A Fulness of Joy

Speaking to God, King David testified, “In thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Psalm 16:11).

After the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the apostle Peter quoted this passage to a diverse group of people on the day of Pentacost. Here is how he phrased it: “Thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance” (Acts 2:28).

During the Savior’s visit to the American continent, He knelt and prayed with a large group of people who had gathered at the temple. They testified, “No one can conceive of the joy which filled our souls at the time we heard him pray for us unto the Father.” And after the prayer, Jesus said, “My joy is full” (3 Nephi 17:17, 20).

He subsequently promised three of His disciples that they would never die, saying, “For this cause ye shall have fulness of joy;… yea, your joy shall be full, even as the Father hath given me fulness of joy” (3 Nephi 28:10).

In 1918, Joseph F. Smith saw in a vision the spirit world at the time of the death of Jesus. An enormous group of faithful people were gathered, awaiting the arrival of the Savior. “They were filled with joy and gladness,” he wrote, “and were rejoicing together because the day of their deliverance was at hand” (Doctrine and Covenants 138:15). They were particularly looking forward to their resurrection, “the spirit and the body to be united never again to be divided, that they might receive a fulness of joy” (Doctrine and Covenants 138:17).

I have felt a lot of joy in my life, but I suspect that a fulness of joy is beyond anything I have experienced. I have rejoiced in reunions with loved ones, so I know that togetherness brings happiness, and I suspect that permanent togetherness brings permanent happiness. I can also imagine that a permanent reunion of my spirit with a glorified body will bring me unimaginable joy.

Today, I will be grateful for a God who wants all of His children to experience perfect happiness. I will look forward with anticipation to the complete joy I will one day experience through the mercy and grace of my Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ.