Gratitude

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Tuly
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Re: Gratitude

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In this election day, in which I hope you all vote, I thought I focus on gratitude. President Gordon B. Hinckley -
Thanks to the Lord for His Blessings - General Conference April 1999 - https://www.lds.org/general-conference/ ... s?lang=eng
Great are our blessings. Tremendous is our responsibility. Let us get on our knees and plead with the Lord for direction. Then let us stand on our feet, square up our shoulders, and march forward without fear to enlarge among people everywhere the righteousness of the Lord.
Now, brethren and sisters, let us return to our homes with resolution in our hearts to do a little better than we have done in the past. We can all be a little kinder, a little more generous, a little more thoughtful of one another. We can be a little more tolerant and friendly to those not of our faith, going out of our way to show our respect for them. We cannot afford to be arrogant or self-righteous. It is our obligation to reach out in helpfulness, not only to our own but to all others as well. Their interest in and respect for this Church will increase as we do so.
"Condemn me not because of mine imperfection,... but rather give thanks unto God that he hath made manifest unto you our imperfections, that ye may learn to be more wise than we have been." Mormon 9:31
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Ian
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Re: Gratitude

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i'm grateful that donald trump just defeated hillary clinton. this is a very gratifying day. we live in a great country.
so let it be written... so let it be done.
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John
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Re: Gratitude

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I wholeheartedly concur.
"Music's golden tongue flatter'd to tears this aged man and poor."
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Tuly
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Re: Gratitude

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When I was in Jerusalem October 2013 our traveling group was challenged to read a chapter of Psalms every day. I dutifully did that and was grateful for the challenge . Here then is one of my favorites.
Psalm 100
Serve the Lord with gladness, all who are His people—Be thankful unto Him and bless His name.

A Psalm of praise.
1 Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.

2 Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.

3 Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

5 For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.
"Condemn me not because of mine imperfection,... but rather give thanks unto God that he hath made manifest unto you our imperfections, that ye may learn to be more wise than we have been." Mormon 9:31
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Tuly
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Re: Gratitude

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Love this lesson from Brigham Young - https://www.lds.org/manual/teachings-br ... 5?lang=eng
There are many people who cannot now get employment, but the spring is going to open upon us soon, and we are not going to suffer any more than what is for our good. I am thankful for the hand of the Lord which is visible; I am as thankful for this providence of his as for any that I ever received. I have told you, years ago, my feelings with regard to their sympathies, their faith, gratitude and thankfulness, and their acknowledgement of the hand of the Lord and of the dispensations of his providence. My soul has been grieved to bleeding, to see the waste, and the prodigal feeling of this people in the use of their bountiful blessings. Many have walked them underfoot, and have been ready to curse God who bestowed them. They wanted gold and silver, instead of wheat and corn, and fine flour, and the best vegetables that ever grew upon the earth. They walked them underfoot, and set at nought the choice blessings of the Lord their God (DNW, 6 Feb. 1856, 4).

We rejoice because the Lord is ours, because we are sown in weakness for the express purpose of attaining to greater power and perfection. In everything the Saints may rejoice—in persecution, because it is necessary to purge them, and prepare the wicked for their doom; in sickness and in pain, though they are hard to bear, because we are thereby made acquainted with pain, with sorrow, and with every affliction that mortals can endure, for by contact all things are demonstrated to our senses. We have reason to rejoice exceedingly that faith is in the world, that the Lord reigns, and does his pleasure among the inhabitants of the earth. Do you ask if I rejoice because the Devil has the advantage over the inhabitants of the earth, and has afflicted mankind? I most assuredly answer in the affirmative; I rejoice in this as much as in anything else. I rejoice because I am afflicted. I rejoice because I am poor. I rejoice because I am cast down. Why? Because I shall be lifted up again. I rejoice that I am poor because I shall be made rich; that I am afflicted, because I shall be comforted, and prepared to enjoy the felicity of perfect happiness, for it is impossible to properly appreciate happiness except by enduring the opposite (DBY, 228).
"Condemn me not because of mine imperfection,... but rather give thanks unto God that he hath made manifest unto you our imperfections, that ye may learn to be more wise than we have been." Mormon 9:31
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Steve
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Re: Gratitude

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They wanted gold and silver, instead of wheat and corn, and fine flour, and the best vegetables that ever grew upon the earth.
The number of people who have some of the blessings I enjoy sometimes causes me to forget how good my family has it. We truly are blessed with great abundance—we enjoy such a wonderful selection of good food and have been given so very much. Thanks for this quote.
When God can do what he will with a man, the man may do what he will with the world.     ~George MacDonald
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Tuly
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Re: Gratitude

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Gratitude As a Saving Principle - James E. Faust - Liahona December 1996 - Great talk!

https://www.lds.org/liahona/1996/12/gra ... g=eng&_r=1
I am grateful for people on the earth who love and appreciate little children. A few years ago I found myself late at night on an airplane bulging with passengers going north from Mexico City to Culiacám. The seats in the plane were close together, and every seat was taken, mostly with the gracious people of Mexico. Everywhere inside the plane there were packages and carry-on luggage of all sizes. A young woman came down the aisle with four small children, the oldest of whom appeared to be about four and the youngest a newborn. She was also trying to manage a diaper bag and a stroller and some bags. The children were tired, crying, and fussing. As she found her seat in the airplane, the passengers around her, both men and women, literally sprang to her aid. Soon the children were being lovingly and tenderly comforted and cared for by the other passengers. They were passed from one passenger to another all over the airplane. The result was an airplane full of baby-sitters. The children settled down in the caring arms of those who cradled them and before long went to sleep. Most remarkable was that a few men who were obviously fathers and grandfathers tenderly cradled and caressed the newborn child. The mother was freed from the care of her children most of the flight. The only thing I felt bad about was that no one passed the baby to me! I relearned that appreciation for and thoughtfulness and kindness toward little children are an expression of the Savior’s love for them.
As with all commandments, gratitude is a description of a successful mode of living. The thankful heart opens our eyes to a multitude of blessings that continually surround us. President J. Reuben Clark, formerly a First Counselor in the First Presidency, said: “Hold fast to the blessings which God has provided for you. Yours is not the task to gain them, they are here; yours is the part of cherishing them” (Church News, 14 June 1969, 2).
"Condemn me not because of mine imperfection,... but rather give thanks unto God that he hath made manifest unto you our imperfections, that ye may learn to be more wise than we have been." Mormon 9:31
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Tuly
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Re: Gratitude

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I thought I would share my Easter thoughts in this thread, since my heart is full with gratitude for the experiences John and I have been having preparing for our good friend Bill Rowe's funeral tomorrow. Bill was such an incredibly good man that it is easy to miss him so much, he was loved by all. One of the hymns we are singing at the funeral is -
Precious Savior, Dear Redeemer - the lyrics are pure doctrine.
Precious Savior, Dear Redeemer

1. Precious Savior, dear Redeemer,
Thy sweet message now impart.
May thy Spirit, pure and fervid,
Enter ev'ry timid heart;
Carry there the swift conviction,
Turning back the sinful tide.
Precious Savior, dear Redeemer,
May each soul in thee abide.
2. Precious Savior, dear Redeemer,
We are weak but thou art strong;
In thy infinite compassion,
Stay the tide of sin and wrong.
Keep thy loving arms around us;
Keep us in the narrow way.
Precious Savior, dear Redeemer,
Let us never from thee stray.
3. Precious Savior, dear Redeemer,
Thou wilt bind the broken heart.
Let not sorrow overwhelm us;
Dry the bitter tears that start.
Curb the winds and calm the billows;
Bid the angry tempest cease.
Precious Savior, dear Redeemer,
Grant us everlasting peace.
Text and music: H. R. Palmer, 1834-1907
I feel we mortals take the resurrection for granted, and when we do take it for granted we are easily overwhelmed by the sadness that death brings to us. I love the following lyrics.
-
Precious Savior, dear Redeemer,
Thou wilt bind the broken heart.
Let not sorrow overwhelm us;
Dry the bitter tears that start.
Curb the winds and calm the billows;
Bid the angry tempest cease.
Precious Savior, dear Redeemer,
Grant us everlasting peace.

That is what the doctrine of the resurrection provides us with "everlasting peace". That is one of the messages that Easter brings to me.
"Condemn me not because of mine imperfection,... but rather give thanks unto God that he hath made manifest unto you our imperfections, that ye may learn to be more wise than we have been." Mormon 9:31
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Steve
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Re: Gratitude

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The increasing revelation and the power of godliness is going to bring God's people to a state of union by and by that we will look back upon these days of trial and smile over them, and be thankful for them, and bless God that we have been permitted to go through them.

(Elder Franklin D. Richards, April 1892 General Conference)
When God can do what he will with a man, the man may do what he will with the world.     ~George MacDonald
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Tuly
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Re: Gratitude

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Tis the season. Ironically I forgot this talk by President Eyring that is called - O Remember, Remember - General Conference October 2007 -
Remembering is important to a grateful heart.

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/ ... r?lang=eng
When our children were very small, I started to write down a few things about what happened every day. Let me tell you how that got started. I came home late from a Church assignment. It was after dark. My father-in-law, who lived near us, surprised me as I walked toward the front door of my house. He was carrying a load of pipes over his shoulder, walking very fast and dressed in his work clothes. I knew that he had been building a system to pump water from a stream below us up to our property.

He smiled, spoke softly, and then rushed past me into the darkness to go on with his work. I took a few steps toward the house, thinking of what he was doing for us, and just as I got to the door, I heard in my mind—not in my own voice—these words: “I’m not giving you these experiences for yourself. Write them down.”

I went inside. I didn’t go to bed. Although I was tired, I took out some paper and began to write. And as I did, I understood the message I had heard in my mind. I was supposed to record for my children to read, someday in the future, how I had seen the hand of God blessing our family. Grandpa didn’t have to do what he was doing for us. He could have had someone else do it or not have done it at all. But he was serving us, his family, in the way covenant disciples of Jesus Christ always do. I knew that was true. And so I wrote it down, so that my children could have the memory someday when they would need it.

I wrote down a few lines every day for years. I never missed a day no matter how tired I was or how early I would have to start the next day. Before I would write, I would ponder this question: “Have I seen the hand of God reaching out to touch us or our children or our family today?” As I kept at it, something began to happen. As I would cast my mind over the day, I would see evidence of what God had done for one of us that I had not recognized in the busy moments of the day. As that happened, and it happened often, I realized that trying to remember had allowed God to show me what He had done.
This is the quote that got to me -
And the challenge to remember has always been the hardest for those who are blessed abundantly.
Please children pray to remember the many ways you are blessed daily. We all have the gift of the Holy Ghost to help us remember.
"Condemn me not because of mine imperfection,... but rather give thanks unto God that he hath made manifest unto you our imperfections, that ye may learn to be more wise than we have been." Mormon 9:31
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Tuly
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Re: Gratitude

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In this important talk on prayer by Elder Richard G. Scott - Learning to Recognize Answers to Prayer - General Conference October 1989 - Gratitude is mentioned as a necessary part of our prayers, which I understand why that must be so.
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/ ... r?lang=eng

I have saved the most important part about prayer until the end. It is gratitude! Our sincere efforts to thank our beloved Father generate wondrous feelings of peace, self-worth, and love. No matter how challenging our circumstances, honest appreciation fills our mind to overflowing with gratitude.

Why is it that the most impoverished seem to know best how to thank the Lord? In the highlands of Guatemala, members barely subsist. Going to the temple requires great sacrifice. A visit takes a year of preparation. There is hard work, sacrifice to save money and food, the spinning, dyeing, and weaving of new clothing. There is the long, barefoot walk out of the mountains, the crossing of Lake Isabel, the bus rides with little food. Tired and worn, they arrive at the temple. They scrub until they shine, dress in their new clothing, and enter the house of the Lord.

Reclothed in white, they are taught by the Spirit, receive ordinances, and make covenants. One highland woman was greatly touched by the spirit and meaning of the endowment. Entering the celestial room, she saw others seated, with heads reverently bowed. Innocently, she knelt at the entrance to the room, oblivious to others. She bowed her head, sobbed, and for twenty minutes poured out her heart to her Father in Heaven. Finally, with her dress soaked with tears, she raised her head. The sensitive temple matron asked, “May I help?” She responded, “Oh, would you? This is my problem: I’ve tried to tell Father in Heaven of my gratitude for all of my blessings, but I don’t feel that I’ve communicated. Will you help me tell Him how grateful I am?”

The counsel about prayer is true. I have tested it thoroughly in the laboratory of my own personal life. I have discovered that what sometimes seems an impenetrable barrier to communication is a giant step to be taken in trust.
"Condemn me not because of mine imperfection,... but rather give thanks unto God that he hath made manifest unto you our imperfections, that ye may learn to be more wise than we have been." Mormon 9:31
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Tuly
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Re: Gratitude

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This post should probably be in The Book of Mormon thread, but here it is. I finished reading The Book of Mormon today, and I'm so grateful to have that book be such a prominent part of my life and hopefully part of the life of all of my children and grandchildren. There are so many scriptures that stand out immediately in my mind that I'm grateful for but this one today is important to me.

1 Nephi 3:7 - ".... I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them."
"Condemn me not because of mine imperfection,... but rather give thanks unto God that he hath made manifest unto you our imperfections, that ye may learn to be more wise than we have been." Mormon 9:31
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Tuly
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Re: Gratitude

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Have you missed singing at church?, I certainly have. With deep gratitude I'm thankful that Dad, Edward and I love to sing hymns. So there is hymn singing going on in our home.
I love this hymn and how timely it is;
Now Thank We All Our God

1. Now thank we all our God

With hearts and hands and voices,

Who wondrous things hath done,

In whom his earth rejoices;

Who, from our mothers’ arms,

Hath blessed us on our way

With countless gifts of love

And still is ours today.

2. Oh, may our bounteous God

Through all our life be near us,

With ever-joyful hearts

And blessed peace to cheer us,

And keep us in his love,

And guide us day and night,

And free us from all ills,

Protect us by his might.
"Condemn me not because of mine imperfection,... but rather give thanks unto God that he hath made manifest unto you our imperfections, that ye may learn to be more wise than we have been." Mormon 9:31
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Ian
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Re: Gratitude

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i am grateful for personal computers because they enable me to work from home. i am grateful for president nelson because he articulates God's will.
How thankful we ought to be, my brethren and sisters, how thankful we are, for a prophet to counsel us in words of divine wisdom as we walk our paths in these complex and difficult times. The solid assurance we carry in our hearts, the conviction that God will make his will known to his children through his recognized servant is the real basis of our faith and activity. We either have a prophet or we have nothing; and having a prophet, we have everything.

Gordon B. Hinckley, “We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet”, October 1973 General Conference
so let it be written... so let it be done.
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Ian
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Re: Gratitude

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i am grateful for california weather because it is beautiful throughout the year. i am grateful for moroni because he preserved the golden plates then showed joseph smith how to get them.
so let it be written... so let it be done.
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