Where I stand on this
topic:
Video: Thanksgiving Daily 1:49
Prophets tell us that lack of gratitude
is one of the most serious of sins. [i]
[ii]
President Marion G. Romney said that gratitude is a commandment and the source
of other virtues and happiness.
Elder Henry B Eyring warns, “The
challenge to remember has always been the hardest for those who are blessed
abundantly
He also explains the blessings of
gratitude and the pitfalls of ingratitude: “We so easily forget that we came
into life with nothing. Whatever we get soon seems our natural right, not a
gift. And we forget the giver. Then our gaze shifts from what we have been given
to what we don’t have yet. King Benjamin
taught . . . that none of us is above another because we are all dust, to which
God has given life and then sustained it. He described a fact which is true for
every human being: unforgiven sin will bring us unending torment. And he
described the gift we all have been offered: those whose faith in Jesus Christ leads them to repentance and forgiveness will
live in never-ending happiness. [This] teaching had a miraculous effect.
Gratitude for what they had led to faith unto repentance. That led to forgiveness. That produced new gratitude.” (Mosiah 2-5) Emphasis mine. [iv]
President Romney reminds us of this
key concept, “To the Lord Jesus, who bought us with a great price, we owe an
undying debt of gratitude. It is impossible for us, weak mortals as we are, to
fully comprehend and appreciate the suffering he endured . . . so that we might
obtain forgiveness of
our sins . . . (D&C
19:18.) . . . None of us could have endured that suffering. No mortal man .
. . could have endured it. All people who
understand what Jesus did for us ought to love him and demonstrate that love by
rendering to him, in a realistic manner, thanks and gratitude.” [v]
How this affects my
future:
“The Lord said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments
(John 14:15),”
explained Elder Robert D Hales. “Our obedience . . . is the greatest expression
of love and gratitude that we can bestow upon him. Gratitude
is . . . the foundation upon which repentance is built. . . . Expression and
feelings of gratitude have a wonderful cleansing or healing nature. . . . Gratitude expressed . . . in
prayer for what we have brings a calming peace—a peace which allows us to not
canker our souls for what we don’t have. . . . a
peace that helps us overcome the pain of adversity and failure.
Gratitude on a daily basis means we express appreciation for what we have now
without qualification for what we had in the past or desire in the future.” He
also instructs, “Gratitude is a divine principle (D&C 59:7). . . . We [should] express thankfulness for what
happens, not only for the good things in life but also for the opposition and
challenges of life that add to our experience and faith. We put our lives in
His hands . . ..” [vi]
My plan to apply it in
my life:
Elder Eyring questions, “How can you
and I remember, always, the goodness of God, that we can retain a remission of
our sins?” and answers that we remember through the Holy Ghost (John 14:26).
“One of the ways God teaches us is with his
blessings; and so, if we choose to exercise faith, the Holy Ghost will
bring God’s kindnesses to our remembrance. You could test that in prayer today.
You could follow the command, ‘Thou shalt thank the Lord thy God in all
things.’ (D&C
59:7.” [vii]
He explains, “Remembrance is
the seed of gratitude which is the seed of generosity. Gratitude for the
remission of sins is the seed of charity, the pure love of Christ. And so God has made possible for you and me this
blessing, a change in our very natures . . .’ And the remission of sins
bringeth meekness, and lowliness of heart; and because of meekness and
lowliness of heart cometh the visitation of the Holy Ghost, which Comforter
filleth with hope and perfect love . . .’ (Moro. 8:26.)” [Emphasis mine.] [viii]
My
prayers and actions[ix] should reflect the understanding I have about the Atonement of Jesus Christ for all men (D&C 59:21). [x] President Thomas S Monson
guides me to avoid negativism and focus
on good and happy things: “This is a wonderful time to be living . . .
Our opportunities are limitless. While there are some things wrong in the world
today, there are many things right . . . We can lift ourselves, and others as
well, when we refuse to remain in the realm of negative thought and cultivate
within our hearts an attitude of gratitude. . . . If ingratitude be numbered
among the serious sins, then gratitude takes its place among the noblest of
virtues.” [xi]
He suggests a fun example in “a
popular refrain from the 1940s:
Accentuate
the positive;
Eliminate the negative.
Latch on to
the affirmative;
Don’t mess
with Mr. In-between.[xii]
He teaches, “To express gratitude is
gracious and honorable, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live
with gratitude ever in our hearts is to touch heaven. . . .We often take for
granted the very people who most deserve our gratitude. Let us not wait until
it is too late for us to express that gratitude. . . .This
requires conscious effort—at least until we have truly learned and cultivated
an attitude of gratitude. Often we feel grateful and intend to
express our thanks but forget to do so or just don’t get around to it. [xiii]Someone
has said that ‘feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a
present and not giving it.” [xiv]
President Eyring teaches
us to keep a “record for [your] children to read, someday in the future, how
[you] had seen the hand of God blessing [your] family. . . . Before [writing] . . .
ponder this question: “Have I seen the hand of God reaching out to touch
us or our children or our family today? . . . Gratitude [will] grow [and
you’ll become] ever more certain that our Heavenly Father hears and answers
prayers [and feel] more gratitude for the softening and refining that come
because of the Atonement of the Savior Jesus Christ. . . The Holy Ghost can
bring all things to our remembrance—even things we did not notice or pay
attention to when they happened. ”
NOTES
[i]
Ezra Taft Benson quoted
Joseph Smith in God, Family, Country, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co.,
1974, p. 199.
[ii] Smith, Joseph F., Gospel Doctrine, 5th ed., Salt
Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1939, pp. 270–71.
[iii] President MARION
G. ROMNEY, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles,
“Gratitude
and Thanksgiving,” 152nd Semi-annual General Conference, October
1982
[iv] Elder HENRY B EYRING,
First Counselor in the First Presidency, “O
Remember, Remember,” 177th Semi-Annual General
Conference,
[v] President MARION
G. ROMNEY, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles,
“Gratitude
and Thanksgiving,” 152nd Semi-annual General Conference, October
1982
[vi] Elder ROBERT D HALES,
Presiding Bishop of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "Gratitude
for the Goodness of God," Annual General Conference, April 1992, or
Ensign, May 1992, 64.
[vii]
Elder HENRY B EYRING, First Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, “Remembrance
and Gratitude,” 159th Annual General Conference, October 1989, Ensign, February 2000,
2–7
[ix] Elder JEFFREY R
HOLLAND of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles The
Ministry of Angels,” 178th Semi-annual General Conference, October
2008
[x]
Elder DAVID A. BEDNAR of
the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles “Pray
Always,” 178th Semi-annual General Conference, October 2008
[xi] President THOMAS S MONSON,
First Counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter Day Saints, “An
Attitude of Gratitude,” April 1992, 162nd Annual General Conference, Ensign, February 2000, 2–7
[xii] “Ac-cen-tu-atethe Positive,” lyrics by Johnny Mercer (ASCAP, 1945). Says President Monson, "Good advice then. Good advice now.”
[xiii]
President THOMAS S
MONSON, President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, “The
Divine Gift of Gratitude,” 180th Semi-Annual
General Conference,October 2010
[xv] Elder HENRY B EYRING,
First Counselor in the First Presidency, “O
Remember, Remember,” 177th Semi-Annual General
Conference,
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