This week’s lesson about Joseph and his brothers is, of course, one of forgiveness; but something else really made an impact – when Joseph steps out of the room so he can cry after seeing his brother.
Gen 43:30, “And Joseph made haste; for his bowels did yearn upon his brother: and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber, and wept there.”
It is touching to read that after all those years Joseph’s feelings were so overwhelming that he had to find a private place to cry. Proof those years didn’t harden his heart.
Additionally, the fact the whole court, even pharaoh himself, would understand the significance of Joseph’s brothers showing up indicates that Joseph had talked about them with affection.
Family relationships, even after years of estrangement, and certainly in times of less strife, offer the opportunity for such tender feelings.
Paragraph 7 of “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” teaches that “happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ.” Likewise, Elder Boyd K. Packer taught:
“The ultimate end of all activity in the Church is that a man and his wife and their children can be happy at home and that the family can continue through eternity. All Christian doctrine is formulated to protect the individual, the home, and the family.” (Elder Boyd K. Packer, “Marriage,” General Conference, April 1981.)
Joseph, his brothers, his father, their entire family, are beautiful examples of this.