#givethanks - Sunday, November 20, 2022 On Being Thankful

 

#givethanks - Sunday, November 20, 2022              On Being Thankful

This is the third year I have written what I’m thankful for and why each thing I talk about is meaningful.  It is a cathartic exercise for me; it helps me focus on what I should really appreciate and why.  It helps me realign my focus on things that matter. 

The Lord told the Prophet Joseph Smith: “Thou shalt thank the Lord thy God in all things” (Doctrine and Covenants 59:7).  

The words “Thou shalt…” indicate that what follows is not a request.  It is not an “ought to do” or a mere suggestion; it is a commandment from the Lord.  That makes it very important, right? In my opinion, if the Lord said it, then it is important…  It is likely one of the commandments that is used as a measure of our devotion to Him.   What do I thank Him for in my prayers?  He has given us all things; as King Benjamin said in the Book of Mormon:

“…render all the thanks and praise which your whole soul has power to possess, to that God who has created you, and has kept and preserved you, and has caused that ye should rejoice, and has granted that ye should live in peace one with another—

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...

(Book of Mormon, Mosiah 2:20 – 21)

The Lord said to be thankful in all things.  Should we be thankful for bad things that happen, like accidents, sickness, poverty or other mishaps?  Why give thanks for these things?  This is a hard question; perhaps we each need to answer this question for ourselves.  Here is my finest 2 cents opinion...  I do know that hardship, although hard on a person or a family, is a learning experience if we humbly look for God’s will.  They can be the “School of Hard Knocks "that teaches us what we otherwise would have missed.  This is a hard concept to accept for some.

Now think about how much courtesy improves a person’s life.  Thanking others is a courteous thing to do.  When we thank someone for a thing they did that was beneficial, helpful, or kind to us, it is only right to thank the giver.  When you thank someone who has benefitted you in some way, both the giver and the thanker are blessed with good feelings for each other.  For one small moment, the world is a happier place.

There are many more things that could be said about expressing thanks to our God and to each other, take this as a challenge:  Seek out what the Lord says about being thankful, and if there is something that you are doing that the Lord should be thanked, go get on your knees and tell Him.

Don