The Power of Joy

Close your eyes and bring your attention to your body. Let go of any tension you are holding in your face, jaw, head, neck, shoulders, upper arms, forearms, hands, fingers, chest, stomach, hips, seat, thighs, calves, feet, and toes. Lean your torso slightly from front to back and side to side until you rest into a comfortable posture where you feel centered, balanced, and relaxed.

Now bring your attention to your breath. Inhale deeply, hold for two seconds, now breathe out all the tension, stress, or negativity you might be feeling. One more time. Breathe in deeply, hold, exhale slowly all the way.

As your breathing returns to normal, spend the next few minutes simply observing the thoughts that come into your mind. Try to empty your mind, and then, without dwelling on any particular thought, notice the thoughts and feelings that drift through your consciousness, as if your mind were a river, and your thoughts were leaves, sticks, and other debris, gently floating by. Without judgment, and without spending more than one second on any one thought, see if you can label each thought and feeling as either a positive and constructive, or negative and destructive, as it floats by.

Evaluate whether the majority of your thoughts fell into the positive category or the negative category.

We know from the Book of Mormon that “men are, that they might have joy,”[1] even when experiencing hard challenges. President Nelson taught that “the joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives.”[2]

Spend some time pondering, without judgment, what your focus generally is as you go about your daily life.

President Nelson also taught that “[j]oy is powerful, and focusing on joy brings God’s power into our lives.”[3] Make a mental or physical list of all the things—large or small—that bring you joy.

How can you use this list to increase your focus on joy and, in turn, increase God’s power in your life?

One way to increase your own joy is to spread joy to others. Spend the next few minutes visualizing yourself as you go about a typical day. Picture things you can do—either big or small—to spread joy to others throughout your day.

Christ provides a perfect example of focusing on joy to help him endure his atonement.[4] President Nelson, in explaining that Christ’s joy was surely in the fact that his atonement made it possible for us to repent, posed this question to us: “If we focus on the joy that will come to us, or to those we love, what can we endure that presently seems overwhelming, painful, scary, unfair, or simply impossible? . . . What repenting will then be possible? What weakness will become a strength? What chastening will become a blessing? What disappointments, even tragedies, will turn to our good? And what challenging service to the Lord will we be able to give?[5]

“Joy is a gift for the faithful. It is the gift that comes from intentionally trying to live a righteous life, as taught by Jesus Christ.”[6] Ponder the things that decrease your joy. President Nelson warns that “[a]nything that opposes Christ or His doctrine will interrupt our joy.”[7] Are there any influences you are allowing into your life that are interrupting your joy?

When you are ready, take a final deep breath and slowly turn your awareness back to your body. As you open your eyes and return to your surroundings, take a moment to jot down any thoughts, promptings, or questions that came to mind while you were pondering. And, if necessary, make a plan to act on those things.

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[1] 2 Nephi 2:25.

[2] Russell M. Nelson, “Joy and Spiritual Survival,” General Conference, October 2016, pg. 82.

[3] Russell M. Nelson, “Joy and Spiritual Survival,” General Conference, October 2016, pg. 82-83.

[4] Hebrews 12:2; Russell M. Nelson, “Joy and Spiritual Survival,” General Conference, October 2016, pg. 82-83.

[5] Russell M. Nelson, “Joy and Spiritual Survival,” General Conference, October 2016, pg. 83.

[6] Russell M. Nelson, “Joy and Spiritual Survival,” General Conference, October 2016, pg. 84.

[7] Russell M. Nelson, “Joy and Spiritual Survival,” General Conference, October 2016, pg. 84.