Jacob wanted his people to be happy.
He shared with them the following prophecy of Isaiah:
The Lord shall comfort Zion, he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord. Joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving and the voice of melody….
Therefore, the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy and holiness shall be upon their heads; and they shall obtain gladness and joy; sorrow and mourning shall flee away.
2 Nephi 8:3, 11, Isaiah 51:3, 11; see also Isaiah 35:10
This joy is durable—Isaiah calls it “everlasting”—but it’s also immediate. They sing. They give thanks. They express their delight in the moment.
After reading that chapter, Jacob explained, “I speak unto you these things that ye may rejoice, and lift up your heads forever, because of the blessings which the Lord God shall bestow upon your children” (2 Nephi 9:3). Later, he added this admonition:
Remember the words of your God; pray unto him continually by day, and give thanks unto his holy name by night. Let your hearts rejoice.
2 Nephi 9:52
Do our hearts naturally want to rejoice? Of course they do, particularly when we remember the goodness of God, both in the blessings we enjoy today and in the blessings He has promised us. Jacob’s admonition, “Let your hearts rejoice,” reminds us that we can’t force ourselves to be happy. When we align our focus and get out of our own way, our joy will be spontaneous.
President Russell M. Nelson taught:
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….
Each and every day can be a day of joy and gladness.
“Joy and Spiritual Survival,” General Conference, October 2016
The hymn “On This Day of Joy and Gladness” by Leroy Robertson conveys a sense of exuberance. The dotted rhythms and constant motion suggest that the singers have set aside their cares and worries in order to delight in the goodness of the moment. I hope you enjoy this arrangement by Mack Wilberg, performed by the Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square:
Today, I will find joy by focusing on the Savior. I will be grateful for the blessings I have received from Him, and I will look forward to the fulfillment of His glorious promises.
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