Joy...

There is much joy to be had in this life but there is little joy to be had in "the world."  All of the glitz and glamor of that artificial Babylon can be a siren song luring us with promised illusions of perfection:  "If only I can follow the siren song with enough diligence, I will 'arrive.'"  Somehow another siren appears and we never can quite "get there."

Temporal pursuits are necessary.  We come here to learn how to control the physical elements and we live in a mortal world where we must provide for ourselves and others.  Plus, Heavenly Father has given us pleasure in our earthly journey:  

16 Verily I say, that inasmuch as ye do this, the fullness of the earth is yours, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and that which climbeth upon the trees and walketh upon the earth;

17 Yea, and the herb, and the good things which come of the earth, whether for food or for raiment, or for houses, or for barns, or for orchards, or for gardens, or for vineyards;

18 Yea, all things which come of the earth, in the season thereof, are made for the benefit and the use of man, both to please the eye and to gladden the heart;

19 Yea, for food and for raiment, for taste and for smell, to strengthen the body and to enliven the soul.

20 And it pleaseth God that he hath given all these things unto man; for unto this end were they made to be used, with judgment, not to excess, neither by extortion.  (Doctrine and Covenants | Section 59:16 – 20)

I don’t believe we are to live the life of an ascetic.  Heavenly Father blesses us with the good things of the earth.  The key is using them with judgment, nor to excess nor by extortion.  Satan on the other had would shove us into excesses (addictions) where getting becomes so obsessive that we have not time to be about eternal things.  And, is it extortion when we use more of our resources on our own pleasures than is needful especially when our brothers and sisters around us suffer?  When we place our value in every changing fashion and trend, we are looking for fulfillment and joy where it can never be found.  We simply become a marketing tool, free advertisement, a carbon copy of everyone else.  I often find it amazing that Satan promotes the cry of “do your own thing” by having everyone march to his drumbeat. 

Back to joy.  True joy is found in the gifts of God – relationships, commandments, the beauties of the earth, growth and development, things that increase and last.  Also, there is a role that balance has to play in living a life of joy.  My cousins from Idaho Falls, sent me a little book by Lance Richardson entitled The Message after my mother’s death.  It is a simple account of his near death experience.  They knew him and his parents.  He grew up on their street.  They wanted to share his book as a comfort.  Bro. Richardson said that in the spirit world there is a balance between three main activities.  I don’t think this necessarily applies to all in the spirit world (for example those in spirit prison) but he said that the spirits he associated with spent about 1/3 of their time searching out their ancestors and teaching them the gospel, 1/3 of their time working with their loved ones on the earth trying to assist them and influence them for good and 1/3 learning, visiting, enjoying each others company, celebrating, recreating etc.  I loved the balance in that idea.  It’s a beautiful formula and I think it can be applied in some way to our earth life.