Joy comes when we are obedient. Heavenly Father has given us commandments to guide us through this life the easiest way possible. “Obedience is the first law of heaven. It is an act of faith. You may sometimes be required to do things you do not completely understand. As you obey, you increase in faith, knowledge, wisdom, testimony, protection, and freedom” (Preach My Gospel, 122). Commandments are not meant to bind us; they are meant to liberate us! Sometimes we must obey before we even understand why. Jesus said, “If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself” (John 7:17). When you aren't sure of a principle, try it out. You'll be surprised how much better you feel. Elder Joseph Wirthlin counsels us to “spend time with Him. Meditate on His words. Take His yoke upon you. Seek to understand and obey, because 'this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments.' When we love the Lord, obedience ceases to be a burden. Obedience becomes a delight. When we love the Lord, we seek less for things that benefit us and turn our hearts toward things that will bless and uplift others. As our love for the Lord deepens, our minds and hearts become purified. We experience a 'mighty change in...our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually'” (Wirthlin). Obedience brings us happiness! Only through the Lord's plan can we feel this peace and joy.
Trials bring joy. It sounds weird to say that. When I think of trials I definitely don't automatically think of joy, and it's almost an abstract idea to consider them intertwined. However, some of our lowest lows can bring us some of our greatest happiness. Elder Neal A. Maxwell said, “There are customized trials such as experiencing illness, aloneness, persecution, betrayal, irony, poverty, false witness, unreciprocated love, et cetera. If endured well now, 'all these things' can be for our good and can 'greatly enlarge the soul,' including an enlarged capacity for joy. Meek suffering often does the excavating necessary for that enlarging!” (Maxwell). I love this quote. I've thought about it many times throughout my life. It's such a comfort for me. I think of the most joy I've ever felt and it amazes me that I can feel more than that! :D My institute teacher related it to our spiritual cave. And she put her arms out in front of her in a circular shape to form her own small “cave.” Inside this cave there is a miner than is just chipping away slowly at the walls of our cave. But slowly, our cave gets bigger and bigger, and we our able to have more and more happiness fit inside us. How amazing is that? In a recent general conference talk, Joseph Wirthlin talked about how the way we react to adversity can be a major factor in how happy and successful we can be in life. He begins his talk by saying, “When I was young I loved playing sports, and I have many fond memories of those days. But not all of them are pleasant. I remember one day after my football team lost a tough game, I came home feeling discouraged. My mother was there. She listened to my sad story. She taught her children to trust in themselves and each other, not blame others for their misfortunes, and give their best effort in everything they attempted. When we fell down, she expected us to pick ourselves up and get going again. So the advice my mother gave to me then wasn’t altogether unexpected. It has stayed with me all my life. 'Joseph,' she said, 'come what may, and love it'” (Wirthlin). Now, this doesn't come without a cost or without some effort on our part amidst these trials. We must choose to be happy. Admittedly, this can seem slightly unrealistic to some of us as we think about the storms that are raging in our own lives, but I testify that it is possible to remain joyful, because sorrow only comes from fear; and with the Lord on our side, we have absolutely no reason to fear.
One of the best ways I know to remain happy amidst storms and even through calm waters is through love. Both the gived and received, both reciprocated and unreciprocated, both small and great. In Jacob it reads, “O all ye that are pure in heart, lift up your heads and receive the pleasing word of God, and feast upon his love; for ye may, if your minds are firm, forever” (Jacob 3:2). Most times in the scriptures feasting is related to scripture reading, but I like to think of this as the dessert. The sweetest part of the whole meal. Another quote that I got from my institute was said by Audrey Hepburn, “walk with the knowledge you never walk alone.” One of my favorite this to do is picture Christ in my mind. Not only do I see him comforting me with my head on his shoulder and His arms around me; but I see him next to me in class; I see him walking me home from school; I see him laughing and talking with me; I see him giving me a great big hug even when I don't “need” it. I think about how much he loves me and how proud he is of me. I think about how unconditional His love is and how much that love means to me. “Wherefore, be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you and I will stand by you”(D&C 68:6). “And ye cannot bear all things now; nevertheless, be of good cheer, for I will lead you along. The kingdom is yours and the blessings there of are yours, and the riches of eternity are yours” (D&C 78:18). Christ is there for us all the time; all we need to do is turn to him. Think about His love! FEAST on it! Never getting discouraged.
Ultimately, we must look unto Christ for happiness. Not only is He the only path to eternal life, but He is also the only path to happiness in this life as well. We must do just as He says, “Look unto me in every thought. Doubt not. Fear not” (D&C 6:36).
The Book of Mormon. Salt Lake City, Utah: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1981.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Preach My Gospel. Salt Lake City, Utah: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2004.
The Doctrine and Covenants. Salt Lake City, Utah: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The Holy Bible. King James Version ed. Salt Lake City, Utah: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1979.
Maxwell, Elder Neal A. "Apply the Atoning Blood of Christ." The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Oct. 1997. 29 Oct. 2008
Wirthlin, Elder Joseph B. "Come What May, and Love It." The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Oct. 2008. 29 Oct. 2008
7 comments:
Good job Jill! I like all the quotes that you use from general authorities. They were awesome. Make sure that each paragraph has a main idea and that the paragraph's body develops that idea.
I loved your blog Jill! Thanks for your testimony and reminding all of us that joy comes in all shapes and sizes, in good AND bad times. It was truly inspiring!
Jill I found your words and thoughts on Joy and how we can have joy even in the hardest of times were very uplifting. I especially enjoyed the part where you talked about how Joy comes from obedience and that if we are obedient to his commandments we will be blessed to have joy in every part of our lives.
Nice work. I really liked the bit from Preach my Gospel about obedience being the first law of heaven.
I really liked the quotes you chose to use. Also you testimony on finding joy through trials. This is a principle that can be difficult to understand and I appreciated your insight on it. Nice work.
Thank you Jill! I really liked how you picture Christ laughing and talking with you, you head on his shoulder. That is a really cool way to think of Him throughout the day and to be reassured we are never alone; I'm going to try doing that!
How true- where would we be without joy? I enjoyed your testimony of finding joy in trials. Thank you.
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