The Beatitudes

In Matthew 5:1-12 the Savior is speaking in his sermon on the amount about the kind of attitudes that we need to have to become more like the Savior. In verses 3-11 each verse begins with "Blessed are..." The word "blessed," refers to a state of mind that is above happiness that can't be seriously changed by outward circumstances. The Latin counter part "beatus" is the base for the word "beatitude" which is synonymous with the meanings: to be fortunate, to be happy, or to be blessed. This is why many refer to these verses in Matthew chapter 5 as the "Beatitudes. The following are the Beatitudes:

1. Blessed are the poor in spirit- Poor in spirit does not mean that we need to not be lacking in spiritual things. Quite the contrary. Someone who is poor in spirit is someone who recognizes that all they have is, because of heavenly father and they always remember to pray and give thanks to Him.
2. Blessed are they that mourn- In this context, the Savior is referring to how we should feel when we commit a sin in the sight of the lord. When we truly mourn, or feel godly sorrow, we can truly repent of the sin.
3. Blessed are the meek- A person who is meek is someone who is not easily provoked and who has enough self-discipline to prevent themselves from losing their temper. 
4. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness- A person who hungers and thirsts after righteousness is someone who is whole heatedly committed to learning the gospel and increasing their testimony. A good way to put it in context would be to imagine not being able to eat or drink for a few days and then you are invited to a smorgasbord where you can eat all you want and you ravenously devour all the food in sight. That's the attitude we should have towards learning the gospel.
5. Blessed are the pure in heart- A person who is pure in heart is someone who doesn't commit sin and has there spiritual eyes turned toward God. This is something that we all must strive to be.
6. Blessed are the merciful- Forgiving one another there trespass is something that is essential for all of us if we want to return to Heavenly Father's presence. 
7. Blessed are the peacemakers- As children of God we should always be trying to seek peace between ourselves and others. Loving one another goes hand-in-hand with this principle. 
8. Blessed are they which are persecuted- In this context the Savior isn't telling us that we should go out and seek for persecution. He is telling us that if we are being persecuted for His or righteousness's sake, then it is a good sign that we are doing what Heavenly Father wants us to do. We will be further blessed if we are able to withstand the persecution and stand for righteousness even if it means standing alone.

I try to apply all of these principles in my life and I have definitely noticed that when I am doing my best to apply the "Beatitudes" to my life I am much happier. Being meek is something that I am constantly trying to do. When I am patient with others and try to understand them even when they are annoying me, I always feel happier, because I don't get angry.
When I was half-way through high school I really started to hunger and thirst after the gospel. I started reading my scriptures daily and I was more active in church. Even then, I could tell the difference between when I was not doing much to further my testimony and after I started really yearning to learn, and the difference was as big as the grand canyon. I was a hundred times happier and many of lives normal burdens began to seem trivial and simple.
I am also constantly aware that I have been very blessed throughout my life and I always try to remember to thank Heavenly Father when I pray. Acknowledging this blessings has allowed me to sit back sometimes and realize some of the blessings that I have that I may not have payed much attention to before. Realizing these blessings in turn, increases my happiness and thankfulness. So for me, I can already bear witness of the importance of the "Beatitudes." These principles are very true, and we should all be following these principles.