Originally Posted in Facebook Study Group in November 2016
Since next Thursday is a time appointed to celebrate our thankfulness, we will study gratitude for the week. As I began to look through talks from last conference that addressed this topic, I was impressed to look at one from the April conference in 1990. I found this story from Luke 17:12-20 which raised a question in my mind that I haven’t considered before and to which I still don’t have an answered.
As the Savior went through Samaria and Galilee, “he entered into a certain village,[and] there met him ten men that were lepers” and they “lifted up their voices and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” Jesus told them to go show themselves unto the priest.
“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 … 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.”
There were 10 cleansed but only 1 was told that he was made whole and not just healed from the disease. What made the difference? It seems to have a lot to do with the gratitude that the man felt and expressed.
James E Faust gave the talk. As I read through it, I had the distinct feeling that this was one of those talks given not only because we needed it at the time, but also, and perhaps more importantly, because we would need it to be part of who we are when the greater need would come a few years later.
Gratitude As a Saving Principle by James E. Faust
[Gratitude Post #1]
“I come to this pulpit to speak about gratitude as an expression of faith and as a saving principle. The Lord has said, ‘And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things, and obey not his commandments.’ (D&C 59:21.) It is clear to me from this scripture that to ‘thank the Lord thy God in all things’ (D&C 59:7) is more than a social courtesy; it is a binding commandment.” Elder James E. Faust
As I read this statement from Elder Faust, I noticed a list of short phrases about gratitude. Each one of them suggested a question that will help understand thankfulness better.
How is gratitude “an expression of faith?”
In what way is gratitude “a saving principle?”
What will gratitude do in my life as “a binding commandment?”
Because I Have Been Given Much Video
(To share post #1 use this link: www.walkhispath.org/wp/2017/02/09/gratitude#Gratitude1)
Elder Faust said that one way gratitude is important to us is that it provides protection against many negative characteristics. Those he listed are being self centered, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful and unholy. It will help keep us safe from those negative attributes because it will change our focus. It will help us look for good even when things seem to go wrong. In other words, it elevates our vision.
Gratitude helps us to recharacterize situations in our life. This means that when something happens to us, we can find different ways to look at it. We will talk more in future posts about how this can happen.
[Gratitude Post #2]
“A grateful heart is a beginning of greatness. It is an expression of humility. It is a foundation for the development of such virtues as prayer,faith, courage, contentment, happiness, love, and well-being.” Elder James E. Faust
What an amazing concept. I hope we all want to be great! Please take a moment to consider what possibilities lie ahead of us if we take the next step beyond recognizing and expressing our gratitude to having a grateful heart. This change of heart will require some help from the Savior.
A grateful heart seems to be part of the foundation upon which we should build our lives as spoken of by Helaman (see Helaman 5:12) and by Christ (see Matthew 7:24-25 and 3 Nephi 14:24-25}.
I spent more than 30 years constructing buildings of various types. If the foundation of a building is constructed incorrectly or placed upon poor quality soil and not repaired, it becomes more difficult to build on and the building may be unsafe.
It is even more important to make sure that the foundation of our life is built correctly. Just look at the what we can create on a foundation of a grateful heart. A grateful heart does more than just protect us from negative characteristics, it helps us create positive ones. However, as Elder Faust said, “There is a truism associated with all types of human strength: ‘Use it or lose it.’”
(To share post #2 use this link: www.walkhispath.org/wp/2017/02/09/gratitude#Gratitude2)
[Gratitude Post #3]
“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 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.’” Elder James E. Faust
Gratitude, like many other things, begins in our life as a commandment where we consciously have to look for things we are grateful for and then work to express them. With time and effort, we are able to get to a place where the Savior will help us change our heart to be grateful and our expressions of appreciation will flow easily and often. Then, finally,gratitude will describe the way we live.
As we learn to cherish all of the gifts we are given, we will learn how easy it is to share them. I hope that all of us will take some time tomorrow to consider how blessed we really are.
(To share post #3 use this link: www.walkhispath.org/wp/2017/02/09/gratitude#Gratitude3)
[Gratitude Post #4]
Happy Thanksgiving day. We hope you have a marvelous celebration and, hopefully, that you will even be able to enjoy the company of family and eating good food.
Over the last few days I have gained a greater understanding and appreciation of the role of gratitude in our lives. It is amazingly powerful. But the power comes at a cost to us. Sister Bonnie D. Parkin put it this way in the last conference. “The kind of gratitude that receives even tribulations with thanksgiving requires a broken heart and a contrite spirit, humility to accept that which we cannot change, willingness to turn everything over to the Lord—even when we do not understand, thankfulness for hidden opportunities yet to be revealed. Then comes a sense of peace.”
The list Sister Parkin gives may seem overwhelming, but obtaining each characteristic will move us closer to God and I know that whatever the cost it will be worth it. And like the scriptures teach, God will help us “precept upon precept.”
(To share post #4 use this link: www.walkhispath.org/wp/2017/02/09/gratitude#Gratitude4)
[Gratitude Post #5]
There is one more thing from Elder Faust’s talk that should be addressed. It is both a warning and a tool for us to use. And even though he demonstrates it with gratitude it is true for battles between other opposing characteristics in our life. He said, “It seems as though there is a tug-of-war between opposing character traits that leaves no voids in our souls. As gratitude is absent or disappears, rebellion [ against moral cleanliness, beauty, decency, honesty, reverence, and respect for parental authority] often enters and fills the vacuum.”
The warning: When we let a positive characteristic atrophy or die, the void is usually filled with something negative. Also if we get rid of a negative characteristic and do not replace it with a positive one, it will usually be replaced by a negative characteristic.
The tool: A very good way to get rid of bad characteristics in our life is to find the opposite (a positive characteristic in opposition to the negative) and begin to make it a greater part of our life. It not only gets rid of the negative characteristic by pushing it out, but the new one replaces the old one so there is no gap to fill.
Whether you already recognize something you would like to change or you need to ask Heavenly Father if there is something you need to change now or you are already in the middle of change, this will be a good tool to have available to use. Is this weekend a good time to apply it to something in your life?
Shower Blessings Video
(To share post #5 use this link: www.walkhispath.org/wp/2017/02/09/gratitude#Gratitude5)
