Jesus invited a paralyzed man to "be of good cheer." He gave the same message to his apostles as He prepared to suffer for our sins in Gethsemane. How could He speak of cheerfulness at that time? Because He knew that He would be victorious.
Let Your Hearts Rejoice
As Ammon and his brothers ended their fourteen-year mission to the Lamanites, Ammon expressed the joy he felt with such spontaneity and passion that his brother Aaron corrected him. Wasn't he boasting, and wasn't that wrong? In response, Ammon listed many of the blessings they had received and said: Let us glory, yea, we will glory in the... Continue Reading →
Songs of Everlasting Joy
Isaiah prophesied of a time when the children of Israel would be delivered from bondage and would gather to Zion. This would not only be a day of joy; it would be the beginning of an eternity of joy: The ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness,... Continue Reading →
Blessed – 3 Nephi 12:1-12
At the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount, the Savior lists eight qualities which will bring a person joy. This list is known as the Beatitudes, because the Latin word translated "blessed" is beati. This word—and the original Greek word makarios (μακάριος)—literally mean "happy," but with a connotation of "having great reason to be... Continue Reading →
“Turn Ye, Turn Ye” – Helaman 7:17
Nephi caught the attention of a group of people by praying on a tower in his garden beside a busy highway. They not only stopped to hear his prayer. They ran and gathered other people. When Nephi completed his prayer, a large crowd had gathered (Helaman 7:10-12). So he spoke to them, sharing his sorrow... Continue Reading →
What Does the Book of Mormon Reveal?
This is the last of six blog posts answering a set of questions recommended by President Russell M. Nelson. So far, I have written about what the Book of Mormon is, what it affirms, what it refutes, what it fulfills, and what it clarifies. Here are some of the truths that the book reveals to... Continue Reading →
What Is Joy?
The Greek word for joy is chara (χαρά). It is related to the word charis (χάρις), which means "grace." Thus, Strong's Concordance defines the term as "joy because of grace" or "the awareness of God's grace." No wonder that Enos sought forgiveness of his sins after remembering his father's words about "the joy of the... Continue Reading →
Why Is It Important to Lift Up Our Heads?
As he looked forward to the temple which his son would build, King David wrote a psalm about the joy of welcoming God's presence into that holy house. "Lift up your heads, O ye gates" he wrote; "and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in" (Psalm 24:7,... Continue Reading →
What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About Happiness?
Near the beginning of the Book of Mormon, the prophet Lehi tells his family about a spiritual dream he has experienced. The central symbol in this dream was "a tree, whose fruit was desirable to make one happy" (1 Nephi 8:10). Lehi's focus for the rest of the dream was on inviting his family to... Continue Reading →
Be of Good Cheer – 3 Nephi 1:13-14
13 Lift up your head and be of good cheer; for behold, the time is at hand, and on this night shall the sign be given, and on the morrow come I into the world, to show unto the world that I will fulfil all that which I have caused to be spoken by the... Continue Reading →
Book of Mormon Study Notes 