Gratitude / Thankfulness:

Were There not Ten Cleansed?

Perhaps one of the more prominent and familiar events in the Savior’s life is one devoted to gratitude, as found in Luke 17:

“And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.” Luke17:11-19

Rulon D. Pope - “Free-riding and Gratitude” - BYU Speeches

Commandment with a Promise

Each of us shows our gratitude by the way we live and our willingness to serve the Lord and keep His commandments. Gratitude is a commandment with a promise, as is taught in Doctrine and Covenants 78:19:

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.

Sharon G. Samuelson - “Gratitude-A Commandment of God” - BYU Speeches

Opens Our Minds to The Universe

Gratitude is a Spirit-filled principle. It opens our minds to a universe permeated with the richness of a living God. Through it, we become spiritually aware of the wonder of the smallest things, which gladden our hearts with their messages of God’s love. This grateful awareness heightens our sensitivity to divine direction. When we communicate gratitude, we can be filled with the Spirit and connected to those around us and the Lord. Gratitude inspires happiness and carries divine influence. “Live in thanksgiving daily,” said Amulek, “for the many mercies and blessings which he doth bestow upon you.”

Bonnie D. Parkin - Gratitude: A Path to Happiness - May 2007 Ensign

Angels Will Attend

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. …

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.

Hymn 241 : Count Your Blessings

Open Your Eyes to the World

We must ask in prayer that God, by the power of the Holy Ghost, will help us see our blessings clearly even in the midst of our trials. He can help us by the power of the Spirit to recognize and be grateful for blessings we take for granted. What has helped me the most is to ask God in prayer, “Wouldst Thou please direct me to someone I can help for Thee?” It is in helping God bless others that I have seen my own blessings more closely.

My prayer was once answered when a couple I had not known before invited me to go to a hospital. There I found a little baby so small that she could fit in my hand. In only a few weeks of life, she had undergone multiple surgeries. The doctors had told the parents that more difficult surgery would be needed for the heart and lungs to sustain life in that little child of God.

At the request of the parents, I gave the baby a priesthood blessing. The blessing included a promise of life being extended. More than giving a blessing, I received the blessing myself of a more grateful heart.

With our Father’s help, all of us can choose to feel more gratitude. We can ask Him to help us see our blessings more clearly, whatever our circumstances. For me that day, I appreciated as never before the miracle of my own heart and lungs working. I gave thanks on the way home for blessings to my children that I could see more clearly were miracles of kindness from God and from good people around them.

Most of all, I felt gratitude for the evidence of the Atonement working in the lives of those anxious parents and in mine. I had seen hope and the pure love of Christ shining in their faces, even in their terrible trial. And I felt the evidence you can feel if you ask God to reveal to you that the Atonement can allow you to feel hope and love.

The Choice to Be Grateful - Henry B. Eyring - December 2011 Ensign

There Will Be No Room For Unhappiness

I began to think about my life, and, first as a trickle and then increasing to a torrent, there came to me a powerful awareness of the blessings I had received. From tiny everyday blessings to the great blessing of the Atonement, I saw how abundantly I had been blessed. The windows of heaven had been open all the time. I just hadn’t noticed. My soul filled with such wonder and gratitude that I felt physically unable to bear it.

That night I understood for the first time that when gratitude fills our hearts, there is no room for unhappiness. Happiness, I decided, does not depend on obtaining all the desires of our hearts. It does not have to wait until we get married or become parents or acquire material goods. Happiness depends in large measure on our ability to feel gratitude for the abundance we already have.

The Thankful Heart - Carolyn Wright - March 1994

Make Blessings Available to Us

As disciples of Christ, we are commanded to “thank the Lord our God in all things,” to “sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving,” and to “let our heart be full of thanks unto God.”

Why does God command us to be grateful?

All of His commandments are given to make blessings available to us. Commandments are opportunities to exercise our agency and to receive blessings. Our loving Heavenly Father knows that choosing to develop a spirit of gratitude will bring us true joy and great happiness.

Grateful in Any Circumstances - Dieter F. Uchtdorf - April 2014 General Conference

The Things of This Earth Shall Be Added to Him

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.

Doctrine and Covenants 78: 19

Helps Us Recognize Our Blessings

My brothers and sisters, do we remember to give thanks for the blessings we receive? Sincerely giving thanks not only helps us recognize our blessings, but it also unlocks the doors of heaven and helps us feel God’s love.

The Divine Gift of Gratitude - Thomas S. Monson - October 2010 General Conference

Makes Life Sweeter

Being grateful takes away bitterness

Makes life sweeter

Makes life more joyful

Makes life even glorious

Purifying

Healing

Peace

Understanding

True joy

Great happiness

Gentle peace in the midst of tribulation

In grief we can lift up our hearts in praise

In pain we can glory in Christ’s Atonement

In the cold of bitter sorrow we can experience the warmth of heaven’s embrace

Heals the heart

Expands the mind

We realize that endings here in mortality are not endings at all. They are merely interruptions–temporary pauses that one day will seem small compared to the eternal joy awaiting the faithful.

Broadens our perception

Clears our vision

Inspires humility

Fosters empathy toward our fellowmen and all of God’s creation

Is a catalyst to all Christlike attributes

A thankful heart is the parent of all virtues

Made glorious

Things of this earth shall be added unto [them], even an hundred fold, yea, more

Grateful in Any Circumstances - Dieter F. Uchtdorf - April 2014 General Conference

You Are More Humble

Gratitude is the greatest of virtues

The parent of all other virtues

A quality I have found in every happy person I know

Instantly makes a person more likeable

Instantly makes a person more at peace

Where there is an abundance of gratitude, there is happiness

A mark of a noble soul

A mark of a refined character

Others like to be around grateful people

Grateful people tend to brighten all around them

They make others feel better about themselves

They tend to be more humble

They tend to be more joyful

They tend to be more likeable

Make the world a happier place

Less stressful

Less angry

More spiritual

The grateful man sees so much in the world to be thankful for

The good outweighs the evil

Love overpowers jealousy

Light drives darkness out of his life

Where appreciation there is courtesy

Where appreciation there is concern for the rights and property of others

Although having or lacking money, fame, or power can’t predict happiness, those who live in thanksgiving daily are usually among the world’s happiest people

They make others happy as well

Gratitude turns a meal into a feast

Turns drudgery into delight Softens our grief

Heightens our pleasure

Turns the simple and common into the memorable and transcendent

Forges bonds of love

Fosters loyalty

Fosters admiration

Living in thanksgiving daily is a habit that will enrich our lives and enrich the lives of those we love

Those who live in thanksgiving daily have a way of opening their eyes and seeing the wonders and beauties of this world as though seeing them for the first time. (Otherwise it’s easy to let people and the beauties of nature become invisible when they’re around us all the time.)

As we strive to open up our eyes (seeing people and nature we’re used to), hearts (releasing negative emotions daily and fill up with good), and arms (bless others):

Our step become a little lighter

Our smile will become a little brighter

The darkness that sometimes broods over our lives will become a little whiter

Live in Thanksgiving Daily - Joseph B. Wirthlin - BYU Speech October 2000