Joy is our Birthright!
“One evening two lovely young women rang my doorbell and introduced themselves as missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. ‘No, you’re not!’ I insisted. ‘That church doesn’t let women do anything!’ And because they laughed, I let them in.
I was happy to learn something new about Jesus Christ, I told them, but I was definitely not looking for a church! I had a deep love of Christ but was sadly disengaging from my lifelong church over its treatment of women and children.
By the end of that first meeting, which was quite lively, the sister missionaries asked if they could come back again. I figured that either they were very odd, or they were on a mission from God. Either way, since I like a mystery, I agreed to see them again, just as long as they understood I was not going to join a church.
As you’ve probably guessed, something different happened. I thought the missionaries were happy and loving because that was their job. But other members turned out to be the same way in real life. At church, women presented talks and prayers, men took care of crying babies, and children acted like real children. People seemed to handle problems with hope and optimism, and with each other’s help. Repentance was real, and love was held in high regard. Women and men are equal partners, and the power of the priesthood is available to both. How could this be?
As I studied the Book of Mormon, I discovered this extraordinary message: “Adam fell, that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy” ( 2 Nephi 2:25). What kind of church preaches joy? Joy is not only allowed —it is our birthright! Who doesn’t want joy?
Meanwhile, I was nearing my 70th birthday, and I wanted to do something truly special. A big party? A cruise? What about…becoming baptized and having all my sins washed away? My fear was that once I was baptized, I’d be in a strange church, on my own, never seeing the missionaries again. Instead, my life burst into bloom! People showed up at my baptism who I didn’t even know — children too, and they sat up front to watch. People remembered my name, I acquired ministering sisters, a calling, and many new friends.
Four years later, missionary sisters still drop by, and I sometimes join them to visit others. All I need to do is love God in the way He asks, let him love me back, and be my joyful self. Life is full!”
— Kathy Smith, Albany 1st Ward
