Gratitude

Gratitude is something that many people (including myself) struggle with. Too often, we get caught up in the “negative” things that are happening in our lives. Sometimes we just think there isn’t really anything to be grateful for. Whenever I feel myself thinking this way, I make a list of every possible blessing that I have that I can think of. This list ranges from the big things – like my husband and my daughter – clear down to the smaller things – like our working appliances or our beautiful flowers outside. As I list the things that I am grateful for and recognize that they are all blessings from my Father in Heaven, I find myself being grateful for even more things.

This topic is such an important one to me. After all that our Father in Heaven and our Savior, Jesus Christ, have done for us, the very least we can do is express our gratitude for them. Not only should we be expressing gratitude in our daily prayers, but we should also be living in a way that shows the gratitude that we have for the Father and the Son. Keeping the commandments and serving others are just a couple examples of how we can show our gratitude and how I try to show mine on a daily basis.
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If you exercise faith... you will find that memories of other blessings will flood into your mind. If you begin to express gratitude for each of them... Remembrance will come. And so will gratitude.

Henry B. Eyring, Remembrance and Gratitude, October 1989 General Conference, http://www.lds.org/general-conference/1989/10/remembrance-and-gratitude?lang=eng

Thomas S. Monson, The Divine Gift of Gratitude, October 2010 General Conference, http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2010/10/the-divine-gift-of-gratitude?lang=eng

How much better it would be if all could be more aware of God's providence and love and express that gratitude to Him.

Russell M. Nelson, Thanks Be to God, April 2012 General Conference, http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/04/thanks-be-to-god?lang=eng

We discern heavenly help and strength and humbly recognize answers to our prayer. Even in that moment of recognition, we offer a silent prayer of gratitude.

David A. Bednar, Pray Always, October 2008 General Conference, http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2008/10/pray-always?lang=eng

When you walk with gratitude, you do not walk with arrogance and conceit and egotism, you walk with a spirit of thanksgiving that is becoming to you and will bless your lives.

Gordon B. Hinckley, Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley, 1997, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, pg 250

Thomas S. Monson, The Divine Gift of Gratitude, October 2010 General Conference, http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2010/10/the-divine-gift-of-gratitude?lang=eng

Prayer becomes more meaningful as we... express heartfelt gratitude.

David A. Bednar, Pray Always, October 2008 General Conference, http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2008/10/pray-always?lang=eng

To express gratitude is gracious and honorable, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live with gratitude ever in our hearts is to touch heaven.

Thomas S. Monson, The Divine Gift of Gratitude, October 2010 General Conference, http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2010/10/the-divine-gift-of-gratitude?lang=eng

We can lift ourselves and others as well when we refuse to remain in the realm of negative thought and cultivate within our hearts an attitude of gratitude. If ingratitude be numbered among the serious sins, then gratitude takes its place among the noblest of virtues.

Thomas S. Monson, An Attitude of Gratitude, April 1992 General Conference, http://www.lds.org/general-conference/1992/04/an-attitude-of-gratitude?lang=eng

David B. Haight, Were There Not Ten Cleansed?, October 2002 General Conference, http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2002/10/were-there-not-ten-cleansed?lang=eng