"As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.
These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full."
John 15:9-11
So many things come back to joy. It is easy to accuse God of not loving us when we go astray and can't feel that love... but his love hasn't changed. It is our ability to feel it that has changed. Just like if we were to break marriage vows and as a result were unable to participate in that relationship anymore--if we break our promises to God, then we find ourselves beyond that boundary, unable to feel that love and reassurance that we get from our relationship with God. The love from God never changes, but without repentance and a change of heart we won't be able to find our way back to it, because we've broken the relationship on our side.
Christ asks us to continue in his love as he continues in the Father's love, as we should all continue in love to each other... not betraying each other, not throwing each other under the bus, not mocking or scorning, etc. Our joy depends in large part on being loved, on abiding in the love that is all around us, if we can enjoy it and participate in it. Today, let's live "after the manner of happiness" (2 Nephi 5:27) by remaining faithful to the Lord, gaining joy by abiding in his love, and working to love and bring joy to the people around us as well.
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