Russell M. Nelson on living with joy in the Gospel

President Russell M. Nelson (b. Sept 9, 1924) was an internationally-renowned heart surgeon when he was called to serve as a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in 1984. He was set apart as president of the Quorum of Twelve on July 15, 2015.

"The gospel of Jesus Christ offers hope... It declares joy to be part of our divine destiny. And to experience joy in the morning becomes our special challenge. The true test... is to be able to look in the mirror, first thing in the morning, and feel real joy.

"In order to experience true joy in the morning, or at any time, at least three factors are needed. You need to feel good about the people with whom you live and work—your companions in life. You must feel good about yourself—not in any sense of conceit, but simply a proper esteem for yourself, well deserved. And possibly most important, you must feel good about your relation to God and sincerely love him."

- Russell M. Nelson, "Joy Cometh in the Morning," Ensign, November 1986, pp. 67-69
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"Hope" and "joy" are so often linked together. President Nelson talks about the concept of “Joy cometh in the morning" (Ps. 30:5) — often symbolically following a difficult night of challenges. It's sometimes a hard time to find hope; but through the Gospel, that hope can come, along with the promised joy. As we "look in the mirror" or consider our own personal progress and status, do we find joy? Are we proud of what we see, who we are?

So then President Nelson offers counsel on how to find "true joy" — in the morning, or at any other time. He identifies three area where we need to feel good, or feel at peace, in order to find hope and joy. Good things to consider; is there something I need to work on?