wonder when you can trust your own emotions. Perhaps you hope for something that is good, but not right. Is the hope itself bad? I don't think so. It just isn't right. If you follow the line of thinking that hope or love can be bad, it leads to a very pessimistic and cynical end. I would say that while honesty, with yourself and with others, is definitely important, it is equally important to align our own goals with those that God has for us. He wants us to be happy, though sometimes it doesn't seem that way. But God's will will be done, and it seems to me to be better to choose what He would choose, so we can have the hope and the love without the disappointments. I'm not saying that you should give up your ability to think or to function on your own, but there is real peace to be found in truly doing what the Lord would have you do.

Well, that is precisely my point. You can't trust your own emotions in isolation, any more than you can trust your own reasoning. What in the world could you possibly hope for that is good but not right? And if it really were good but not right, would it be good to hope for it? No, it would be nothing but vain imaginations. Aligning your own goals with what Heavenly Father wants for you is nothing but accepting the truth. If you do that, then yes, your hope will bring you happiness, because you're hoping for things that are right. If you hope for anything else, you're setting yourself up for an unpleasant fall. I believe in faith and hope, but only in things that are true. Faith or hope in anything else is gross deception.

Exactly. So the trick, then, is to be the kind of person who hears the promptings of the Spirit so you know what to hope for. It sortof gives righteousness a whole new meaning and aim. At least, it does for me.