We often hear of the “joy of the saints”. But what is it? In whom or what shall our joy be focused? How do we obtain it and keep it in our hearts?
The Angel announced Christ’s birth to the lowly shepherds watching the temple sheep saying:
“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”[i]
Here we see the object of joy is the coming of the Savior of the world. Isaiah speaks of the returning or gathering of the “redeemed of the Lord”:
“Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.”[ii]
The coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to gather Israel and redeem them causes inexpressible joy in their souls that is everlasting. Isaiah also said:
“with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.”[iii]
Jesus said to the woman at the well in Samaria:
“But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”[iv]
In Jesus is the word, the power of life everlasting in the Resurrection. Upon his resurrection, he left us with the Holy Spirit to continue his work to bring us joy.
The Apostle Paul said:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.[v] Here we see it is the fruit of the Spirit, and seeking the Spirit is the quickest way to obtaining joy. To have the Spirit, we must be righteous and have faith in Christ unto repentance and baptism and enduring to the end. Nephi said of the righteous saints:
“But, behold, the righteous, the saints of the Holy One of Israel, they who have believed in the Holy One of Israel, they who have endured the crosses of the world, and despised the shame of it, they shall inherit the kingdom of God, which was prepared for them from the foundation of the world, and their joy shall be full forever.”[vi]
[i] Luke 2:10-11 KJV
[ii] Isaiah 51:11 KJV
[iii] Isaiah 12:3 KJV
[iv] John 4:14 KJV
[v] Galatians 5:22-23
[vi] 2 Nephi 9:18