I was at an outdoor end-of-summer concert when I noticed a friend trying to coax her charming toddler granddaughter to dance with her on the grass in front of the stage. I took a few cute pictures of them with my phone, and sent them to my friend the next day.
I got a text back that said, “Thank you! Happiness makes me who I am!” Her text inspired me to think about the joys of life. I know this friend to be extremely busy with home, grandchildren, and running her own business — but she is having fun and loving her life!
Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.
2 Nephi 2:25
We may sometimes forget, but joy is the very purpose of life. True joy is much more than a fleeting pleasure of the senses, or even a delightful, but temporary, afternoon of fun. Joy is a deep, abiding sense of well-being, satisfaction, and happiness.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the path to lasting joy. The first step is to notice and appreciate the beauty and abundance of the Earth around us. Everywhere we look is evidence of God’s love for us: trees, flowers, rivers, lakes, mountains, clouds, and abundant animal life everywhere. Nature occasionally blesses us with exquisite moments of great beauty that can enlarge our soul: sunsets, fresh rain, autumn leaves….
Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? … When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
Job 38:4-7
Joy can be found in service to others.
And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.
Mosiah 2:17
Joy can be found in building enriching, long-term, relationships
Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity,
Ecclesiastes 9:9
Joy is the natural result of righteousness, participating in the ordinances of the Gospel, and making and keeping holy covenants.
I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness.
Mosiah 2:41
But the sweetest joys are found within our families. We are promised everlasting “joy and rejoicing” in our posterity (Nelson). Indeed, sealing families together forever is the ultimate purpose of the restored Gospel. Alma referred to the Gospel Plan of Salvation as “the great plan of happiness” (Alma 42:8 ).
But, behold, the righteous, the saints of the Holy One of Israel, they who have believed in the Holy One of Israel, they who have endured the crosses of the world, and despised the shame of it, they shall inherit the kingdom of God, which was prepared for them from the foundation of the world, and their joy shall be full forever.
2 Nephi 9:18
May we learn to overcome the temporal distractions of this world and seek true and everlasting joy.
Source: Elder Russel M. Nelson, “Lessons from Eve,” General Conference, October 1987.
Sweet and uplifting, eloquent and timely. Thanks.