What Does God Really Mean When He Says “Be of Good Cheer”?

Keywords

Christian cheerfulness, faith amid adversity, divine companionship

Abstract

In scripture, God tells His saints to “be of good cheer.”

“Wherefore, be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you; and ye shall bear record of me, even Jesus Christ, that I am the Son of the living God, that I was, that I am, and that I am to come” (D&C 68:6).

We live in a world where our senses and our sense of reality are assaulted daily to the point where we might wonder how anyone can be cheerful. So when God commands us to be of good cheer, does that mean we simply smile and “fake it till we make it,” hoping that these tricks will somehow bring us lasting happiness?

Perhaps there is another way.

Original Publication Citation

What Does God Really Mean When He Says “Be of Good Cheer”?, LDS Living, March 29, 2017.

Document Type

Peer-Reviewed Article

Publication Date

2017

Publisher

LDS Living

Language

English

College

Marriott School of Business

Department

Marketing

University Standing at Time of Publication

Associate Professor

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