Thanksgiving

The prophet Amulek taught the poor among the Zoramites to be thankful. These people had approached Amulek and Alma specifically because they were oppressed. Not only were they poor, but they were also “despised of all men because their poverty.” They had been excluded from the houses of worship which they had built with their own hands. They were viewed by the upper classes and by the religious leaders as “filthiness” and “dross.” (See Alma 32:2-5.) Yet Amulek counseled them to “live in thanksgiving daily, for the many mercies and blessings which [God] doth bestow upon you” (Alma 34:38). How could this be helpful to them?

In 1832, the Lord taught the following principle to members of the church:

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

One reason that gratitude makes us “glorious” is because it is so closely aligned with other virtues such as humility and unselfishness. Another reason is because it opens our eyes to blessings we already have. As Elder Joseph B. Wirthin explained:

Gratitude turns a meal into a feast and drudgery into delight. It softens our grief and heightens our pleasure. It turns the simple and common into the memorable and transcendent. It forges bonds of love and fosters loyalty and admiration.

“Live in Thanksgiving Daily,” Brigham Young University Devotional Address, 31 October 2000

Today, I will live in thanksgiving. I will make an effort to appreciate the good things in my life and the people who make them possible. I will express gratitude to my Heavenly Father for the many mercies and blessings which He has bestowed upon me.