Joy to the World

Christ came for everyone–this is the message of the carol “Joy to the World”. Because of the fall of Adam and Eve, our physical bodies die and our spirits are separated from God through sin. When Christ came to earth, the blessings of resurrection and forgiveness were made to flow, removing the curses of spiritual and physical death that came from the fall of Adam and Eve.

In verse 3 of “Joy to the World”, we sing:

No more will sin and sorrow grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He’ll come and make the blessings flow
Far as the curse was found,
Far as the curse was found,
Far as, far as the curse was found.

The joy that comes from this knowledge is not meant to be kept to ourselves. Rather, it is meant to be shared everywhere…”fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains.”

William W. Phelps penned alternate words as a concluding verse that emphasize this concept:

Rejoice! Rejoice in the Most High,
While Israel spreads abroad
Like stars that glitter in the sky,
And ever worship God,
And ever worship God,
And ever, and ever worship God.

Israel spreading abroad, or the gathering of Israel, is sharing the good news that Christ came for everyone.

The prophet Lehi taught: “Wherefore, how great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth, that they may know that there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah, who layeth down his life according to the flesh, and taketh it again by the power of the Spirit, that he may bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, being the first that should rise” (2 Nephi 2:8).

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Author’s note: On Christmas Eve 2021, I read a Facebook post from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland where he recounted a personal Christmas experience that changed his perspective of Christmas. In part, he shared this self-rebuke, “…Put your theology where your Christmas carols are” (read his full post here). I decided to take some time and think through the messages of some of these carols. I rediscovered that the truths these Christmas hymns teach can help us understand the “good tidings of great joy” (Luke 2:10) spoken of by the angel to the shepherds on the night of the Savior’s birth.

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Lead Photo by Dino Reichmuth on Unsplash