In his April 2024 general conference address, Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles shared profound insights on finding a “higher kind of joy,” a joy that transcends worldly happiness and endures through life’s inevitable challenges. Drawing upon personal experiences, scriptural references, and relatable anecdotes, Elder Uchtdorf outlined actionable steps individuals can take to cultivate lasting joy, even amidst sorrow and adversity. He reminds us that "Feeling sad is not a sign of failure. In this life, at least, joy and sorrow are inseparable companions.” He also acknowledged the reality of complex mental and emotional challenges, noting that sometimes seeking professional help is an important step to finding joy.
The Universal Quest for Joy
Elder Uchtdorf began by acknowledging the universal human desire for happiness, noting that it is something all humans desire most, yet for many, happiness is hard to find. He posed the question: If happiness is the one thing we humans desire most, why are we so unsuccessful at finding it? To paraphrase a country song, maybe we’ve been looking for joy in all the wrong places. He suggested that perhaps individuals are looking for joy in the wrong places and that worldly happiness is fleeting and cannot last. Worldly happiness, by contrast, does not last. It cannot. It is the nature of all earthly things to grow old, decay, wear out, or become stale.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ: Good News of Great Joy
Elder Uchtdorf emphasized that the gospel of Jesus Christ is truly the “good news of great joy”. It is a message of matchless hope! A message of yoke-bearing and burden-lifting. Of light-gathering. He contrasted worldly happiness with godly joy, explaining that godly joy is eternal because God is eternal. It is the joy that endures heartbreak, penetrates sorrow and diminishes loneliness. Jesus Christ came to lift us out of the temporal and replace corruption with incorruption. Only He has that power, and only His joy is perpetual.
Three Invitations to a Higher Joy
Elder Uchtdorf extended three invitations to help individuals tap into this higher kind of joy:
Draw Near Unto God
Elder Uchtdorf invited everyone to draw near to God. “I have learned that if we draw near to God and reach out to touch Him, we can indeed find healing, peace and joy.” He shared the story of the woman with the bleeding illness from the New Testament to illustrate how drawing near to God can bring healing, peace, and joy. Like this woman, I have learned that if we draw near to God and reach out to touch Him, we can indeed find healing, peace, and joy.
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Look for Joy
Elder Uchtdorf encouraged individuals to actively seek joy in their lives. “We rarely find something we are not looking for. Are we looking for eternal joy? Seek and ye shall find.” He reminded listeners that our beloved Father in Heaven wants all His children to have as much happiness as possible, so He has filled this world with beautiful, wholesome pleasures and delights.
Bear One Another's Burdens
Elder Uchtdorf emphasized the importance of service and bringing joy to others. “True joy multiplies when it is shared.” He taught that one of the best ways to find joy is to bring joy to others. Can it be that in our search for joy, the best way to find it is to bring joy to others? Joy is like a barrel of flour or a jar of oil that will never run out.
The Plan of Happiness
In the Sunday morning session, Elder Patrick Kearon of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained that the Father’s plan for His children is designed to bring them home. This plan is called the plan of redemption, the plan of mercy, the plan of salvation and the great plan of happiness. “The intent of the Father’s great plan of happiness is your happiness, right here, right now and in the eternities. It is not to prevent your happiness and cause you instead worry and fear.” The intent of the Father’s all-reaching plan is to save, redeem and extend mercy - thereby bringing happiness. One of Jesus’ most consistent invitations was that people change and repent and come unto Him. With His grace, keeping the commandments and changing one’s nature are all within reach, Elder Kearon said.
Joy in Discipleship
Sister Andrea Muñoz Spannaus, second counselor in the Young Women general presidency, also shared how to experience true joy, in the Saturday evening session. “Knowing what we know from having lived our spiritual experiences is priceless. Being true to that knowledge gives us freedom. It gives us joy,” she said. She testified that there is joy in repenting, praying and reading the Book of Mormon daily; in partaking of the sacrament every Sunday; and in going to seminary. “There is joy in doing good,” Sister Spannaus said. “There is joy in being faithful to the God of the universe, the Savior of the world, the King of kings. There is joy in being a disciple of Jesus Christ.”
Trust in God Brings Peace and Joy
Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles shared the connection between trusting God and joy in his Saturday afternoon talk. He shared a story about a stake president in Huddersfield, England, who was diagnosed with stage-four cancer. He is in his fourth year of service - and has good and hard days. “It is not easy, but his wife and family live with faith, gratitude and understandable sadness they trust will become eternal joy through Jesus Christ’s restoring Atonement,” Elder Gong said. As people trust and have faith in God, trials and afflictions can be consecrated for their good, Elder Gong explained. And they can see the larger eternal reality of which their daily lives are part - where small and simple things work together for good.
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Notable Quotes
Elder Uchtdorf shared several notable quotes during his address, including:
- “God has something more to give. A higher and more profound joy - a joy that transcends anything this world offers. It is the joy that endures heartbreak, penetrates sorrow, and diminishes loneliness.”
- “It is the nature of all earthly things to grow old, decay, wear out or become stale. But godly joy is eternal, because God is eternal.”
- “We rarely find something we are not looking for. Are we looking for eternal joy? Seek and ye shall find.”
The Story of the Wright Brothers
Elder Uchtdorf referenced the story of Wilbur and Orville Wright and their father's first flight as a metaphor for seeking higher joy in our lives. Their father had been afraid of losing both his sons in a plane crash, so they had never flown together. Their father, Milton Wright, finally gave them permission to fly together 7 years after the first successful flight at Kitty Hawk. Then Orville convinced Milton to go on a flight with him.
The Importance of Mental Health
Elder Uchtdorf acknowledged the reality of complex mental and emotional challenges, noting that sometimes seeking professional help is an important step to finding joy. He emphasized that his purpose was not to diminish or trivialize mental health issues. If you face such challenges, I mourn with you, and I stand beside you. For some people, finding joy may include seeking help from trained mental health professionals who devote their lives to practicing their very important art.
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