312. God requires us to render thanks to Him.
312. God requires us to render thanks to Him.
And ye must give thanks unto God in the Spirit for whatsoever blessing ye are blessed with. (Revelation relative to the gifts of the Spirit, March 8, 1831) D&C 46:32
The Lord puts the commandment to be thankful along with other strong commandments. He said, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy might, mind, and strength; and in the name of Jesus Christ thou shalt serve him. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Thou shalt not steal; neither commit adultery, nor kill, nor do anything like unto it. Thou shalt thank the Lord thy God in all things" (D&C 59:5-7. It is perfectly evident from this scripture that to thank the Lord in all things is not merely a courtesy. It is a commandment as binding upon us as any other commandment. ACR(San Jose)1977:12
Gratitude is an ennobling quality in man; and he in whose soul it has no place is [defective]. . . .
Gratitude is twin sister to humility; pride is a foe to both. The man who has come into close communion with God cannot fail to be thankful; for he feels, he knows, that for all he has and all he is, he is indebted to the Supreme Giver; and one would think that there is no need of commandment in the matter of thanksgiving. Yet we find that because of man's propensities toward forgetfulness and selfishness the Scriptures abound in admonitions to render thanks unto the Lord. . . .
God requires thanksgiving, praise and worship, not for His gratification as the recipient of adulation, but for the good of His children who thus recognize and acknowledge Him, and so develop that abiding faith, such as shall lead to repentance, without which none can attain salvation in His kingdom. SNT:483,486
quoted by Nephi
Behold, my beloved brethren, remember the words of your God; pray unto him continually by day, and give thanks unto his holy name by night. Let your hearts rejoice. (Jacob teaches the people of Nephi, 559-545 B.C.) 2 Nephi 9:52
The young man who closes the door behind him, who draws the curtains, and there in silence pleads with God for help, should first pour out his soul in gratitude for health, for friends, for loved ones, for the gospel, for the manifestations of God's existence. He should first count his many blessings and name them one by one. CR1961Apr:8
Testimony bearing is chiefly for the benefit of those who bear the testimony, in that their gratitude and appreciation are deepened. Testimony bearing is not the accumulation of arguments or evidences solely for the satisfaction and testimony of others. Let the testimonies, then, of the young people include the training of their feelings by way of making them more appreciative and more thankful for the blessings they enjoy, and the children should be made to understand what these blessings are and how they come to them. It is an excellent way to make people helpful and thankful to others, by first making them thankful to God. (Gospel Doctrine, p. 208) TLDP:688
In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. (Letter to the Church at Thessalonica, comprising Jews and many pagan converts, A.D. 50) 1Thess. 5:18
How rich and radiant is the soul of a man who has a thankful heart. His gratitude increases with his unfolding awareness of himself, the universe and his Creator. Appreciation, like love, enriches both giver and receiver, and, when spontaneously expressed in word or deed, reveals a depth and delicacy of fine-grain character. True gratitude is motivated by a recognition of favors received. Its counterfeit is fawning anticipation of favors to come.
Serious consideration of the mystery of life, its vastness and incalculability, gives depth to appreciation for blessings gratuitously bestowed. They who have eyes to see, ears to hear, understanding hearts, will see the bounteous love of God everywhere manifest and will be inclined to reverently remove their shoes and exclaim:
"For the rock and for the river, The valley's fertile sod, For the strength of the hills we bless thee, Our God, our fathers' God." ["For the Strength of the Hills," HYMNS:35] ("Gratitude Is a Spiritual Attribute," Instructor, Nov. 1957, p. 332) TLDP:269-70
Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people. (David delivers a Psalm of Thanksgiving) 1 Chronicles 16:8
One of the greatest sins, both in magnitude and extent—for it enters into the lives of every one of us without exception to some degree—is the sin of ingratitude. When we violate a commandment, no matter how small and insignificant we may think it to be, we show our ingratitude to our Redeemer. It is impossible for us to comprehend the extent of his suffering when he carried the burden of the sins of the whole world, a punishment so severe that we are informed that blood came from the pores of his body, and this was before he was taken to the cross. The punishment of physical pain coming from the nails driven in his hands and feet, was not the greatest of his suffering, excruciating as that surely was. The greater suffering was the spiritual and mental anguish coming from the load of our transgressions which he carried. If we understood the extent of that suffering and his suffering on the cross, surely none of us would wilfully be guilty of sin. We would not give way to the temptations, the gratification of unholy appetites and desires and Satan could find no place in our hearts. As it is, whenever we sin, we show our ingratitude and disregard of the suffering of the Son of God by and through which we shall rise from the dead and live forever. If we really understood and could feel even to a small degree, the love and gracious willingness on the part of Jesus Christ to suffer for our sins we would be willing to repent of all our transgressions and serve him. (The Restoration of All Things, p. 199) TLDP:270
And he commanded them that they should observe the sabbath day, and keep it holy, and also every day they should give thanks to the Lord their God. (Alma organizes the Church of Christ and ordains priests, about 148 B.C.) Mosiah 18:23
Ingratitude is a distressing sin which kindles the Lord's anger. (See D&C 59:21.) It is often manifest in "disobedience to parents," which Paul condemns. Many young people demand and receive much from parents and then show little or no gratitude, as though the parents owed it to them without any consideration or appreciation on their part. There must have been children in Paul's day who thanklessly took for granted their many blessings and opportunities, for he continued to warn the saints at Rome and others against this weakness.
When the Savior healed the ten lepers and only one thanked him, he pointed out the nine ingrates as a lesson to all when he said, "Were there not ten cleansed?" (Luke 17:17) Adults as well as the youth are often guilty, being disobedient and unthankful to their Heavenly Father who gives them all. Many fail to show their gratitude through service, through family prayers, through the payment of their tithes, and in numerous other ways God has a right to expect. (The Miracle of Forgiveness, pp. 58-59) TLDP:270
The children of God have always been commanded to give thanks. There are examples throughout the Old and New Testaments. The Apostle Paul wrote, “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thes. 5:18). The prophet Alma taught, “When thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God” (Alma 37:37). And in modern revelation the Lord declared that “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” (CR 2003Apr; D&C 78:19). (Give Thanks in All Things, Ensign, May 2003, p.95)
Related Witnesses:
recorded in Luke
And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.
12. And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:
13. And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.
14. And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.
15. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,
16. And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.
17. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?
18. There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.
19. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole. (Jesus heals the ten lepers, one returns to give thanks) Luke 17:11-19
If children pray for their parents, it makes them more appreciative of their parents, and as they pray for one another, they feel closer to one another and part of each other, especially as they realize that they are talking to their Father in heaven while on their knees. (Prayer, p. 129) MPSG1983:130
Author's Note: Gratitude expressed with the spirit of the Lord will have its best opportunity to reach those who hear the words spoken. "[F]or when a man speaketh by the power of the Holy Ghost the power of the Holy Ghost carrieth it unto the hearts of the children of men." (Nephi's writings, between 559-545 B.C.) (2 Nephi 33:1)
