Maybe like you, I love life, but there have been times when I have wondered about the “shouting for joy” scripture.
You likely know the one, in Job 38: 4-7. Here it is, with the context:
4 Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.
5 Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?
6 Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof;
7 When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
Maybe you have wondered, in times of deep trial, or confusing experiences, (or after waiting on hold for over an hour with customer service;), “Did we really shout for joy when the foundations of the earth were laid so we could enter into our mortal experiences?”
In the past, I have seriously wondered what, specifically, we were overjoyed about…was it about the learning and the love we were about to experience on earth?
Truly, learning and love are available on earth, but if we give heed to a theme that seems to run across near death experiences-there was already lots of love and learning in pre-mortality. Why leave?
What was it about the mirepoix of potential trials, tragedies and triumphs that triggered our joy response as we prepared to come to this earthly life? At first blush, it couldn’t have been the actual tragedies and trials, could it?
And what about all the times we would surely let others down, and they would let us down? And we would feel down?
Why did we shout for joy?
We knew we wanted to grow, to become more like our heavenly parents. We knew we needed to come to earth to level up-to grow up.
We knew that the growing pains we would experience in this process wouldn’t always feel like joy. Sometimes the growing pains would feel like failure. Sometimes they would feel like falling down. A lot. And we would need someone to pick us up.
Someone to save us.
And there He would be-the one who Saves. The Savior.
We knew Him in pre-mortality. We could see Him in person then. And He was, and ever is, our hero.
Wouldn’t His very existence fill us with so much joy we would want to shout?
We wanted this mortal experience. Now we have it. And with all of its ups and downs and round and rounds and turn arounds, we’ve got Him too.
I think I understand better now, why I was shouting for joy.
I was shouting in gratitude, for Him.
He would tutor me, and all of us who choose Him, through mortality. He would comfort us and show us the way.
He would be the reason for all our seasons. He would pay the price that needed to be paid.
He would save us.
For this, I would have certainly shouted for joy.
And in my quiet heart, I am still shouting.
_______
Mary Jo Bell is the author of “that light hearted book you want to give to your non-member friend who is curious about the gospel but not yet ready for the gospel.”:D
It’s a book about building stronger families that’s infused with LDS ideas (a people known for trying to build strong families).
You can find this book, “The Pursuit of Happi-Nest” on Amazon, Cedar Fort. com (best price right now), Barnes and Noble, Target, etc.
MaryJo is also the “Nana in the Hood” on KSL TV, Studio 5
Her next book is for children, on helping them navigate our sometimes dangerous digital world. It will be released in February, 2023.