Cooper gave his mission farewell talk a week ago. He did a great job and the Spirit was strong while he spoke. Here's the talk he gave:
God loves us, so He sent His son, Jesus Christ to suffer for our sins and pains, die for us as, and be resurrected so that we can all be resurrected. It is through him exclusively that we can experience the greatest amount of joy possible.
In a 2024 General Conference address, Elder Patrick Kearon spoke on how our church is a church of joy, saying:
“We are members of the Church of Jesus Christ. We are members of the church of joy! And nowhere should our joy as a people be more apparent than when we gather together each Sabbath in our sacrament meetings to worship the source of all joy! Here we assemble with our ward and branch families to celebrate the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, our deliverance from sin and death, and the Saviour’s powerful grace! Here we come to experience the joy, refuge, forgiveness, thanksgiving, and belonging found through Jesus Christ!”
I feel like we always talk about the hardships of life, about how it’s difficult and it’s meant to be a test. Yes, we can and should grow and reform ourselves through our trials, however, our ultimate focus should be seeking the infinite feeling of joy found only through the gospel of Jesus Christ. I like to reflect on my life and the experiences that have caused me to feel the most joy. Some of the most profound examples are times when I am actively involved in something that brings the Spirit. I would like to discuss some ways that we can increase the joy in our lives.
The first is showing up. One highly impactful experience in my life is the For the Strength of Youth conferences I attended as a youth. What was so special about these experiences, and how did they change my life? Every day at FSY, we did daily scripture study in the morning. We focused on likening the scriptures unto ourselves.
As Jeremiah 5:16 says,
“Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts.”
Scripture study is not limited to that week though. As we actively choose to read the scriptures and apply them to our lives, we are more able to receive promptings of guidance from the Holy Ghost, have clarity and protection in life, and ultimately feel a fulfilling sense of joy.
I spent the week feeling a unique sense of peace. The classes taught were more engaging, and the messages from our teachers spoke to me. Some of the classes didn’t seem to have much of an impact, but others did. I think the key for me was showing up. Having the faith to show up to church, to read the scriptures, to do things that are so often talked about is crucial to feeling joy. And it is not only about showing up to attend, but to give praise and thanksgiving to our Father in Heaven for the blessings we have received, and for the joy found through His mercy and Christ’s Atonement.
Simply studying the scriptures every day and listening to the messages being taught helped me to feel joy. I felt more energized, more invigorated and ready for each day. And in my friends and the other youth, I could also see a light shine. Not everyone took FSY seriously but those who did, who committed to studying the gospel daily seemed to thrive.
I’ve had 4 FSY experiences and not all of them have been the same. I have had some where I have focused so much on the people around me, on only trying to be socially engaged that I actually overlooked the gospel principles that I was there to learn. But in my most recent and final FSY this past summer, I decided to focus on the classes, on going where the Lord wanted me to go and not where the people I wanted to be with wanted to go, and honestly, it was infinitely better. Not only did I feel the Spirit more, but I was still able to meet and talk to more people.
Another thing I think of that brings true joy is service. Thomas S. Monson said, “To find real happiness, we must seek it in a focus outside ourselves. No one has learned the meaning of living until he has surrendered his ego to the service of his fellow man. Service to others is akin to duty, the fulfillment of which brings true joy.” Service is something that can look very different for different people. I know myself and others here have served in the Bethlehem Emergency Shelter, where we prepared and served food for the shelter guests. Caring for God’s children and trying to love them as much as Heavenly Father does is one of our greatest purposes here on Earth. As the second great commandment says, “Love thy neighbor as thyself.” Some people may choose to donate to charities or show up to large community events. Serving can also be small. Carrying groceries, opening a door, sitting for someone for comfort, or even a simple smile. Ultimately, it’s not about what we actually do or how big or small our acts of service are, but rather where our hearts are. We as people find joy when doing things that we love or being with friends and family that we love. When we put aside our differences and don’t always try to win or be correct, we can learn to love all of God’s children even more. M Russell Ballard, in an April 2011 General Conference talk, said,
“Our small and simple acts of kindness and service will accumulate into a life filled with love for Heavenly Father, devotion to the work of the Lord Jesus Christ, and a sense of peace and joy each time we reach out to one another.”
This is the reason I am going on a mission, to serve others, to be a friend, to do my part to show people the love that God has for them.
The final reason I want to speak on how I have felt joy is through bearing my testimony. Serving a mission will allow me to do this on a daily basis, which I am very excited for. But I’ve already had experiences like this in my life. Even when going out with the missionaries before, I have been able to share my testimony and feel joy and fulfilment. Brothers and sisters, a testimony does not have to be long or fancy or complex at all. In fact, sometimes a testimony as simply as that of a child can allow the Spirit to pierce the heart and bring a fullness of joy felt nowhere else. In terms of sharing my testimony, at times it has seemed difficult. When is the right moment, how can we know? Anytime can be the right moment. A testimony is never something we should be ashamed of, or something we should try to hide.
As Matthew 5:16 says, “15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
In a little over a week, I begin my mission, starting with at home training before I travel to the Missionary Training Center, and then leave for the Juiz de Fora, Brazil mission. Recently, I’ve had to tell many people about my mission who may not understand it. While I don’t always go into full detail, being open and willing to talk about it has made me feel so much better than if I were to try and hide it or move past it when it gets brought up. Some people wonder why I’m leaving, some people think 2 years is a crazy long time to devote my life to something like a mission. But I know the plan that God has for me. I know the joy that I can feel through bearing my testimony, through going and teaching others, and devoting my mission and the remainder of my life to service, by studying the gospel of Jesus Christ directly from the scriptures, by doing it daily and intentionally.
For an additional, personal way I find joy, I think of music. It’s so cool to me to think of the power of music, especially when bearing testimony. Another FSY experience I’ve had multiple times is singing the Youth Medley, which combines Daughters of Zion with We’ll Bring the World his Truth, into this beautiful, powerful medley. The young women sing first followed by the young men, and then we all sing together in unity, singing praises to Christ and of sharing his gospel! Of doing missionary work! The last few lines of the song literally say,
“We are as the army of Helaman.
We have been taught in our youth.
And we will be the Lord's missionaries To bring the world his truth.
To bring the world his truth.”
After I sing these words, I feel a rush of the Spirit, an overwhelmiing sensation that I am on the right path. After singing this medley, I walked for the rest of the evening with a smile on my face. I couldn’t hide my joy! We were blessed to have a testimony meeting that night where I was able to bear my testimony, and share the things I knew to be true.
Other experiences I’ve had feeling joy through music have been singing in the ward choir. We are asked to sing praises to God, and what better way than through literal music. The hymns we sing each sacrament meeting are also a reminder of what the focus of our lives should be, which is on Jesus Christ.
D&C 5:15 says, 15 And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!”
This is all we need to do. Be a witness of Him. Bear testimony of Him.
Through these things, I will feel joy. You will feel joy. It’s not just for missionaries, it’s not just for members of the church, but for every single one of God’s children. Yes, life is hard, it is difficult and it is supposed to be. But let us focus on finding joy. The scripture that I chose to include on my missionary plaque, hanging outside, down the hall right now, is Alma 33:11. It reads like this:
“11 And thou didst hear me because of mine afflictions and my sincerity; and it is because of thy Son that thou hast been thus merciful unto me, therefore I will cry unto thee in all mine afflictions, for in thee is my joy; for thou hast turned thy judgments away from me, because of thy Son.”
We have a loving Father in Heaven. He loves me and he loves you. I know the Book of Mormon is true. I know that this church is true. And I know that in Him, is all of our joy. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
