Many fairy tales end with the heartening promise that the protagonists lived “happily ever after.”

Likewise, a number of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints seem to expect the same in real life — that by following some divinely decreed equation, they can dwell in perpetual bliss. Simply heed this commandment to gain that blessing and thus achieve everlasting happiness. They even call God’s road map for humanity the “plan of happiness.”

But, alas, they inevitably discover that this mortal journey is full of disappointing, depressing, even devastating detours. Even God, Latter-day Saint scripture notes, gets sad and “weeps.” And a biblical messianic prophecy points out that Jesus himself was a “man of sorrows.” Such was life as well for the prophets of yesterday and still is for their followers today.

Latter-day Saint writer Natalie Brown brings her voice to this discussion. In her new book, “After Happiness: Living with Faith in a Time of Crisis‚” Brown, a Salt Lake Tribune guest columnist, calls on readers to develop a deeper, richer, more resilient faith amid life’s trials and uncertainties. In the interview, she also talks about ways the church can help young families navigate life’s challenges by allowing more innovations at the local level.

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