"How can we cultivate within our hearts an attitude of gratitude? President Joseph F. Smith, sixth President of the Church, provided an answer. Said he: “The grateful man sees so much in the world to be thankful for, and with him the good outweighs the evil. Love overpowers jealousy, and light drives darkness out of his life.” He continued: “Pride destroys our gratitude and sets up selfishness in its place. How much happier we are in the presence of a grateful and loving soul, and how careful we should be to cultivate, through the medium of a prayerful life, a thankful attitude toward God and man!”
"Do material possessions make us happy and grateful? Perhaps momentarily. However, those things which provide deep and lasting happiness and gratitude are the things which money cannot buy: our families, the gospel, good friends, our health, our abilities, the love we receive from those around us. Unfortunately, these are some of the things we allow ourselves to take for granted."
A grateful heart, then, comes through expressing gratitude to our Heavenly Father for His blessings and to those around us for all that they bring into our lives. This requires conscious effort—at least until we have truly learned and cultivated an attitude of gratitude. Often we feel grateful and intend to express our thanks but forget to do so or just don’t get around to it. Someone has said that “feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.”12
When we encounter challenges and problems in our lives, it is often difficult for us to focus on our blessings. However, if we reach deep enough and look hard enough, we will be able to feel and recognize just how much we have been given."
As I close this morning, it is my prayer that in addition to all else for which we are grateful, we may ever reflect our gratitude for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. His glorious gospel provides answers to life’s greatest questions: Where did we come from? Why are we here? Where do our spirits go when we die? That gospel brings to those who live in darkness the light of divine truth.
He taught us how to pray. He taught us how to live. He taught us how to die. His life is a legacy of love. The sick He healed; the downtrodden He lifted; the sinner He saved.
Ultimately, He stood alone. Some Apostles doubted; one betrayed Him. The Roman soldiers pierced His side. The angry mob took His life. There yet rings from Golgotha’s hill His compassionate words: “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”
Who was this “man of sorrows, . . . acquainted with grief”? “Who is this King of glory,” this Lord of lords? He is our Master. He is our Savior. He is the Son of God. He is the Author of Our Salvation. He beckons, “Follow me.” He instructs, “Go, and do thou likewise.” He pleads, “Keep my commandments.”
Let us follow Him. Let us emulate His example. Let us obey His words. By so doing, we give to Him the divine gift of gratitude."
I love how the prophet spoke of gratitude and I want to try not to take the most important things for granted.
I want to express my gratitude for a loving Heavenly Father who loved us so much and wanted us to return that he sent his only begotten son, Jesus Christ to die for our sins so that mercy could be part of the plan. I am so thankful for Jesus Christ and his personal sacrifice for me. I know I can never repay him fully. I can sometimes fully feel my shame when I make a mistake and realize that Christ bled from every pore for me and that one mistake. Not only did he die for our sins, but he bled and died for our illnesses, doubts, fears, heartaches, trials, and challenges. He knows us all personally. He knows me by heart. I am so thankful for Jesus Christ and for how understanding and knowing he is. I know Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love me and all of us.
I want to thank family for everything they have taught to both Jake and I. Parents and Siblings made us who we are today and I would like to thank them. They taught me everything and still teach me many things. I am thankful for the sacrifice they made to bring me up to who I am today. I am so thankful for a mom who loves us so much, cares so much, and sacrifices so much. She truly is a beautiful and remarkable woman. I am so thankful for Jake's parents, which also are so much a parent to me. They have raised a wonderful son, who not only loves me, but our darling girls. He is a honest, worthy, hard working man. I love him so much. I am thankful for him and everything he does. It's hard to have him be gone a lot, but I know he is doing his best at finishing school, doing his work, and trying to be a great husband and father, which he is. I love to see the girls laughing and smiling with him. It makes my heart burst with joy.
I am thankful for my two little girls. Who bring plenty of sunshine, laughter, and joy in our lives. I admit that it is hard being a parent, and most of the time I don't think I am that great of a mother. We have plenty of hard days and times, where sometimes I don't know if I can do it anymore. I love them. There are many sunshine moments. When they come and say a sweet I love you. They can see when I am sad and they come to give me a kiss. There are days when we laugh and smile about everything. We cook together, clean together, laugh together and read together. There are Days when I see the sweetest angels and they are sharing, caring for each other, and holding each others hands and hearts. I know the sweetest memories will be all I remember, because there is more joy than anything. I am thankful to be a mother and I wouldn't change that.
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