“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Despite the fact that we live in a corrupt and fallen world filled with imperfect people who often care more about satisfying their own wants and desires than about how their choices and actions affect the happiness and well-being of those around them, even so, this world is a beautiful place filled with many marvels and wonders. As Paul says, there is so much that is pure and lovely and good and virtuous and praiseworthy that it seems silly to waste any of our time thinking on anything that is wicked and ugly and mean and evil. Think about the coat of many colors that was given as a gift to Joseph. That coat was taken from Joseph and torn to pieces at the start of a long, hard journey, filled with disappointments and cruel twists of fate. But while his brothers may have physically removed Joseph's coat of many colors, Joseph continued to find all that was lovely and pure and virtuous, and add each new moment of beauty and joy as another color to his spiritual coat of many colors. He found just as many new moments of wonder at the bottom of a pit and behind the bars of a prison as he did in the Pharaoh’s palace. All of his experiences were colors to add to his coat. We don't have the opportunity to experience a fullness of joy in this life. All we can do is collect as many fragments of beauty and goodness that come our way - and if we will only look we will be surprised at how very many there are - and add each brilliant patch of color to our coat of many colors. White light contains every possible shade and hue of color in its pure, unbroken state, and after the coat of many colors that we collect in this life, we will get to trade it in for robes of pure white. “These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.” (Revelations 7:14-17). And just as we shall trade in our patchwork coat of many colors for robes of pure white, we will also trade in our patchwork collection of fragmentary moments of beauty and peace and happiness for an unbroken, unending joy, undimmed and unmarred by any tears of misery or woe. I know that there is beauty and goodness and virtue and joy around us all the time and we can make the choice to think on these things in preparation for the eternity of joy that awaits us in our Father's and our Savior's presence.
