I love the Book of Mormon.
It is quirky. There are weird
names and trying to understand the geography can give you a headache. The book mentions horses when the geological
record shows no horses in America until the Spanish monks and Conquistadors
brought them.
Nevertheless, I love this book. My second son explained it in a way I can
remember, “It is just good.”
How would
my life be different if I didn’t believe this book contained truth?
There is one Book of Mormon scripture I could not live
without.
I cannot live
without joy.
I cannot live
without the understanding that joy is important, vital, one of the very reasons
for our existence.
Sorrow is
important too. Another favorite
scripture (this time from the Old Testament) is Psalms 30:5 “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”
One morning
during one of the most despairing periods of my life I opened my front door to
see frothy pink blossoms spilling all over the crab apple tree. A feeling of peace came over me and a
presence I have come to call the Holy Ghost whispered to me, “You are
loved. This is for you.”
There are many things that can and will be said about joy and how to obtain it. But I've said all I need to for now.
Joy.
Joy.