'Rejoice, and be exceeding glad.' (Matthew 5:12)

'Rejoice, and be exceeding glad.' (Matthew 5:12)

God loves us and wants us to be happy. We have many reasons to be happy, even if we don’t realize all of them. One way we find joy is by helping others feel joy.

Who do you know who could use some joy in their life?

Send them a personalized care package in the mail.

How often do you stop to think about your blessings?

Reach out to someone who has blessed your life, and thank the person for his or her example.

When was the last time you celebrated someone else’s accomplishments?

Find somebody who doesn’t receive thanks very often, and make the person’s day amazing.

Boyd K Packer October 1985  'A Defense and a Refuge' 

We look forward with faith. We have seen many events in our lifetime, and many will yet occur that will tax our courage and extend our faith. We are to “rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great [will be our] reward in heaven”  Matthew 5:12

Willingly defend the history of the Church, and do “not [be] ashamed of the gospel of [Jesus] Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth”  Romans 1:16

We will face the challenges, for we cannot avoid them, and teach the gospel of Jesus Christ and teach of Him as our Savior and our Refuge, our Redeemer.

If a well-worn yellow bandana was good enough to be an ensign to the world, then ordinary men who hold the priesthood and ordinary women and ordinary children in ordinary families, living the gospel as best they can all over the world, can shine forth as a standard, a defense, a refuge against whatever is to be poured out upon the earth.

“We talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins”  2 Nephi 25:26