Joy

October 9, 2016

 

Hey Everyone!

Thank you all for the incredible support you always give to me! It is good to hear from you all often and I love when I log in on Monday and I get to talk to all of you. Your words, advice, and just love give me a lot of strength and desire to keep working here in Korea. I don't have a ton of time so I will share only a few words that I learned this past week from hearing our leaders speak at general conference. 

Something that Elder Nelson said this past week was: 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.

I add my testimony and promise to that of Elder Nelson. Sometimes we may feel that we just don’t have as much fun and we are restricted by living the standards that we have to live. Sometimes we feel that when we sacrifice for God or for others, there is no reward. We get nothing tangible. But I promise that when we choose to make the right choice, no matter how hard it may be, we will feel joy. It may not be immediate and we may have trials along with our joy, but we will be able to find peace in our trials, and assurance in our suffering. I bear my witness as a servant of the Lord that the only formula to happiness is the formula given to us by the Son of God. There are other paths that may seem to lead to fun and temporary satisfaction or even long term contentment, but nothing except the gospel of Jesus Christ leads to eternal joy and lasting peace. I witness of that and I pray that all of you will find that joy by learning of Him, acting on His words, and opening your heart to believe on His words. I love you all and I thank you for your prayers and your sacrifices on my behalf. 

Elder Coleman