President Russell M. Nelson on feeling thankful for blessings

President Russell M. Nelson (born Sept 9, 1924) was an internationally-renowned heart surgeon when he was called to serve as a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in 1984. He became president of that quorum on July 15, 2015. Following the death of President Monson, he was set apart as president of the Church on January 14, 2018.

"A correlation exists between hope and gratitude. To illustrate, let me share a personal experience. For Thanksgiving a few years ago, Sister Nelson and I hosted a memorable family gathering. All of our locally available daughters, sons, and grandchildren were there, among others. We counted 63 people at the feast. As part of our after-dinner program, Sister Nelson distributed to each individual a sheet of paper headed 'This year, I am thankful for _____.' The remainder of the page was blank. She asked each person to complete the thought, either in writing or by drawing a picture. The papers were then collected, redistributed, and read aloud. We were asked to guess who composed each reply, which, incidentally, was not very difficult.

"Meanwhile, I observed a pattern. Generally, the children were thankful for food, clothing, shelter, and family. Their pictures were precious, though not likely to be shown in an art gallery. Our youth broadened their expressions to include gratitude for their country, freedom, and church. The adults noted most of those items, but in addition mentioned the temple, their love of the Lord, and appreciation for his Atonement. Their hopes were combined with gratitude. Counting blessings is better than recounting problems."

- Russell M. Nelson, "A More Excellent Hope," BYU devotional, 8 January 1995; see Ensign February 1997, pp. 60-64
Click here to read the full talk

President Nelson is blessed with a large and wonderful posterity. He shared a Thanksgiving idea from his family's experience that would enhance any family gathering: identifying blessings that we recognize as we consider our past year. This was done in a way that even little children could participate.

The act of "counting our blessings" helps us to recognize God's ongoing hand in our lives, and thus to remind us that He will continue to bless us. Hope is the confidence that comes in knowing that we don't have to face challenges and difficulties alone, but that things will work out in the end.

President Nelson expanded his message in November 2020, inviting all members of the Church to be more aware of their blessings, and to express that gratitude in social media during the week leading up to Thanksgiving. The response was enormous. Review that invitation here:

The Story behind My Global Prayer of Gratitude

May we each take time today to be thankful for all we have!

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2018)
November 22, 2018

President Gordon B. Hinckley on recognizing our magnificent blessings

President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910-2008) was called to the Quorum of Twelve in 1961. He served as a counselor in the First Presidency from 1981-1995, then as Church President until his death in 2008.

"Our society is afflicted by a spirit of thoughtless arrogance unbecoming those who have been so magnificently blessed. How grateful we should be for the bounties we enjoy. Absence of gratitude is the mark of the narrow, uneducated mind. It bespeaks a lack of knowledge and the ignorance of self-sufficiency. It expresses itself in ugly egotism and frequently in wanton mischief....

"Where there is appreciation, there is courtesy, there is concern for the rights and property of others. Without appreciation, there is arrogance and evil.

"Where there is gratitude, there is humility, as opposed to pride.

"How magnificently we are blessed! How thankful we ought to be! ...

"Cultivate a spirit of thanksgiving for the blessing of life and for the marvelous gifts and privileges each of us enjoy. The Lord has said that the meek shall inherit the earth. (See Matt. 5:5.) I cannot escape the interpretation that meekness implies a spirit of gratitude as opposed to an attitude of self-sufficiency, an acknowledgment of a greater power beyond oneself, a recognition of God, and an acceptance of his commandments. This is the beginning of wisdom. Walk with gratitude before him who is the giver of life and every good gift."

- Gordon B. Hinckley, "With All Thy Getting Get Understanding," Ensign, Aug. 1988, 2
Click here to read the full talk

There is so often a contrast between society at large, and those who strive to follow the Lord's way. President Hinckley identifies one important root case of that contrast: the "spirit of thoughtless arrogance" that comes when we fail to acknowledge the source of our blessings in life. When we fail to recognize how "magnificently" we are blessed by God, thinking that we are self-sufficient and not dependent on God, we develop instead arrogance, ugly egotism, and pride.

President Hinckley warns that "Absence of gratitude is the mark of the narrow, uneducated mind" - we all would hope that we don't fall into that category. His warning and counsel is to "walk with gratitude" before God in all we do - a much better approach!

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2021)
November 23, 2016

Elder Marvin J. Ashton on expressing appreciation

Elder Marvin J. Ashton (1915-1994) served as a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles from 1971 until his death in 1994 at age 78.

"Appreciation for people and events that come into our lives is most important because it is God’s way of helping us to grow. May I say to all of you ... within the sound of my voice, that the ultimate in maturity is being able to feel and express appreciation, being fully aware of value and importance, and showing gratitude for it....

"How does God feel about appreciation? From the Doctrine and Covenants I share this: '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).

"This morning, as indicated, I would like to speak to the first part of that scripture. Would you like to have God’s wrath raised against you? Would you like to have God mad at you? It can come and it will happen if we fail to show appreciation and gratitude. Why does the lack of appreciation offend God and kindle his wrath? Not because he needs to see and hear our appreciation and gratitude, but because he knows an absence of appreciation on the part of anyone causes personal stagnation. Our growth and our progress are delayed when we fail to feel and express appreciation. May we think for a few moments about occasions and situations where we actually say, 'Thank thee, God, for people and events that have come into our lives that have made it possible for us to develop and grow and mature, for all people, for all conditions, and for all circumstances when we are allowed to appreciate human beings and situations for what they can do and will mean to us.'...

"How do we show appreciation for God’s great gifts? How do we show appreciation for the gifts of parents, companions, roommates, those that we are with constantly? How do we do it? By our lives, by our works, and by our words, and through a willingness to confess his hand in this and in all other great gifts....

"May I conclude by saying, 'When thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God' (Alma 37:37). This is a choice, all-inclusive quotation from Alma."

- Marvin J. Ashton, "Appreciation—Sign of Maturity," BYU devotional, April 13, 1976
Click here to read or listen to the full talk

"Appreciation... is God’s way of helping us to grow." That's a great statement! We more commonly think that we grow through trials, or through learning, or through service. Elder Ashton claims that the truly grateful heart is one that is progressing and developing. And that "the ultimate in maturity" is the ability to "feel and express appreciation."

The Doctrine and Covenants passage that tells how ingratitude offends and angers God puzzled me for a long time. It seemed to say, as Elder Ashton suggests, that God needs our praise and recognition for His own personal reasons. But instead, I think that He knows how much we need to express those feelings for our benefit, not His. "Our growth and our progress are delayed when we fail to feel and express appreciation."

So it's the process of showing appreciation, along with expressing it, that is key. We do, indeed, want to have our hearts "full of thanks unto God" at all times; we will demonstrate that gratitude "By our lives, by our works, and by our words, and through a willingness to confess his hand in this and in all other great gifts."

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2021)
November 21, 2017

President Thomas S. Monson on living with an attitude of gratitude

President Thomas S. Monson (1927–2018) was sustained to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in 1963. He served as a counselor in the First Presidency with Presidents Benson, Hunter, and Hinckley and then became Church president in 2008. He led the Church for almost a decade until his passing in January 2018.

"This is a wonderful time to be living here on earth. Our opportunities are limitless. While there are some things wrong in the world today, there are many things right, such as teachers who teach, ministers who minister, marriages that make it, parents who sacrifice, and friends who help.

"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," General Conference April 1992
Click here to read or listen to the full talk

President Monson was always the consummate optimist. This is one of the keys to his attitude: "While there are some things wrong in the world today, there are many things right...." He seemed always able to identify the blessings, the positive things that happen around us. It's a great characteristic to develop.

This was his vision of our possibilities, our mission:

Learning to have that "attitude of gratitude" makes all the difference. In this talk, President Monson mentions specific aspects where our gratitude has focus:

1. Mothers
2. Fathers
3. Teachers
4. Friends
5. Country
6. Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ

This is a good list to start with; we might each consider our level of gratitude in those areas, and then look for additional areas that might be personally applicable.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2021)
November 23, 2017

President Spencer W. Kimball on decisions and commitments

President Spencer W. Kimball (1895-1985) was ordained an apostle in 1943 and served as President of the Church from 1973 to 1985.

"Now may I make a recommendation? Develop discipline of self so that, more and more, you do not have to decide and redecide what you will do when you are confronted with the same temptation time and time again. You only need to decide some things once!

"How great a blessing it is to be free of agonizing over and over again regarding a temptation. To do such is time-consuming and very risky.

"Likewise, my dear young friends, the positive things you will want to accomplish need only be decided upon once—like going on a mission and living worthily in order to get married in the temple—and then all other decisions related to these goals can fall into line. Otherwise, each consideration is risky, and each equivocation may result in error. There are some things Latter-day Saints do, and other things we just don't do. The sooner you take stands, the taller you will be!"

- Spencer W. Kimball, "President Kimball Speaks Out on Planning Your Life," New Era, Sept. 1981, p. 50
Click here to read the full talk

This is such wonderful counsel for youth, and the principle applies to those of us who are not-so-young as well. President Kimball was warning youth specifically about temptations they might encounter, but the application is more broad than that. Key principles in our lives, relating both to things we should avoid and things we should seek, are best decided once and then committed to deeply.

The decision to avoid certain actions or behaviors as an act of obedience is a powerful one. It's the positive aspect of this that I find even more compelling, as we decide and commit to the kinds of things we will do regardless of circumstances that might persuade us otherwise.

But the key to both of those approaches is the depth of our personal integrity to our own commitment. How well do we remember those earlier decisions when confronted with a temptation or with an occasion to skip a positive behavior? It's easy to see why the frequent refrain of prophetic and scriptural counsel is that we "remember," including Alma's memorable words about "enlarging" our memories through scriptures (see Alma 37:8).

The final line of this excerpt is significant: "The sooner you take stands, the taller you will be!" I love that. President Kimball, though small in stature, was known as a giant of a man because of the depth of his faith and insight. I think he took his stands very early and never wavered.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2021)
June 13, 2015

Elder Neal A. Maxwell on patient endurance

Elder Neal A. Maxwell (1926-2004) served as a Seventy from 1976-1981, then as a member of the Quorum of Twelve until his death from cancer in 2004.

"Patient endurance is to be distinguished from merely being 'acted upon.' Endurance is more than pacing up and down within the cell of our circumstance; it is not only acceptance of the things allotted to us, it is to 'act for ourselves' by magnifying what is allotted to us. (See Alma 29:3, 6.)

"If, for instance, we are always taking our temperature to see if we are happy, we will not be. If we are constantly comparing to see if things are fair, we are not only being unrealistic, we are being unfair to ourselves.

"Therefore, true enduring represents not merely the passage of time, but the passage of the soul—and not merely from A to B, but sometimes all the way from A to Z. To endure in faith and doeth God's will (see D&C 63:20; D&C 101:35) therefore involves much more than putting up with a circumstance.

"Rather than shoulder-shrugging, true enduring is soul-trembling. Jesus bled not at a few, but 'at every pore.' (D&C 19:18.)"

- Neal A. Maxwell, "Endure it Well," General Conference April 1990
Click here to read the full talk

Faithful and patient endurance was one of dear Elder Maxwell's favorite topics, and this particular talk is certainly one of the most insightful on that theme. Elder Maxwell endured plenty in his own life, so it shouldn't be surprising that he had great insight on this subject. He was a great living example of the things he taught. I love his insights about "patient endurance" being more than restlessly "pacing up and down within the cell of our circumstance," but acting actively to magnify what has been allotted to us. The attitude with which we approach our trials makes all the difference:

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2021)
July 6, 2015

President Howard W. Hunter on sincere gratitude

President Howard W. Hunter (1907-1995) was called to the Quorum of Twelve in 1959.  He served as Church President from June 5, 1994 to his death on March 3, 1995.

"One of the most esteemed spiritual attributes we can acquire in life is sincere gratitude. It enriches our lives as we, through this attribute, enrich the lives of others. If we have a thankful heart we will have the blessings that come from constant appreciation for the things done for us and the Lord's goodness. How can we really pay the debt of gratitude we owe to our parents, brothers and sisters, teachers, and those who have served us in so many ways? How can we show appreciation for good homes, husbands and wives who are true and faithful, and children who have the desire to live righteously and serve the Lord? How do we express thankfulness for our baptisms, for the privilege of partaking of the sacrament and renewing our covenants, for the priesthood we bear, for the light of the restored gospel, and for the program of the Church devised to help us make progress toward exaltation and eternal life?

"We pay our debt of gratitude by living in such a way as to bring credit to our parents and the name we bear, by doing good to others, by being of service, by being willing to share the light and knowledge we have received so that others will also have joy and happiness, and by living the principles of the gospel in their fulness."

- Howard W. Hunter, Area General Conference, Stockholm Sweden, August 1974; see Ensign, Oct. 1974, p. 87
Click here to read the full report

Gratitude is certainly "one of the most esteemed spiritual attributes we can acquire in life" — I wonder how often we view it as such? How much effort do we expend to seek it? And what are the results of acquiring that attribute?

This seems a little contrary to our normal interpretation. We generally emphasize being grateful when we receive blessings - we might say that having a grateful heart helps us acknowledge the blessings already received. But President Hunter is saying that blessings come from recognizing previous goodness in our lives as we develop sincere gratitude.

After recognizing a few of the many, many blessings that come to us, President Hunter then adds this wonderful summary of how we truly express gratitude:

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2021)
June 7, 2015