Area Leadership Message
Lasting Joy is Found in the Choice to Live the Gospel of Jesus Christ
When our Heavenly Father presented His plan of happiness to us, we were very excited and accepted it. Not just because we were happy, but also because as spirits we saw this as an opportunity to progress and help accomplish His work (see Moses 1:39).
For the plan to be realized, we needed to experience mortality and obtain a tangible body. Since we could no longer remember our premortal life, only the gospel of Jesus Christ could guide us on our journey.
We can find lasting joy by choosing to live the gospel of Jesus Christ.
A few years ago, when I was a young missionary, our mission key indicators showed areas for improvement. We adopted certain measures to help us become more effective (scripture study, fasting, and prayer).
We once had the experience of knocking on a door in London just when we were about to give up. This happened after a strong urge to try one last time. It turned out to be the right door. A young man, Chris Cook, opened the door and after we had introduced ourselves, he let us in and listened to our message. After this meeting and many others that followed, he became a member of the Church.
Years later, in 2010, he was able to reach me via social media and said: “I must say that when you met me, I had little prospects for the future, and I had no idea what I was going to do with my life. I am very grateful to Jesus Christ and for His Church in my life. I am a bishop now, and that’s even more challenging than serving a full-time mission, but I am grateful to have been called to serve. Following your missionary service here, I went on a mission to Birmingham, then I got married and was called as bishop of the Clapham Common Ward in London. My mother, grandmother, Tina and Cadie—my sisters, and Aaron joined the Church in 2007. I am so happy; you changed my life. As long as I live, I will never forget you. You saved my life.” Chris Cook also served as a stake president.
I saw in those words an expression of the lasting joy that comes from walking in the footsteps of the Lord Jesus Christ.
When I was a student, one of my roommates asked me a lot of questions about the physical signs of the covenants I had made in the holy temple. In response, I invited him to attend sacrament meeting and Sunday School to learn more about things of eternal value that could bring him lasting joy.
At that stage of our lives, as a young man, he prioritized other activities that he felt could make him happy.
When we completed our studies, we both found jobs at the same company. I continued to lovingly counsel him without pressuring him. Seventeen years later, after he had been instructed by the power of the Holy Spirit, he agreed to join the Church with his wife and two children. A year later, he was sealed in the Accra Ghana Temple. So great was his joy that he never missed an opportunity to teach the doctrine of Christ and to invite others to come to Christ. I always showed love to my friend, to the point that I never condemned him when his heart was set on the pleasures of the world.
When l think about my conversion, I find comfort in knowing that lasting joy can only be found in choosing to follow Jesus Christ.
I was born into a family of eight children with loving parents. We were not rich but lived happily together. When we embraced the gospel of Jesus Christ, we began to live according to divine principles.
My perception of others changed. I was filled with joy as I embarked on a mission. I had wonderful experiences on my mission.
I saw lives change because of the gospel of Jesus Christ. (See Doctrine and Covenants sections 15 and 16.)
I am married to a beloved daughter of our Heavenly Father and we have four children. The first child has served a full-time mission. I am grateful for our lives and the fruits of the Spirit we enjoy (See Galatians 5:22), even amidst trials. We have the peace the gospel of Jesus Christ brings because we strive to obey Him, and our joy is centered on eternity.
Our prophet, Russell M. Nelson said “Mortality is a master class in learning to choose the things of greatest eternal import. Far too many people live as though this life is all there is. However, your choices today will determine three things: where you will live throughout all eternity, the kind of body with which you will be resurrected, and those with whom you will live forever. So, think celestial. . . .
“When you make choices, I invite you to take the long view—an eternal view. Put Jesus Christ first because your eternal life is dependent upon your faith in Him and in His Atonement. It is also dependent upon your obedience to His laws.
“Obedience paves the way for a joyful life for you today and a grand, eternal reward tomorrow.”1
The gospel of Jesus Christ is the most important thing that can bring us joy in this life and the next. Let us strive to live it.