Gratitude—the Catalyst for Change

Gratitude and thanksgiving are cardinal virtues of life. We should seek to possess them and express them as often as possible because they bring joy to the souls of the giver and the receiver. Gratitude, the great governing principle of change, is connected with every aspect of life and our attitudes. We choose to be grateful. Our souls are literally transformed to look for and express gratitude for all things.

The promised blessings of gratitude are amazing: “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 78:19). It is interesting that the Law of Moses was tied to the principle of gratitude for their daily offerings, and special sacrifices on feast days were made in gratitude and thanksgiving. This expression of gratitude was tied to the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior as the angel explained to Adam, “And after many days an angel of the Lord appeared unto Adam, saying: Why dost thou offer sacrifices unto the Lord? And Adam said unto him: I know not, save the Lord commanded me. And then the angel spake, saying: This thing is a similitude of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father, which is full of grace and truth.” (Moses 5:6-7) They expressed thanksgiving for the sacrifice of our Savior. Their gratitude was integral to their daily lives to keep them focused on their Lord and Savior. Everything about the Law of Moses pointed to our Savior Jesus Christ. This is what gratitude can do for us. It points us to God and to our Savior. It literally connects to Them. It is a bridge to receive the love of God. The expression of gratitude indicates our love for God and our Savior. Hence, the Lord has decreed, “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).

If we fail to express gratitude and thanksgiving to God we may be guilty of one of the greatest sins—the sin of ingratitude. President Ezra Taft Benson reminded us, “You could follow the command, ‘Thou shalt thank the Lord thy God in all things’ (D&C 59:7). Prayer is a time to do that. The Prophet Joseph said at one time that one of the greatest sins of which the Latter-day Saints would be guilty is the sin of ingratitude. I presume most of us have not thought of that as a great sin. There is a great tendency for us in our prayers and in our pleadings with the Lord to ask for additional blessings. But sometimes I feel we need to devote more of our prayers to expressions of gratitude and thanksgiving for blessings already received. We enjoy so much.” (Ezra Taft Benson, God, Family, Country, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1974), p.199)

Learning of and demonstrating gratitude was the very purpose for Moroni’s asking us to ponder how merciful the Lord has been from the time of Adam down to this day. In fact, we are admonished to “live in thanksgiving daily, for the many mercies and blessings which he doth bestow upon you” (Alma 34:38). Look to see and you will see “the many mercies and blessings which he doth bestow upon you.” Living in thanksgiving daily is living with God.

A young student had the eyes to see. “A group of students were asked to list what they thought were the present “Seven Wonders of the World.” 

Though there were some disagreements, the following received the most votes:

 1. Egypt’s Great Pyramids
 1. Taj Mahal
 3. Grand Canyon
 4. Panama Canal
 5. Empire State Building
 6. St. Peter’s Basilica
 7. China’s Great Wall

While gathering the votes, the teacher noted that one student had not finished her paper yet. So she asked the girl if she was having trouble with her list. The girl replied, “Yes, a little. I couldn’t quite make up my mind because there were so many.”

The teacher said, “Well, tell us what you have, and maybe we can help.” The girl hesitated, then read, “I think the ‘Seven Wonders of the World’ are:

 1. to see
 2. to hear
 3. to touch
 4. to taste
 5. to feel
 6. to laugh
 7. and to love.”

The room was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop. The things we overlook as simple and ordinary and that we take for granted are truly wondrous!—Anonymous

Having read that several times I really believe we need ways to notice and understand our blessings so—Here are some ideas to help us feel grateful and have an attitude of gratitude.

Look Around. Open your vision to the good in things and look for the best in others. Often by just looking for things to be grateful for, we will find that we have blessings in abundance. And we will discover at the same time that there are always people who have burdens to bear and trials and tribulations to endure whom we can help.

Recognize and Count your blessings. This will turn you to your Heavenly Father and Savior, knowing that They are the givers of all blessings. The Lord is all about doing good for this is what He was empowered to do. For He, “shall go forth amongst men, working mighty miracles, such as healing the sick, raising the dead, causing the lame to walk, the blind to receive their sight, and the deaf to hear, and curing all manner of diseases.” (Mosiah 3:5) The Lord stands waiting to nurture and bless us. It is important with our infirmities that we do all that is within our power to overcome them. Sometimes we fail to see the hand of God and the power of the atonement in the process of being made whole. We go to the doctor with a broken leg and he puts it in a cast and tells us in a few weeks we will be just fine. We have taken care of recognizing the problem by getting the assistance of the doctor to “set” the leg so it can heal properly. Who is the healer? We have done all that we can do but it is the power of God and Christ the Lord that all things are healed here upon the earth. Our bodies have within them special powers. The autonomic nervous system (the visceral nervous system or involuntary nervous system) is the part of the peripheral nervous system that controls our involuntary functions including heart rate, respiration, and digestion and many more. We don’t have to think about them they work automatically. Our Creators created us with all of these powers and blessings. It is a gift of God. They have healed us in our creation. In addition our bodies have the power within us to heal wounds, to fight infections, to rebuild bones and again the list goes on. We are the miracles of God. Do recognize the hand of God in all things? Thus King Benjamin taught, “I say unto you that if ye should serve him who has created you from the beginning, and is preserving you from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own will, and even supporting you from one moment to another—I say, if ye should serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants.” (Mosiah 2:21) Then with gratitude we will thank our Heavenly Father and our Savior for all our blessings that we have been given even without asking. Should we not serve God unceasingly to keep his commandments? We will live by faith in all things.

Praise others who are doing good. By praising others for doing good and expressing gratitude to them for it, we open the way for greater happiness and joy in life. It is easy to be judgmental when another’s sins are different from ours. Be strong, look for the good, and be grateful for it. Say it. Express gratitude on a regular basis to your family, friends, and coworkers. Everyone will be blessed.

Write it. Write a thank you note to someone who has blessed your life. Ask for it. Desire a grateful heart. Remember the prayer the poet George Herbert offered: “Thou that hast given so much to me give me one thing more, a grateful heart: not thankful when it pleaseth me, as if Thy blessings had spare days, but such a heart whose pulse may be Thy praise”

Since gratitude and the love of God are so integrally connected, we really should pray to the Father with all our energy so He can bless us with grateful hearts, just as we are blessed and bestowed with the love of Christ when we are the true followers of His Son (see Moro. 7:48). Hearts full of gratitude keeps us focused on the love of God for those who have been acquainted with gratitude will live after the manner of happiness.

Ed J Pinegar

Gratitude the Key to Righteousness

As we read in the scriptures about the tender mercies of God, what do we feel concerning our Savior’s Atonement? I hope we feel gratitude. We feel gratitude when we understand that it is through the symbols and covenants of the temple endowment that we may, through the Atonement, symbolically enter into the Father’s presence. These ordinances lead to the blessing of literally sitting down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the hereafter. We will sit together again in the heavenly council and “inherit thrones, kingdoms, principalities, and powers, dominions, all heights and depths, . . . continuation of the seeds forever and ever. . . . Then shall [we] be gods” (D&C 132:19‒20, 37).

As the mysteries of the kingdom unfold to us, we begin to understand and appreciate the doctrines of the temple; we become filled with gratitude as the Spirit witnesses to us. We then begin to feel an overwhelming desire to follow our Savior and become even as He is (see 3 Ne. 27:27). We desire to become perfect, even as we have been commanded (see 3 Ne. 12:48). We truly want to follow Moroni’s counsel to deny ourselves of all ungodliness (see Moro. 10:32). We come to understand the power of godliness as we are taught and make covenants and receive the sacred ordinances in the house of the Lord.

We are also filled with gratitude when we recognize that after all we can do, we literally are perfected through Christ; only through Him can we come into the presence of the Father. The closing words of Moroni eliminate any misunderstanding:

Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.

And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot. (Moroni 10:32‒33)

There are at least eleven specific doctrines and principles taught in those two verses (shown by the italicized words and phrases), and they will be quoted repeatedly in the pages that follow. Remember, repetition is good. Read carefully each time you see these verses, just as you worship in the temple with an attentive spirit.

The word of God is found in every covenant, ordinance, and teaching in the temple. It is also found in scripture and in the words of our living prophets, which God has given to lead us to light, truth, and exaltation. God our Father, our Savior Jesus Christ, and the prophets of God seek to bless us by inviting us to the Lord’s house so we can partake of the blessings there: “I gave unto you the commandment that ye should go to the Ohio; and there I will give unto you my law; and there you shall be endowed with power from on high” (D&C 38:32). If we are not moved by these promises, we may be guilty of one of the greatest sins—the sin of ingratitude. President Ezra Taft Benson reminded us:

You could follow the command, “Thou shalt thank the Lord thy God in all things” (D&C 59:7). Prayer is a time to do that. The Prophet Joseph said at one time that one of the greatest sins of which the Latter-day Saints would be guilty is the sin of ingratitude. I presume most of us have not thought of that as a great sin. There is a great tendency for us in our prayers and in our pleadings with the Lord to ask for additional blessings. But sometimes I feel we need to devote more of our prayers to expressions of gratitude and thanksgiving for blessings already received. We enjoy so much. (God, Family, Country, 199)

How can we overcome the sin of ingratitude? Take a moment to ponder and thank the Lord. Dedicate a notebook or journal as a “gratitude journal,” and write down at least one thing a day that fills your heart with gratitude. Occasionally share your book with family and special friends. Several years ago as I wrote regularly in my “gratitude journal” it was amazing to see how my attitude and actions were increasingly more reflective of the Savior as time went by. To be grateful is a choice we make every moment of every day. And when we are grateful we are moved to action through the desire to help others and build up the kingdom of God.

Ed J Pinegar