A Grateful Heart

We learn through scripture that there seem to be two ways to make the Lord upset. One is disobedience, and the other is ingratitude.

“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” (Doctrine & Covenants 59:21).

Confessing His hand in all things, and acknowledging Him as the Giver of all, is something that we can do to show our gratitude for the innumerable blessings He showers down on us. In the Book of Hebrews we read, 

“By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.” (Hebrews 13:15).

It seems that the key to successfully navigating through this life is learning to be obedient to all that the Lord asks, and allowing gratitude to permeate our hearts despite whatever comes. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf taught,

“It is easy to be grateful for things when life seems to be going our way. But what then of those times when what we wish for seems to be far out of reach?

“Could I suggest that we see gratitude as a disposition, a way of life that stands independent of our current situation? In other words, I’m suggesting that instead of being thankful for things, we focus on being thankful in our circumstances—whatever they may be” (link to talk).

Our Father in Heaven gave us life. It is because of Him that we have the chance to live on this earth, with the challenges and opportunities that will help us become more like Him. Everything He does is for our eternal benefit, and for this we will always be indebted to Him. King Benjamin said,

“I say unto you, my brethren, that if you should render all the thanks and praise which your whole soul has power to possess, to that God who has created you, and has kept and preserved you…

“I say unto you that if ye should serve him who has created you from the beginning, and is preserving you from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own will, and even supporting you from one moment to another—I say, if ye should serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants” (Mosiah 2:20-21).

The Lord is perfect in His ability to bless us, and we can never do enough to break even. Some might ask “if we can never get ahead what’s the point of trying?” I had an institute teacher once say, “your contribution to your own salvation is insignificant, but all that you have you are required to give.” We may be frustrated about not gaining any ground, per se, but if that is the case we are forgetting that with the Lord there is no need to worry about competition. He loves us and everything He does is to show that love to us. Instead of thinking of this life as a competition against myself I realized that if I changed my focus it could be more accurately described as a partnership with God. 

With an all-loving, all-powerful Being on my side why do I sometimes doubt or fear? We know that "the natural man is an enemy to God" (Mosiah 3:19). The Lord wants our heart and He knows the sacrifice that it will take to overcome the natural man and willingly submit to His will. Elder Neal A. Maxwell taught,

“…the submission of one’s will is really the only uniquely personal thing we have to place on God’s altar. The many other things we ‘give,’ brothers and sisters, are actually the things He has already given or loaned to us. However, when you and I finally submit ourselves, by letting our individual wills be swallowed up in God’s will, then we are really giving something to Him! It is the only possession which is truly ours to give!” (link to talk).

The Lord has blessed us with so many things. Several years back I started writing down those things that I am grateful for, ranging from my physical body, to listening to my kids singing, to the washing machine, or the stars in a clear night sky. But there may come times in our life where these things change or disappear—bodies age, children grow and leave, machines break, and clouds may cover our view. 

There is a song I like about a girl sitting on the train of life. She laments that she hasn’t reached the station of happiness, and comes to realize that there is no such station. She then determines to live her life the best she can, rather than wishing for something better (link to song: “The Station”). I think with a mentality like that even the hard times can be seen as a blessing.

Adam and Eve were living in a beautiful garden, forever young, and surrounded by a life of ease. They made a choice that had eternal consequences, and were cast out of the garden “to till the earth…and to eat [their] bread by the sweat of [their] brow” (Moses 5:1). Their reaction could have been negative because of the circumstances they suddenly found themselves in, but they did not forget the Lord. “Adam was obedient unto the commandments of the Lord” and when asked why, he responded, “I know not, save the Lord commanded me” (Moses 5:5-6). He had made a decision to serve the Lord no matter what. Not only were Adam and Eve obedient, but they blessed God and despite their challenges they were grateful for them. Adam said,

“Blessed be the name of God, for because of my transgression my eyes are opened, and in this life I shall have joy, and again in the flesh I shall see God” (Moses 5:10).

Eve also expressed her gratitude to the Lord,

“Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient” (Moses 5:11).

Despite their circumstances their hope was in the Lord their God. Their focus was on the redemption that would be made for all mankind through the atoning sacrifice of our Savior Jesus Christ.

Another example of gratitude is found in the Book of Mormon with the story of Lehi. He had made a decision to be obedient unto the Lord even when it was hard.

“And it came to pass that he was obedient unto the word of the Lord, wherefore he did as the Lord commanded him.

“And it came to pass that he departed into the wilderness. And he left his house, and the land of his inheritance, and his gold, and his silver, and his precious things, and took nothing with him, save it were his family, and provisions, and tents, and departed into the wilderness” (1 Nephi 2:3-4).

He was asked to leave his homeland, and in the process left behind his monetary possessions. He could have been angry, like some of his sons, about having to be in the middle of the wilderness instead of enjoying a life of wealth, but he had his focus—and his gratitude—centered on the Lord. After traveling for several days they stop, and he remembers to thank the Lord.

“And it came to pass that he built an altar of stones, and made an offering unto the Lord, and gave thanks unto the Lord our God” (1 Nephi 2:7).

His son, Nephi, was also “faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord” (1 Nephi 3:16). He also had a grateful heart and didn’t take his focus off of the Lord—even when his brothers expressed their desire, on several occasions, to kill him. One instance in particular stands out in my mind.

Nephi was commanded to build a ship. Once it is complete he and all that are with him climbed aboard and set sail. While on the journey his brothers decided they were tired of following him and tied him up—for several days. If it were me, I think I might have been a bit grouchy by that time. Nephi, on the other hand, recounts,

“And it came to pass that after they had bound me insomuch that I could not move, the compass, which had been prepared of the Lord, did cease to work.

“Wherefore, they knew not whither they should steer the ship, insomuch that there arose a great storm, yea, a great and terrible tempest, and we were driven back upon the waters for the space of three days; and they began to be frightened exceedingly lest they should be drowned in the sea; nevertheless they did not loose me.

“And on the fourth day, which we had been driven back, the tempest began to be exceedingly sore.

“And it came to pass that we were about to be swallowed up in the depths of the sea. And after we had been driven back upon the waters for the space of four days, my brethren began to see that the judgments of God were upon them, and that they must perish save that they should repent of their iniquities; wherefore, they came unto me, and loosed the bands which were upon my wrists, and behold they had swollen exceedingly; and also mine ankles were much swollen, and great was the soreness thereof.

“Nevertheless, I did look unto my God, and I did praise him all the day long; and I did not murmur against the Lord because of mine afflictions” (1 Nephi 18:12-16, emphasis added).

Nephi had his focus on the Lord. Gratitude seemed to be a key element to keeping that focus. The Lord knows our circumstances and the Lord knows our heart. He recognizes when we are being stretched to our limits, and he also knows when we are choosing to use our situation as an excuse to not try as hard. Elder Jorg Klebingbat said, 

“The Lord knows your circumstances perfectly, but He also knows perfectly well whether you simply choose not to fully live the gospel. If that is the case, be honest enough to admit it, and strive to be perfect within your own sphere of circumstances” (link to talk).

There may be times when we and the Lord are the only ones who know how much we are really doing, and how hard we are trying to do what we have been asked to do. This reminds me of a story in the Bible.

“And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much.

“And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.

“And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury:

“For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living” (Mark 12:41-44).

To all who may have been watching, this widow's contribution would have been viewed as miniscule. James E. Talmage explained that, “her contribution amounted to less than half a cent in American money”. He further taught,

“In the accounts kept by the recording angels, figured out according to the arithmetic of heaven, entries are made in terms of quality rather than of quantity, and values are determined on the basis of capability and intent” (James E. Talmage, Jesus the Christ, p 521).

To the outsider she had not given much, but the Lord knew her heart and saw that she had given her all. Her obedience and gratitude were known only to Him.

In the Book of Mormon we find another story of gratitude. The group of people known as Anti-Nephi-Lehi’s have a situation. They have become converted to the Lord and their enemies (the Lamanites) are preparing to attack them. 

“Now there was not one soul among all the people who had been converted unto the Lord that would take up arms against their brethren; nay, they would not even make any preparations for war; yea, and also their king commanded them that they should not” (Alma 24:6).

The king then expresses his gratitude to God for sending Alma and the sons of Mosiah to teach them the gospel. He thanks his God for softening the hearts of his people so they could recognize the error of their ways. He continues to thank God for allowing them to repent of the “many sins and murders which [they had] committed” (Alma 24:10) prior to their knowledge of the truth. Then, regarding the current situation with the Lamanites he cries,

“Oh, how merciful is our God! And now behold, since it has been as much as we could do to get our stains taken away from us, and our swords are made bright, let us hide them away that they may be kept bright, as a testimony to our God at the last day, or at the day that we shall be brought to stand before him to be judged, that we have not stained our swords in the blood of our brethren since he imparted his word unto us and has made us clean thereby” (Alma 24:15).

These people then bury their weapons of war deep in the earth so that they won’t even be tempted to fight their enemies. Their gratitude to their Savior for His Atonement, and the ability for them to repent and change their ways, is so deeply imbedded in their hearts that this gratitude overshadows any fear of death. What a testimony! 

It can be the same with us. 

As we are obedient and keep our focus on the Lord, our gratitude will grow. As we humbly come unto Jesus Christ we can get to a point where our gratitude and love for our Savior will surpass any trial that we can encounter. Then, when we reach the end of this life and approach the gates of heaven, our gratitude will overflow when we remember that “the keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel; and he employeth no servant there” (2 Nephi 9:41). Jesus Christ will be at the gate—Himself. He will allow no other in His place because of His love for us. How grateful I am for His mercy. How grateful I am that He knows my circumstances and how grateful I am for His atoning sacrifice that allows me the chance to try again.