Life is a lot like having a new baby in the house. It is wonderful and full of joy, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t challenges or it’s not a lot of work. The key to a joyful life is having joy in the journey.
The online guide to the scriptures says that joy is a condition of great happiness coming from righteous living. The purpose of mortal life is for all people to have joy. A full joy will come only through Jesus Christ.
The prophet Joseph Smith said, “Happiness is the object and design of our existence; and will be the end thereof, IF we pursue the path that leads to it; and this path is virtue, uprightness, faithfulness, holiness and keeping all the commandments of God.”
From this, we learn that joy is conditioned on personal righteousness. Thus, sin is an obstacle to joy.
Elder Richard G. Scott taught, “If you are suffering the disheartening affects of transgression, please recognize that the only path to permanent relief from sadness is sincere repentance with a broken heart and a contrite spirit. There is really no other way to get lasting healing and peace.”
In another talk Elder Scott promised, “I know that every difficulty we face in life, even those that come from our own negligence or even transgression can be turned by the Lord into growth experiences, a virtual ladder upward. I certainly do not recommend transgression as a path to growth. . . . It is far wiser and so much easier to move forward in righteousness. But through proper repentance, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and obedience to His commandments, even the disappointment that comes from transgression can be converted into a return to happiness.”
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