Sacrament Talk: Gratitude (January 24th 2010)

Optimist / Pessimist / Realist

Too often I hear people make snide remarks about this politician, that superintendent, a boss, coworker, friend, family member, church leader, etc. We focus on how a particular President is ruining the economy or going to send our young out to war. I hear remarks that we're killing the earth and others are standing on the corner proclaiming “the end is near!”

Many of these people when told they are pessimists retort back and say, “No, I am not! I'm a realist!” What they don't understand is that optimists are “realists” as well, for each one of us are the ones who decide which aspects of life to focus on and those aspects of life that we focus on will become reality.

Now I can be optimistic in some things but often in life it has been hard for me to be an optimist in all things. So the question then is, “How do I become more optimistic in all things?” There is one key characteristic that can help bring out the optimist in each of us and that is gratitude.

Increased Blessings Come From Being Thankful

Often the hardest times in life are those when life just gets hard and it seems that at every corner there is another trial or hardship that brings out our sour faces and 'Why me?'s. In 1833 the saints in Missouri where going through one of these times. The Lord revealed Doctrine and Covenants section 98 to Joseph Smith during this time of extreme trial and hardship:

1 Verily I say unto you my friends, fear not, let your hearts be comforted; yea, rejoice evermore, and in everything give thanks;
2 Waiting patiently on the Lord, for your prayers have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth, and are recorded with this seal and testament—the Lord hath sworn and decreed that they shall be granted.
3 Therefore, he giveth this promise unto you, with an immutable covenant that they shall be fulfilled; and all things wherewith you have been afflicted shall work together for your good, and to my name’s glory, saith the Lord. (D&C 98)

This was just a reminder because another revelation was given less than a year and a half previous to this time as recorded in Doctrine and Covenants section 78:

17 Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye are little children, and ye have not as yet understood how great blessings the Father hath in his own hands and prepared for you;
18 And ye cannot bear all things now; nevertheless, be of good cheer, for I will lead you along. The kingdom is yours and the blessings thereof are yours, and the riches of eternity are yours.
19 And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred fold, yea, more. (D&C 78)

Judging by this promise, the ever-so-common saying of “Is the glass half full or half empty?” no longer really applies because those who are not only optimistic but who are truly grateful to the Lord for their “half-full glass” will find that it isn't half-full but brimming over with abundance, “Even an hundred fold, yea, more.”

Latter-day Prophet's Counsel On Gratitude

Even in our own day we have been counseled by the prophets to be grateful. My first year in college I was attending BYU and in the Marriott Center I listed to what was thereafter referred to as the “Be Attitudes”. The first of these attitudes was to be grateful. President Hinckley said:

There are two little words in the English language that perhaps mean more than all others. They are “thank you.” Comparable words are found in every other language, such as gracias, merci, danke, obrigado, domo.

The habit of saying thank you is the mark of an educated man or woman. With whom is the Lord displeased? He names “those who confess not his hand in all things” (D&C 59:21). That is, those who walk without grateful expression. Walk with gratitude in your hearts, my dear friends. Be thankful for the wonderful blessings which are yours. Be grateful for the tremendous opportunities that you have. Be thankful to your parents, who care so very much about you and who have worked so very hard to provide for you. Let them know that you are grateful. Say thank you to your mother and your father. Say thank you to your friends. Say thank you to your teachers. Express appreciation to everyone who does you a favor or assists you in any way.

Thank the Lord for His goodness to you. Thank the Almighty for His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, who has done for you what none other in all this world could do. Thank Him for His great example, for His tremendous teachings, for His outreaching hand to lift and help. Think about the meaning of His Atonement. Read about Him and read His words in the New Testament and in 3 Nephi in the Book of Mormon. Read them quietly to yourself and then ponder them. Pour out your heart to your Father in Heaven in gratitude for the gift of His Beloved Son.

Thank the Lord for His marvelous Church restored in this great season of history. Thank Him for all that it offers you. Thank Him for friends and loved ones, for parents and brothers and sisters, for family. Let a spirit of thanksgiving guide and bless your days and nights. Work at it. You will find it will yield wonderful results. (Gordon B. Hinckley, “A Prophet’s Counsel and Prayer for Youth,” New Era, Jan 2001, 4)

Gratitude A Commandment Of God In All Ages

It is very important to be grateful so important that being grateful has been a commandment throughout all the ages and in all the world. From Adam even to our day. In Moses chapter 5 we read of an instance where Adam and Eve praise God in gratitude even after getting turned out of the Garden of Eden:

9 And in that day the Holy Ghost fell upon Adam, which beareth record of the Father and the Son, saying: I am the Only Begotten of the Father from the beginning, henceforth and forever, that as thou hast fallen thou mayest be redeemed, and all mankind, even as many as will.
10 And in that day Adam blessed God and was filled, and began to prophesy concerning all the families of the earth, saying: Blessed be the name of God, for because of my transgression my eyes are opened, and in this life I shall have joy, and again in the flesh I shall see God.
11 And Eve, his wife, heard all these things and was glad, saying: Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient.
12 And Adam and Eve blessed the name of God, and they made all things known unto their sons and their daughters. (Moses 5)

In Second Nephi chapter 9 in a discourse given by Jacob he reminds the people of Nephi of one of God's commandments:

52 Behold, my beloved brethren, remember the words of your God; pray unto him continually by day, and give thanks unto his holy name by night. Let your hearts rejoice. (2 Nephi 9)

In Doctrine and Covenants section 59 the Lord reveals to Joseph Smith commandments as pertaining to the general priesthood of the church, in the “Thou Shalt” language as used on Mt. Sinai:

5 Wherefore, I give unto them a commandment, saying thus: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy might, mind, and strength; and in the name of Jesus Christ thou shalt serve him.
6 Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Thou shalt not steal; neither commit adultery, nor kill, nor do anything like unto it.
7 Thou shalt thank the Lord thy God in all things.
8 Thou shalt offer a sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in righteousness, even that of a broken heart and a contrite spirit.
9 And that thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world, thou shalt go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day;

15 And inasmuch as ye do these things with thanksgiving, with cheerful hearts and countenances, not with much laughter, for this is sin, but with a glad heart and a cheerful countenance—
16 Verily I say, that inasmuch as ye do this, the fulness of the earth is yours, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and that which climbeth upon the trees and walketh upon the earth;
17 Yea, and the herb, and the good things which come of the earth, whether for food or for raiment, or for houses, or for barns, or for orchards, or for gardens, or for vineyards;
18 Yea, all things which come of the earth, in the season thereof, are made for the benefit and the use of man, both to please the eye and to gladden the heart;
19 Yea, for food and for raiment, for taste and for smell, to strengthen the body and to enliven the soul.
20 And it pleaseth God that he hath given all these things unto man; for unto this end were they made to be used, with judgment, not to excess, neither by extortion.(D&C 59)

And again in our day President James E. Faust adds to the many prophets before him with the following:

I desire to discuss gratitude as an expression of faith and as a saving principle. The Lord has said, “And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things, and obey not his commandments” (D&C 59:21). It is clear to me from this scripture that to “thank the Lord thy God in all things” (D&C 59:7) is more than a social courtesy; it is a binding commandment. (James E. Faust, “Gratitude As a Saving Principle,” Ensign, Dec 1996, 2)

How Do We Show Gratitude?

Knowing that we need to thank the Lord we then must do so, but how? King Benjamin in Mosiah chapter 2 teaches that service to our fellowman is one way that we may show thankfulness to our Father in Heaven:

17 And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.
18 Behold, ye have called me your king; and if I, whom ye call your king, do labor to serve you, then ought not ye to labor to serve one another?
19 And behold also, if I, whom ye call your king, who has spent his days in your service, and yet has been in the service of God, do merit any thanks from you, O how you ought to thank your heavenly King! (Mosiah 2)

Referring back to President Hinckley's talk on the “Be Attitudes,” he encouraged us to express gratitude to all of those around us. In a similar way to serving others as a way to serve our Father in Heaven may I suggest that when we show thanks to our fellow beings we are also showing thanks to our Father in Heaven.

Another example of showing gratitude to the Lord was demonstrated by the Brother of Jared when crossing the great deep to this continent amid very scary and precarious conditions:

6 And it came to pass that they were many times buried in the depths of the sea, because of the mountain waves which broke upon them, and also the great and terrible tempests which were caused by the fierceness of the wind.
7 And it came to pass that when they were buried in the deep there was no water that could hurt them, their vessels being tight like unto a dish, and also they were tight like unto the ark of Noah; therefore when they were encompassed about by many waters they did cry unto the Lord, and he did bring them forth again upon the top of the waters.
8 And it came to pass that the wind did never cease to blow towards the promised land while they were upon the waters; and thus they were driven forth before the wind.
9 And they did sing praises unto the Lord; yea, the brother of Jared did sing praises unto the Lord, and he did thank and praise the Lord all the day long; and when the night came, they did not cease to praise the Lord.
10 And thus they were driven forth; and no monster of the sea could break them, neither whale that could mar them; and they did have light continually, whether it was above the water or under the water. (Ether 6)

Hymns of Gratitude

Here we see that the Brother of Jared sang praises to the Lord and thanked him all day and night. Today we also have songs of praise and thanksgiving to the Lord as well as songs that encourage us to remember to be thankful. Since the time I was very little a favorite hymn of mine was Count Your Blessings. There have been many turbulent times in my life that I've broken down with discouragement but during many of these times the words of this song came as a comfort and encouragement, helping me realize that life really isn't that bad and that I've been blessed and upheld through worse:

Count Your Blessings, no. 241

1. When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings; name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.
2. Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings; ev’ry doubt will fly,
And you will be singing as the days go by.
3. When you look at others with their lands and gold,
Think that Christ has promised you his wealth untold.
Count your many blessings; money cannot buy
Your reward in heaven nor your home on high.
4. So amid the conflict, whether great or small,
Do not be discouraged; God is over all.
Count your many blessings; angels will attend,
Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.
[Chorus]
Count your blessings;
Name them one by one.
Count your blessings;
See what God hath done.
Count your blessings;
Name them one by one.
Count your many blessings;
See what God hath done.

When I think of the many blessing which I have I often reflect on the time I have spent out-of-doors and can't help to also think of another favorite primary song:

My Heavenly Father Loves Me (Primary Songbook)

Whenever I hear the song of a bird
Or look at the blue, blue sky
Whenever I feel the rain on my face
Or the wind as it rushes by
Whenever I touch a velvet rose
Or walk by our lilac tree
I’m glad that I live in this beautiful world
Heav’nly Father created for me
He gave me my eyes that I might see
The color of butterfly wings
He gave me my ears that I might hear
The magical sound of things
He gave me my life, my mind
I thank him rev’rently
For all his creations, of which I’m a part
Yes, I know Heav’nly Father loves me

My Testimony

I know that God lives and loves each and every one of us and that He knows us personally. I know that His Son, Jesus Christ, lives and is our Savior. I am very grateful for His sacrifice, for the Atonement, that provide a way to go back into God's presence and helps us overcome the trials and hardships in our lives. I know that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God and that he restored Christ's gospel in it's fulness in this latest dispensation. I know that President Thomas S. Monson is the prophet of God alive on the earth today. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and there is a power in it that flows through us when we study it and live by its teachings that helps us become better people. I know that as we truly thank the Lord he will bless us with continued and multiplied blessing. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.