Scripture Study - Cheer/Cheerful

 1/30/24 – Cheer/Cheerful

But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. (Matt. 14:27) A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken. (Prov. 15:13) A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones. (Prov. 17:22) … Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee. (Matt. 9:2)

Having the gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, …he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness. (Rom. 12:6, 8) Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. (2 Cor. 9:7)

Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye are little children, and ye have not as yet understood how great blessings the Father hath in his own hands and prepared for you; And ye cannot bear all things now; nevertheless, be of good cheer, for I will lead you along. The kingdom is yours and the blessings thereof are yours, and the riches of eternity are yours. (D&C 78:17-18) Wherefore, be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you; … (D&C 68:6) … in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. (John 16:33) Therefore, cheer up your hearts, and remember that ye are free to act for yourselves – to choose the way of everlasting death or the way of eternal life. (2 Nephi 10:23) And now, verily I say unto you, and what I say unto one I say unto all, be of good cheer, little children; for I am in your midst, and I have not forsaken you; (D&C 61:36) … yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord. (Mosiah 24:15) Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed. (D&C 123:17)

Insights: I have a hanging in my living room that says “It is not happy people who are thankful, it is thankful people who are happy.” I believe the Lord was trying to teach this in these passages. We are told over and over again to be of good cheer, and to be not afraid. The Lord has prepared a way for us to get through those trials that come and once we do, the blessings will be greater than we could ever imagine. Without a cheerful heart, all that we go through will be worse because our spirit is already broken. The old saying that every cloud has a silver lining is true. Our greatest priority is to look for and find that silver lining and that will be what gives us the cheerful heart. (We will find what we look for, so look for the good!)

I love that the Lord promises that we will not have to traverse these hard times alone; he will be right there with us, helping us through. As a girl, I was introduced to the poem “Footprints in the Sand” where it sank deep into my heart that even when I feel like I am alone, I am not.

One night a man dreamed a dream. He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the LORD. Across the sky flashed scenes from his life.

 For each scene he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand: one belonging to him, and the other to the LORD.

 When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand.

He noticed that many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in his life.

This really bothered him and he questioned the LORD about it:

“LORD, you said that once I decided to follow you, you’d walk with me all the way. But I noticed that during the most troublesome times of my life, there was only one set of footprints. I don’t understand why when I needed you the most you would leave me.”

The LORD replied:

“My son, my precious child, I love you and I would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.” (Mary Stevenson)

May you find the good even when submerged in the hard, and may you recognize the hand of the Lord in your life – holding you, guiding you, and loving you!