Find the Joy

February 12, 2017

My beloved family and friends,



This week has been a week of study, and of personal reflection. I have
felt so very very happy, and also just a weird feeling of
discouragement, but I always realize that when I am feeling
discouraged it is because I either am (a) focused too much on my self
or (b) not focused on the right things as much as I need to be.
Through realizing this I have been able to recenter my focus, and when
my focus is not on myself, but is on Jesus Christ, and is on helping
other people, and I really "Lose myself in the work", I am able to be
unbelievably happy, despite whether or not I have any real reason to
be. Because we all have the greatest reason to be happy, all the time.
We have a knowledge of Jesus Christ, and his atoning sacrifice for us.
We have the joy of knowing the truthfulness of the Plan of Salvation.
We know of our eternal potential. We know that God is our Heavenly
Father, and that He loves us. When we think about and really let these
things be something we ponder and express gratitude for, then we will
certainly be happy, not just sometimes, but all of the time; despite
the bad day, month, or even year, because the only thing telling you
that those days, months, or years are bad is the world; and the world
doesn't know true joy. True joy is a gift, a gift that can only be
sought for and obtained through the principles of the Gospel of Jesus
Christ. So please, always remember, remember the truths that you know,
and don't let the world tell you that because of your circumstances
you are not happy. God wants and expects you to rejoice in the joy of
the gospel, take a little bit of time and recognize the reasons that
you have to rejoice; and then praise our Maker for these rich
blessings.


President Uchtdorf once said, "Comparison is the thief of Joy."
Perhaps we need to spend a little bit less time comparing ourselves to
others, and a little bit more time thanking God for all that he has
given us, and those around us. Remember we do not need to drink a
quart of pickle Juice every time someone else succeeds! Whether we
choose to let others' successes be a joy or a loss for us is a great
determining factor in our capacity to have joy. (Read Elder Holland's
talk about the parable of the Laborers.)




 This week we went back to visit Paul. Paul is an investigator that I
found 5 1/2 months ago with Elder Akamatsu. Paul is from England, and
is very very intelligent. He teaches English here in Japan, is married
to a Japanese woman, who is very successful, and he just lives with
her and his dog. He doesn't really work too much, and has so much time
to watch news, documentaries, and read. He is a world class pessimist,
and an strong, bold atheist. Although he is atheist he does not hate
anyone who is religious, he just knows for himself that God is not
there. He is a bit scary, and uses some of the hardest English I've
ever heard. (don't worry I still understand my conversations with him
more than I do with a Japanese person ;)) But I figured it had been a
long time, and maybe he had read the Book of Mormon, so It would be a
good time to go back. We went back and had a good talk with him. He
looked very sick, and he told us he had basically been sick for the
last two months, and was just starting to build his strength back. We
talked about a lot of things, and it is so interesting to realize that
without the perspective of knowing about God, and about our purpose,
and the Plan of Salvation, this world is a very sad place. There is a
lot of bad going on in the world. There is much good too, but Satan is
at his highest, and is working the hardest to wreak havoc and horror
upon this earth. He is doing a lot of damage, and I can feel the
weight of it here in Japan. The people do not have any relationship
with God, and so they have no real moral measurement, and I can feel
that they are sad, because we need God, and we need a knowledge of the
Restoration and the gospel, in order to be happy. I love being able to
provide an opportunity for people to hear this message, and find joy
in their lives, because our world desperately needs Jesus Christ,
needs the gospel, and needs the Joy that comes from this knowledge. I
challenge all of you to share the gospel, share the joy, if you are
not finding the joy yourself, then maybe through sharing it, you will
be able to rediscover it in yourself. I love you all and rejoice with
you because He is risen, and He has paved a path that we may return to
the Kingdom of God.
Love,
コノバー長老