Even God Weeps
We all experience negative emotions, but we can still have joy.
Heavenly Communication, by Yongsung Kim
Heavenly Father is happy. This we know.
He has promised to give us everything He has if we are faithful (see Doctrine and Covenants 84:38; 88:107; 132:20). He has also promised us “fulness of joy” (3 Nephi 28:10) and “never-ending happiness” (Mosiah 2:41; Alma 28:12). Those are things God Himself has and enjoys.
But wait a minute. There are plenty of scriptures that mention God being happy—but there are also a lot of times when the Lord is sad, angry, or disappointed.
Apparently, God can experience such feelings without letting them overpower or outweigh the overall sense of “never-ending happiness” and “fulness of joy.”
The prophet Enoch was surprised to learn this. He saw the Lord weep and said, “How is it that thou canst weep, seeing thou art holy, and from all eternity to all eternity?” (Moses 7:29). The Lord’s answer was essentially: Look how my children are going to suffer because of their unrighteousness! Doesn’t weeping seem like the appropriate response? (see Moses 7:37).
That doesn’t answer the question of how sadness can co-exist with eternal happiness. But our own experiences here in mortality might give us an idea.
Opposition in All Things
Let’s be real: The world does contain terrible things. We try to focus on the positive—and there is plenty—but in addition to wars and disasters, there are also trials in our personal lives. No one is free from sorrow and pain.
And yet, in general, most of us manage to get by. We can be happy—or at least at peace—despite any terribleness around us.
Some people feel guilty for feeling happy when there’s sadness in the world. But when we feel joy, it’s not that we no longer care about suffering and injustice. It’s just that we’re able to think about more than one thing at a time. We have to be! We wouldn’t be able to function otherwise!
God sent us to live in a world that He knew would include misery … but at the same time, He wants us to feel joy (see 2 Nephi 2:25). There must be a way to do both.
The way is the Savior.
Choose Your Focus
President Russell M. Nelson said it so memorably: “The joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives.” He went on to say: “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. Joy comes from and because of Him.”
Other inspired leaders echo President Nelson’s feelings. “All who suffer any kind of mortal infirmities should remember that our Savior experienced that kind of pain also, and that through His Atonement, He offers each of us the strength to bear it.” “Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we may be … succored in our infirmities.” “As you come to Him, you will be rewarded with strength to face life’s challenges.”
The Apostle Paul had a great attitude. He said, “I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content” (Philippians 4:11)—and he was in prison when he said that!
The ability to experience the whole range and depth of feelings while still having a “fulness of joy” is one of many things God has perfected that we are still working on. But we’ll get there! And in the meantime, He can help us focus on the good while still being aware of the bad.