Our Sorrow Shall Be Turned into Joy
Open talk in Gospel LibraryContents
Before Reading
Before reading or listening to the talk, consider the following questions:
- What personal experience does Elder Palmer share about sorrow and joy?
- How does Elder Palmer describe the importance of the Resurrection?
- What does Elder Palmer say about the role of faith in overcoming sorrow?
- How does Elder Palmer's family tragedy lead to their conversion to the Church?
- What promise does Elder Palmer make to those who choose to believe in Christ?
Topics
Understanding Life After Death
Elder Palmer shares a personal encounter with Prophet Russell M. Nelson, who expressed his certainty of seeing his mother in the next life. This conversation reaffirmed Elder Palmer's belief in life after death and the reality of the Resurrection.
In that private, unguarded moment, I heard and felt pure testimony from a living prophet that life continues after death.
The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day[;] … all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to [this truth].
- What does Elder Palmer learn from his conversation with Prophet Russell M. Nelson?
- How does Elder Palmer describe the importance of the Resurrection in our religion?
- How does the knowledge of life after death impact your daily life?
- What actions can you take to strengthen your testimony of the Resurrection?
Turning Sorrow into Joy
Elder Palmer shares the story of his family's tragedy, the loss of his younger sister, and how it led to their conversion to the Church. He illustrates how sorrow can be turned into joy through faith, hope, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
We, like them, will be able to endure any hardship with faith in Jesus Christ. This faith also gives us hope for a time when our “sorrow shall be turned into joy.”
Many years later Dad told me that if not for Ann’s tragic death, he would never have been humble enough to accept the restored gospel.
- How did Elder Palmer's family turn their sorrow into joy?
- What role did faith play in Elder Palmer's family's conversion to the Church?
- How can you apply the principle of turning sorrow into joy in your life?
- What steps can you take to strengthen your faith in times of sorrow?
Living by Faith
Elder Palmer emphasizes the importance of living by faith, even in times of doubt and sorrow. He encourages everyone to place their faith in Christ and promises that doing so will bring joy in this life and the next.
I invite all who feel sorrow, all who wrestle with doubt, all who wonder what happens after we die, to place your faith in Christ.
I testify of the joy to be found in living by faith, believing without seeing, but knowing by the power of the Holy Ghost that Jesus Christ lives.
- What does Elder Palmer say about the importance of living by faith?
- What promise does Elder Palmer make to those who choose to believe in Christ?
- How can you live by faith in your daily life?
- What actions can you take to strengthen your faith in Christ?
The Power of Testimony
Elder Palmer shares the powerful testimonies of his parents and how their acts of faith in response to profound sorrow changed many lives. He emphasizes the importance of testimony in guiding our decisions in life.
My parents’ faith continued to grow until they each burned with the fire of testimony that quietly and humbly guided their every decision in life.
It is impossible to measure the number of lives forever changed because of their acts of faith in response to profound sorrow.
- How did the testimonies of Elder Palmer's parents impact their lives and the lives of others?
- What role does testimony play in guiding our decisions according to Elder Palmer?
- How has your testimony guided your decisions in life?
- What can you do to strengthen your testimony and use it to guide your decisions?
The Restoration of the Gospel
Elder Palmer discusses the restoration of the gospel and how it brings peace and joy. He shares his parents" conversion story, emphasizing the unique doctrines of the Church, including eternal families and the authority of priesthood.
They taught that the Church of Jesus Christ has once again been restored on earth with a living prophet and twelve Apostles. And they taught the unique and remarkable doctrine that families can be bound together forever by the same priesthood authority Jesus Christ gave His chief Apostle, Peter.
Shortly thereafter our family, with someone representing Ann, knelt around the altar in that sacred house of the Lord. There, by the authority of the priesthood, we were united as an eternal family in a simple and beautiful ordinance. This brought great peace and joy.
- What unique doctrines of the Church does Elder Palmer highlight in his talk?
- How did the restoration of the gospel bring peace and joy to Elder Palmer's family?
- How has the knowledge of the restoration of the gospel impacted your life?
- What can you do to deepen your understanding and appreciation of the unique doctrines of the Church?
