The Gospel of Jesus Christ is Sweet

I recently wrote the following song, which captures the most joyful, basic, and comforting parts of the gospel of Jesus Christ for me:

I love Jesus, He loves me; That's what the scriptures say,
He bled and died and rose again- oh happy, happy day!

Jesus helps my fam'ly live together happily,
To be more kind and sweet and share my time more willingly.

I love Jesus, He has conquered all that I might fear!
Thoughts of sin and death are weak when the Spirit's voice I hear.

I commented to my wife on a recent Saturday that something that I like about the lyrics is the emphasis created by “kind and sweet;” using two similar words gives more force to what I have found most important in having a happy daily family life. I also said I wondered if scriptures don’t talk about the concept of sweetness very much, perhaps due to cultural differences during scriptural times. The day after that discussion with my wife, during our family reunion sacrament meeting, my family sang the song I wrote, which was a real treat for me.

Remarkably, two other songs were sung during that family reunion sacrament meeting which included the word sweet. One was “I Know That My Redeemer Lives. (“I know that my Redeemer lives. What comfort this sweet sentence gives! . . . Oh, sweet the joy this sentence gives . . .”) The other was “Voices” (“I hear the still small voice clear and sweet”), sung by the five young mothers in my family (my wife, three sisters, and sister-in-law). The adults’ and children’s attention was captured by their powerful, confident, and sweet singing. It was inspiring to think of the strong and large combined influence that the mothers have through their individual efforts with their children.

As I noted the prominence of sweetness in our sacrament meeting, I began to rethink my earlier theory that the scriptures do not really show the prominence of sweetness in the gospel of Jesus Christ. I have come to think that the gospel of Jesus Christ, as taught by both ancient and modern writings, is sweet. It is sweet like a nursing mother, giving parents, a good husband, and delicious honey and fruit. The following scriptures help me think that:

Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Isaiah 49:15; 1 Nephi 21:15.

Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! Matthew 7:9-11; 3 Nephi 14:9-11.

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it. Ephesians 5:25.

Thou shalt love thy wife with all thy heart. Doctrine & Covenants 42:22.

How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Psalm 119:103. 

I beheld a tree, whose fruit was desirable to make one happy. And it came to pass that I did go forth and partake of the fruit thereof; and I beheld that it was most sweet, above all that I ever before tasted. . . [T]hat tree of life, whose fruit is most precious and most desirable above all other fruits . . . is the greatest of all the gifts of God. 1 Nephi 8:10-15:36.

Delicious gluten-free carrot cake that Melanie and Ginny made for me, and yes,
there is surely massive disarray in the surrounding kitchen.

I observed something else related to sweetness during my family reunion. I individually asked the married men/fathers in my family what advice they had related to helping one’s wife be calm and happy in motherhood.

Their advice was very humble, helpful, and sweetly affectionate towards their wives. I think we often see extra sweetness in women, especially as related to their innate connection to small children, but the gospel of Jesus Christ will produce sweetness in both women and men.

The more I learn about the gospel of Jesus Christ, the more I come to see Heavenly Father as my sweet, loving Father. A few days ago, I read some entries in my journal from my mission to Guatemala (from nine years ago!). I certainly had excitement about the gospel, but I believe that my view of the gospel of Jesus Christ was too fear-related. After my mission, I think that my wife's example and teaching, along with our experience as parents, has helped me understand that Heavenly Father is my Father, with all the goodness and sweetness associated with fathers. And as a perfect being, He is the sweetest and kindest Father that we can possibly imagine.