Attitude of Gratitude

Isaiah 17:10

Thou hast forgotten the God of thy salvation, and hast not been mindful of the rock of thy strength.”

Jesus is the God of our salvation, redemption, deliverance, and reclamation. He is the one true and saintly Savior and Redeemer of mankind. He is the Rock of our strength, our energy, our existence, our being, even our all. He is the light within each of us, all who enter the world through birth. He is the Light of Christ that lighteth all in all. He is the light of the sun, the moon, and the stars, and of the all-inclusive universe.

We give thanks and gratitude to Him for His countless and undeniable blessings, for His patience and longsuffering towards the children of men.  The commandment is, “Thou shalt thank the Lord thy God in all things” (Doctrine and Covenants 59:7). ‘Thou shalt’ makes it a strict commandment that we must heed or punishment be at our door. We need to cultivate an “Attitude of Gratitude,” as counseled by Thomas S. Monson, prophet, seer, and revelator for the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ: Higher Than I

Psalms 61:2

1 Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer.

2 From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

Jesus Christ is our Higher Rock. No one, save the Father (Elohim) only, is higher than our Savior, and no one else will ever ascend above them. When our souls are rejoicing in Christ due to our successes and self-fulfillment, we will cry unto Him for gratitude and our indebtedness to Him. When our hearts are filled with sorrow and hurt, we will weep and pour out our souls to Him for mercy and grace. We can look upward to Him at any time of need, and He will be there for us, to comfort us and strengthen us. As we pray to the Father, both the Father and Christ hear our cries, and will be answered according to our faith and as they see fit. Our prayers will not go unattended. Jesus said, “Ask, and ye shall receive.”

Abound in Good Works

In Alma 7:22-24, Alma2 taught the people in Gideon to:

1. Remember your Duty to God
2. Walk blameless before God
3. Be humble
4. Be submissive and gentle
5. Be easy to be entreated (taught)
6. Be patient and long-suffering
7. Be temperate in all things
8. Be diligent in keeping the commandments of God
9. Pray for spiritual and temporal things
10. Exercise faith-hope-charity
11. Returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things you do receive

As we sincerely strive to live by these principles, may we pray mightily for strength and desire to succeed at it. As we pray, return thanks to Heavenly Father for the things that He actually does bless us with. Remember that Thanksgiving Day is everyday and act accordingly.