Sunday, December 14, 2008

Gioia (Joy) is the Gospel By Brittney White


Joy is my absolute favorite word in the English language. Those three letters contains so much uplifting light and spirit. I looked forward to writing this blog so I could express in some small part what joy means to me. Joy is more than fleeting happiness; it is deep and enduring. Joy is based in eternity. 2 Nephi 2:25 tells us that “men are that they might have joy.” How powerful those words are; to think that the purpose of our existence is to have joy.

Having joy does not mean that life will always be easy or that we will not have sorrow, but when we see things eternally we realize that lasting hope is a source deep and abiding joy. For example, in Alma 7:17, Alma says, “And now because your faith is strong concerning that, yea, concerning the things which I have spoken, great is my joy.” This shows that Alma’s true joy came from unifying people in Christ through the gospel. This is a source of joy that endures no matter what storms of life prevail.

The word gospel means good news. The good news is hope; hope in Christ and all that he has done for us. It is this well founded hope that brings joy, which means that the gospel is joy. Speaking in anticipation of the Savior’s coming, Alma said, “We wait to hear the joyful news declared unto us by the mouth of angels.” (Alma 13:25) When we share this joyful news with others we become messengers of God, or angels.

Partaking of the gospel is what brings joy, and part of that is following the words of the prophets. Ammon told the Lamanites not to believe in his words and “be of good cheer” (Alma 17:29, 31). By following the words of the prophets, we can discover joy and incorporate it into our lives. When we are truly incorporating gospel principles joy will shine through our eyes and people will recognize the good news we carry as disciples of Christ and followers of his servants.

In Italian, the word for joy is gioia which also means delight. The light of the gospel is what brings joy. Hope and redemption through Christ is what brings joy. Through my life there have been times of darkness, but it is the shining light of the gospel that brought joy even during times of challenge and sorrow. My first semester at BYU was a growing experience. Though it was hard while I struggling with being far from home and knowing no one, I had the light of the gospel to rely upon and as I got through that time, I was able to share that light with others. As Ammon said, “My heart is brim with joy, and I will rejoice in my God.” That is how I feel about the gospel: it gives joy and causes me to rejoice in my God.

7 comments:

Alisha said...

I really appreciated your distinction between joy, and having everything in life you desire. Sometimes sorrow comes to those who are joyful, and they appreciate that joy even more once it's pass.

D-Weezy said...

I too, enjoy how you clarified that to be joyful doesn't mean to have a perfect life without troubles and sorrows. I also didn't know that the word gospel means good news. Great job!

Valerie said...

Joy is one of my favorite words too! I agree with all you said and am so greatful for the eternal joy we can experience in our lives.

Alexa said...

I'm glad Sister Hallen told us to write unique names for our blogs--I speak Italian, so that fact that your title has the word "Gioia" drew me in. I love this quote: "Having joy does not mean that life will always be easy or that we will not have sorrow, but when we see things eternally we realize that lasting hope is a source deep and abiding joy. " Awesome job!

Savanna Stradling Bassett said...

I liked how you talked about joy doesn't mean no suffering. Yes we are all striving to have joy in our lives, but that does not just come. Usually its through the hard times comes our greatest joy. Thank you for your strong testimony displayed through this blog.

Unknown said...

I loved how you used Italian to describe what joy meant. Joy really does lift us up. I also loved the picture you added. To me, that is going to be the ultimate joy.

Cynthia Hallen said...

You outdid your previous excellent blogs in this "Final" post. Joy is the perfect topic for this time of the year. Well done!