Review
Title: Daily Joy: A Devotional for Each Day of the Year
Author: Russell M. Nelson
Publisher: Deseret Book
Genre: Religion & Spirituality
Year Published: 2020
Number of Pages: 406
Binding: Hardcover
ISBN13: 978-1-62972-830-8
Price: $15.99
Reviewed by Elizabeth White for the Association for Mormon Letters
Daily Joy: A Devotional for Each Day of the Year, by Russell M. Nelson, is a beautiful book with a scripture and a short paragraph of wisdom for each day of the year. It could be used year after year as the topics such as “Education is Sacred” and “Sacred Gifts of Women” are timeless and can be revisited to gain new insights. Daily Joy is divided into months and each month begins with an illuminated page that introduces a theme for the following days. On the January page it reads, “let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power” (D & C 123:17, p. 1) and then gives the scriptural reference. Through the pages of the book, President Nelson builds a foundation for what joy is and how we can incorporate it into our lives. There are so many timely encouraging thoughts to focus on that, if there were ever another edition, I would appreciate a few blank pages at the end to note down my thoughts that don’t fit in the margins of the pages. Knowing President Nelson’s love of discovery and learning, I am sure he meant it to be studied and reviewed often so that we can find direction from God in its pages for our daily activities.
Daily Joy is so timely for beginning the new year 2021 after 2020 has been such a difficult one for so many around the world. Some days can be downright awful. In 2020, there were many of those for many people in many different places of the world. Russell M. Nelson uses his experience as a healer, both as a physician and a spiritual leader, a father, a husband, a man of God, an apostle of Jesus Christ to bring us to where we can find a space to be calm and seek joy.
Let’s be real about how to use this book for daily support when some of our days are not so joyful. The back cover has John 15:11 quoted as a final thought, which says, “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.” The expectation is not that we only read this book when our joy is already full, but that by reading this book we can gain some support and insights that will connect to a greater power and help than we are using.
The rest of this review was difficult to write. Not due to the book, but due to an operator error. While I was reading this book, I left my copy of Daily Joy by my laptop. When I returned to my desk later, I found that my dog had pulled the book down and eaten it. Chewed it right up. Into very small bits. This did not increase my daily joy. Quite the opposite. This gave me a few moments to pause and reflect. The scriptural warning to not cast your pearls before swine came to my mind, or in my case, I shouldn’t cast pearls of wisdom before canines.
I felt a deep loss and grief from losing the counsel of my prophet to me. It made me consider what importance did I really put on the words of the prophet? How did I feel that his book, a volume of his testimony and his wisdom from a lifetime of experience, his gift to me was now damaged and torn apart? So, I started to put the pages from this book back together, just as I have had to put the pieces of my life together after various losses, and this is what I found:
On the page for November 1, “Ability to Forgive,” is the statement, “Be ye therefore merciful as your Father also is merciful.” (Lucky for you, Pup, this was the first one I saw). I think President Nelson would be happy to know that I did not yell or get angry at my dog. Well-timed counsel from a friend saved me from making a mistake. For November 2, under the title “His Eternal Perspective,” it says “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ” … President Nelson mentions global problems, but sometimes the most immediate threat to our stability is far more personal. “In all these things, we are more than conquerors through him that loved us” (Romans 8:37, p. 334). So how can I responsibly handle this pile of confetti?
February 27 is another still-readable page. The topic is, “Optimistic for the future” and the author writes: “I am optimistic for the future. I know the great and marvelous blessings that God has in store…I promise you that joy is always within reach of everyone who will hear Him and obey His laws.”
Always? Always, always? Like right this moment when I am most definitely not joyful? Alright, I will take the prophet at his word and put it to the test. What does that mean for me in the moment that I find my dog has eaten my book? Hmm, joy is within reach. Well, how do I reach out for joy? The next page in the stack happens to be from April 23, “Prayer is Free”. Hmm. That sounds like a good place to start. President Nelson makes good points on this subject – no special equipment is needed, no need to charge batteries or pay a monthly service fee. I could also add that we don’t need to zoom or use special lighting. It is instantly available, anytime, anywhere. I don’t have to posture and pretend with God. I can be absolutely open and vulnerable with Him. He will understand what I am going through.
Several more entries helped me regain balance: August 18 “Prayer Centers Our Attitudes.” September 26 “Simple Doctrine – Love.” April 30 “Not without Help,” reminds to counsel with the Lord in all thy doings.
The truth transcends the packaging; help and comfort came to me even though the pages were in tatters. Joy can still be mine, even when the days don’t go according to plan. This is underlined for me this past year since, in 2020, there have been several days or weeks where things were not going according to plan, or even followed modified plans.
This book is written for the best days when we feel like rejoicing and sprinkling praise and gratitude wherever we go. This book is also written for the worst days when the storms are crashing all around and we need to see a glimmer of light and catch our breath before the next wave hits.
Here is one unanticipated bonus I can pass on to readers: after my dog shredded the book, I was able to see that the binding was a high-quality one with stitching and the cover has some padding in it, to make it soft and easy to hold. The volume is small enough to put into small backpacks or purses or large pockets, so it is easy to carry or leave tucked where you can catch up on reading in some wasted minutes. When my new copy I am ordering arrives, I can definitely see that it may stay on a shelf in the bathroom where I sometimes lock the door to get a little quiet time and refocus throughout the day. A table of contents or appendix might be nice to quickly scan for topics. Maybe there was one. Maybe my dog ate it. I’m not sure, but it would be nice to have one.
At the end of the day, I have come to agree with President Nelson that joy is always within reach, not a superficial happiness, but a deep sustaining joy that can clarify our vision and helps us move from moment to moment so we can focus on higher ground.