This Month’s Theme: Seeking Joy in a Fallen World

Dear friends,

There is a saying I learned from my mission president that I cling to when times are rough. He said, “God is invested in your joy.”

You might look around at the wars, disasters, violence, contention, and sickness so abundant in the world today and wonder how this could be true.

How?

Jesus Christ.

“Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy” is what the angel announced at Christ’s birth (Luke 2:10, emphasis added). God’s purpose in sending Christ to earth was to ensure your eternal life and eternal joy. Miraculously, He promises you joy through Christ in any part of your life—better and worse, good times and bad. That’s the message we wanted to share with you this month: Jesus Christ is joy.

Even so, we know that sometimes joy can be hard to find. So we compiled these articles this month to show you that joy is always possible. Joy is a part of your divine nature as a child of God and your inheritance as a disciple of Christ. Against all odds, you can be joyful in this fallen world.

Here are some of the articles from young adults this month:

A young adult from South Africa who found healing in Christ after experiencing sexual assault
A young adult from Uruguay who found joy in daily repentance
A young adult from Canada who found joy and connection in the gospel after looking in the wrong places

We also have stories that are part of our ongoing series:

Life Skills: Some helpful and hopeful reminders for when you’re facing big life transitions
Applying the Doctrine and Covenants to Your Life: Support for your Come, Follow Me study about choosing to focus on joy
Featured Devotional: How we can overcome the temptation to compare
Questions and Answers: How do we suffer with joy?

I thought long and hard about what to write to you in this letter. I considered multiple ways I could somehow relate to your lives, to show you that I understand what challenges you’re facing that are less than joyful.

But then I realized that even if I can’t understand completely, there is one person who can. Once again and always, Jesus Christ is the answer.

Joyful reading,

Tori Stone, YA Weekly intern