Chapter 18: Joy and Hope through Jesus Christ

“Chapter 18: Joy and Hope through Jesus Christ,” Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Russell M. Nelson (2023)

“Chapter 18,” Teachings: Russell M. Nelson

Chapter 18

Joy and Hope through Jesus Christ

When the focus of our lives is on God’s plan of salvation … and Jesus Christ and His gospel, we can feel joy regardless of what is happening—or not happening—in our lives.

From the Life of Russell M. Nelson

On January 11, 2019, President Russell M. Nelson’s daughter Wendy died of cancer. Two days later, President Nelson and Sister Nelson traveled to the town of Paradise, California, USA, much of which had been destroyed by a major wildfire. Hundreds of Church members had lost their homes in the fire, and President Nelson wanted to visit and comfort them and others. With emotion, he explained to a newspaper reporter why they had made the trip. “We mourn the loss of our second daughter,” he said. “And yet there is nothing we would rather do than to try to be of help to others.”

At the site of the fire, President and Sister Nelson were saddened by the destruction they saw. They were also inspired by the way the people in the area helped each other. At a special stake conference in nearby Chico, President Nelson said:

“The accounts of your suffering are exceeded only by the accounts of your ministering. You have provided an example to the world about ministering in a higher and holier way. For this, I thank you.”

In their time of mourning, President and Sister Nelson had come to others who mourned. President Nelson told the Saints, “We have come to minister to you. We want to bring you hope.”

He quoted a prophecy of Isaiah that he said seemed appropriate for the occasion:

“We come ‘unto them that mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified’ [Isaiah 61:3]. …

“Now, that’s quite a profound pronouncement. Isaiah likened the righteous who mourn—including you heroic brothers and sisters—to trees of righteousness, planted by God, and that He, in turn, will be glorified by your Christlike deeds.

“Your hope, your joy, and your future will all be shaped by your faith in God and by your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Teachings of Russell M. Nelson

Regardless of our circumstances, we can find joy through Jesus Christ

These are the latter days, so none of us should be surprised when we see prophecy fulfilled. A host of prophets, including Isaiah, Paul, Nephi, and Mormon, foresaw that perilous times would come, that in our day the whole world would be in commotion. … What can help each of us with our personal struggles and with the rigorous challenge of living in these latter days?

The prophet Lehi taught a principle for spiritual survival. … Lehi knew opposition, anxiety, heartache, pain, disappointment, and sorrow. Yet he declared boldly and without reservation a principle as revealed by the Lord: “Men are, that they might have joy” [2 Nephi 2:25]. Imagine! Of all the words he could have used to describe the nature and purpose of our lives here in mortality, he chose the word joy!

Life is filled with detours and dead ends, trials and challenges of every kind. Each of us has likely had times when distress, anguish, and despair almost consumed us. Yet we are here to have joy?

Yes! The answer is a resounding yes! … Saints can be happy under every circumstance. We can feel joy even while having a bad day, a bad week, or even a bad year!

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My dear brothers and sisters, the joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives.

When the focus of our lives is on God’s plan of salvation … and Jesus Christ and His gospel, we can feel joy regardless of what is happening—or not happening—in our lives. Joy comes from and because of Him. He is the source of all joy. We feel it at Christmastime when we sing, “Joy to the world, the Lord is come” [“Joy to the World,” Hymns, no. 201]. And we can feel it all year round. For Latter-day Saints, Jesus Christ is joy! …

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Just as the Savior offers peace that “passeth all understanding” [Philippians 4:7], He also offers an intensity, depth, and breadth of joy that defy human logic or mortal comprehension. For example, it doesn’t seem possible to feel joy when your child suffers with an incurable illness or when you lose your job or when your spouse betrays you. Yet that is precisely the joy the Savior offers. His joy is constant, assuring us that our “afflictions shall be but a small moment” [Doctrine and Covenants 121:7] and be consecrated to our gain [see 2 Nephi 2:2].

How, then, can we claim that joy? We can start by “looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith” [Hebrews 12:2] “in every thought” [Doctrine and Covenants 6:36]. We can give thanks for Him in our prayers and by keeping covenants we’ve made with Him and our Heavenly Father. As our Savior becomes more and more real to us and as we plead for His joy to be given to us, our joy will increase.

Joy is powerful, and focusing on joy brings God’s power into our lives. As in all things, Jesus Christ is our ultimate exemplar, “who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross” [Hebrews 12:2]. Think of that! In order for Him to endure the most excruciating experience ever endured on earth, our Savior focused on joy!

And what was the joy that was set before Him? Surely it included the joy of cleansing, healing, and strengthening us; the joy of paying for the sins of all who would repent; the joy of making it possible for you and me to return home—clean and worthy—to live with our Heavenly Parents and families.

Regardless of the world’s condition and your personal circumstances, you can face the future with optimism and joy if you have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His gospel.

The hope of the world is the Prince of Peace—our Creator, Savior, Jehovah, and Judge. He offers us the good life, the abundant life, and eternal life. Peaceful—even prosperous—living can come to those who abide His precepts and follow His pathway to peace.

Jesus Christ is the only enduring source of hope, peace, and joy for you. Satan can never replicate any of these. And Satan will never help you.

Study Question

How have Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ helped you find joy and hope?

True joy comes from living in harmony with the teachings of Jesus Christ

True joy comes by living in harmony with the teachings of Jesus Christ. I have never met any who were happier because they broke their covenants with God. Wickedness does not and cannot lead to happiness [see Alma 41:10]. …

I testify to you today that joy comes from following Jesus Christ. Only He can lead us back to the presence of the Father, where we will experience a fulness of never-ending joy.

Joy comes from keeping the commandments. Start with those two great commandments. … Love God and love your neighbor as yourself [see Matthew 22:36–40].

The crowning attribute that leads to joy is love of God. … God, who gave us life, also gave us commandments to live by, that we might have joy.

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As we diligently focus on the Savior and then follow His pattern of focusing on joy, we need to avoid those things that can interrupt our joy [see Alma 30:22]. … Anything that opposes Christ or His doctrine will interrupt our joy. That includes the philosophies of men, so abundant online and in the blogosphere. …

If we look to the world and follow its formulas for happiness, we will never know joy. The unrighteous may experience any number of emotions and sensations, but they will never experience joy! Joy is a gift for the faithful. It is the gift that comes from intentionally trying to live a righteous life, as taught by Jesus Christ.

He taught us how to have joy. When we choose Heavenly Father to be our God and when we can feel the Savior’s Atonement working in our lives, we will be filled with joy. Every time we nurture our spouse and guide our children, every time we forgive someone or ask for forgiveness, we can feel joy.

Every day that you and I choose to live celestial laws, every day that we keep our covenants and help others to do the same, joy will be ours.

Heed these words of the Psalmist: “I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. … In [His] presence is fulness of joy” [Psalm 16:8, 11]. As this principle is embedded in our hearts, each and every day can be a day of joy and gladness.

When you make choices, I invite you to take the long view—an eternal view. Put Jesus Christ first because your eternal life is dependent upon your faith in Him and in His Atonement. It is also dependent upon your obedience to His laws. Obedience paves the way for a joyful life for you today and a grand, eternal reward tomorrow.

Study Question

What joy have you experienced as you have followed Jesus Christ and His teachings?

God can fill your heart with hope that transcends anything the world can offer

Hope emanates from the Lord, and it transcends the bounds of this mortal sphere. … Only with an eternal perspective of God’s great plan of happiness can we ever find a more excellent hope. “What is it that ye shall hope for?” asked Moroni. He then answered his own question: “Behold I say unto you that ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ” (Moroni 7:41; see also Alma 27:28). Paul expressed the same thought. He succinctly called the Lord Jesus Christ “our hope” (1 Timothy 1:1).

As we keep His commandments and stay on the covenant path, the Lord has promised to stand by us and bless us with “a perfect brightness of hope” [2 Nephi 31:20]—even when circumstances are grim.

Our brightest days are yet ahead. The Lord will perform some of His greatest miracles. And some of those miracles will be in your lives. If you wonder if happy days will ever return, I assure you that they will. Your children will yet have many opportunities to grow and progress, and your families may enjoy a promising future.

The Lord in His mercy always blesses and prospers those who put their trust in Him. Look forward to the future with hope. Embrace it with the assurance that the Holy Ghost will strengthen and direct you. Help your children understand that now is the time to manifest their complete faith in God and in His Son, Jesus Christ.

Whatever your faith tradition or personal circumstances, as a servant of the Lord, I invite you to look to Him and make Him the center of your life. Pour out your heart to God and ask Him for His help. He will infuse your life with meaning and fill your heart with hope that transcends anything the world can offer.

Live as a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. Acquire His qualities of civility and concern for others. Learn to reach out, to lift and encourage people. As you cultivate qualities of kindness, courtesy, and respect for others, your life’s work will be more fulfilling than if you were to pursue goals strictly with an eye single to your own glory.

Enduring joy comes neither from amassing material wealth nor in doing reportable deeds. True joy comes from becoming all that you may become. Your potential for personal greatness will be enhanced as you come unto Christ and become one with Him.

In this world abounding with misery, we are truly thankful for God’s “great plan of happiness” [Alma 42:8]. His plan declares that men and women are “that they might have joy” [2 Nephi 2:25]. That joy comes when we choose to live in harmony with God’s eternal plan.

Study Question

When have you experienced hope that transcends anything the world can offer?

As we love and serve our neighbors, we find joy in life

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One of life’s sweetest returns is the privilege of rendering significant service of worth to others. To be able to do for fellow human beings something they could not do for themselves brings matchless satisfaction. …

And joy is derived in Church service. Alma so expressed this thought: “That perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance … is my joy” (Alma 29:9).

Through service in the temples, the concept of courtesy to companions can be nobly extended to those who have passed beyond the veil. The gospel brings glad tidings for the dead and a voice of gladness for the living and the dead—for all, glad tidings of great joy.

We teach the message of Jesus Christ. We teach our people to love God, to love and serve our neighbors. If they will do that, they will find joy in life. There will be peace on earth when we understand the Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man.

Study Question

How has serving others helped you find joy?

Rejoice in the goodness of the gospel

Rejoice in the goodness of the gospel. … Have a smile on your face and radiate the joy that the gospel brings. Even through your challenges, on your deepest and darkest day, you can have joy.

Teach others about the goodness of God. … Your exemplary lives will attract the interest of your friends and neighbors. Be ready to give an answer to those who ask why you live as you do. Be ready to give a reason for the hope and joy that they see in you [see 1 Peter 3:15].

I testify that God lives! Jesus is the Christ. His Church and the fulness of His gospel have been restored to bless our lives with joy, here and hereafter.

Study Question

How do you radiate the joy of the gospel of Jesus Christ?

Invitations and Promises

Look to the Lord, and He will fill your heart with hope

Live as a disciple of Jesus Christ, and you will find true joy

Joy comes from keeping the commandments. Start with those two great commandments. … Love God and love your neighbor as yourself [see Matthew 22:36–40].

As we love and serve our neighbors, we will find joy in life

Teach others about the goodness of God

Rejoice in the goodness of the gospel. … Have a smile on your face and radiate the joy that the gospel brings. Even through your challenges, on your deepest and darkest day, you can have joy.

Videos

Related Talks

“A More Excellent Hope” (Brigham Young University fireside, Jan. 8, 1995)