Thursday, October 6, 2022

1 John 1:3-5 -- On Joy and Light

"That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.
This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all."
1 John 1:3-5


These verses reinforce the message that we learn in 2 Nephi 2:25: "... men are, that they might have joy." Everything that John is preaching and the very reason for our existence is based in that.

I think there is some real power in knowing that. God is all about us being happy and finding true joy. ... Now, of course he isn't going to support us in things that bring brief moments of pleasure but that are going to harm us and make us unhappy long term. Only those things that bring lasting, eternal happiness are on the list, but every single thing that God asks us to do is part of getting us to that happy place... that eternal joy.

I think that the information about darkness and light here is also to help us find joy. Sometimes it is hard for us to know which way to go, or what will truly bring us joy. God can see better than we can, and if we follow his light and avoid trusting in "secret works of darkness" (Helaman 8:4), then we can know we are going in the right direction--towards that happiness, rather than away from it.

As we find true happiness in this life through God, we can be certain that we will be happy later as well, for as Mormon 9:14 tells us, "he that is happy shall be happy still." ... God's judgement day reinforces what we have learned and become. Today, let's trust God and work towards joy and light through following him and doing all the things that he asks, because we know he is leading us to our "happy place" of being our best, most joyful selves.

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