Most Joyous

1 Nephi 11:23

And he spake unto me, saying: Yea, and the most joyous to the soul.

Joyous means to be full of joy. To experience joy is to be in a state of sublimely satisfying pleasure. It is to feel good all the way into my soul, to be filled with profound delight. 

Although joy and happiness are synonyms in the dictionary, I distinguish the two words philosophically as spiritual vs. temporal. I speak of joy as eternal and soul-satisfying, whereas happiness is more temporary and superficial. It is not a valid distinction, however, and I think I make too much of the difference. For example, I read in the Book of Mormon about the "plan of happiness" as a synonym for the plan of salvation. And when the Nephites were in their most righteous periods, they were said to be living "after the manner of happiness." Whether I call it joy or happiness, what I want is to be filled with the comfort, peace, and delight that God's love can bring me. And because God is eternal, that wonderful feeling can be eternal as well. 


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