Recognizing the blessings of the Lord in one’s life brings a sense of gratitude and humility. As a person ponders the workings of the Lord in his life, he may be filled with a sense of awe and wonder and a feeling of overwhelming love for the Lord. When the heart is softened by gratitude and humility and the mind is quickened by a recognition of God’s hand, the Spirit of the Lord fills the soul with joy even to tears.
President Ezra Taft Benson declared:
“Spiritual promptings move us on occasion to great joy, sometimes to tears.... The Holy Ghost causes our feelings to be more tender. We feel more charitable and compassionate. We are calmer. We have a greater capacity to love.”
(Come Unto Christ, p. 20.)
The “tender mercies of the Lord” are manifested in our lives both in temporal and spiritual ways. We experience his tender mercy through his forgiveness of our sins and the transformation of our lives through his grace. We are protected and blessed in temporal ways by his ever-watchful loving-kindness and care. When we recognize and experience these temporal spiritual mercies of the Lord we are indeed filled with joy-a joy that, as Ammon declared, borders on “boasting” or glorying“ in the goodness of God (see Alma 26:12-16).
”Blessed is the name of my God“ Ammon exulted,”who has been mindful of this people, who are a branch of the tree of Israel, and has been lost from its body in a strange land; yea, I say, blessed be the name of my God, who has been mindful of us, wanderers in a strange land. Now my brethren, we see that God is mindful of every people, whatsoever land they may be in; yea, he numbereth his people, and his bowels of mercy are over all the earth. Now this is my joy, and my great thanksgiving; yea, and I will give thanks unto my God forever.“ (Alma 26:36-37.)”