there's no joy that lies before us

What does "lies before us" mean?  I can't get this sentence.  Thanks for your help.

Context:
Reporter  - And may be the governor.  I understand Burrows' attorneys are going to request a stay.
Pope  - I  wish them the best of luck.
Reporter  - Does that mean you believe he's innocent?
Pope  - It means... I believe in the process, but I, I don't relish the prospect of taking another man's life.  Whether it's just or not, there's no joy that lies before us today.

...

Philip

There's no joy in store for us today; We aren't going to find anything happy today; Things are looking bad, not good; Looks like the guy is going to be executed.

Thanks, Philip, I get it.

And here's another question, I hope you could take a look for me, thank you.

I can't get the word, officially, in this context, does it mean: According to a set of laws.?

Nick  - Look, if Terrence Steadman is still alive, Lyle, then it can't be Terrence Steadman buried in the ground.
Lyle  - Yeah, but a secret informant claims that Steadman is still alive?  I don't know, Nick, it all sounds pretty far-fetched.
Nick  - You're his clerk, just get us on the docket.
Lyle  - Nick, you're asking him to commit political suicide by granting a stay of execution to Illinois' most notorious death row inmate.
Veronica   - Officially, all we're asking is for an exhumation order.  If he grants it, he can order a stay until the tests are come in.
Lyle   - An exhumation order?  Oh, that's better digging up the vice president's brother. No way.

Philip

Officially = by the laws
But the result will be something else that we really want.

Officially, we ask for the exhumation.  What we want is more time (stay of execution).

Thank you, Philip.

there's no joy that lies before us today.

A gloomy sight/view/event lies  in front of us ... 

General remark:

Does it seem plausible that someone who doesn't know what "lies before us" means would know what the idiom "to be in store" means?

CJ