Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin on maintaining spiritual clarity and sharpness

Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin (1917-2008) served as a Seventy from 1976 to 1986, then as a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles from 1986 until his passing in 2008 at age 91.

"Windows must be washed regularly to clean away dust and dirt. If left to accumulate without regular cleaning, thickening grime can block out light and darken the window. Just as earthly windows need consistent, thorough cleaning, so do the windows of our spirituality.

"Weekly sacrament meeting attendance helps us strengthen our resolve to keep our personal windows of heaven free from the obscuring haze of earthly distractions and temptations. By partaking of the sacrament worthily to renew our baptismal covenants, we clarify our view of life's eternal purpose and divine priorities. The sacrament prayers invite personal introspection, repentance, and rededication as we pledge our willingness to remember our Savior, Jesus the Christ. This commitment to become like Christ, repeated weekly, defines the supreme aspiration of Latter-day Saint life.

"Frequent temple attendance, as our circumstances allow, is another way to keep our spiritual windows clean. Worship in the house of the Lord will keep our view of what matters most clear and sharp, focused crisply, and free from the dust of the world."

- Joseph B. Wirthlin, "Windows of Light and Truth," Ensign, November 1995, pp. 75-78
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"Keeping things clean" seems to take work in this life! Elder Wirthlin applies this principle to both temporal and spiritual aspects:

Elder Wirthlin gives specific suggestions on how to "keep our personal windows of heaven free from the obscuring haze of earthly distractions and temptations." This suggestions include:

• partaking of the sacrament worthily
• attending the temple frequently

These kinds of activities help keep our attention focused on the things that matter most, clarifying our eternal views, increasing commitment to proper choices and actions, and avoiding the "dust" and distractions of the world. Excellent advice!

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2021)
March 18, 2016

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
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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's warning and counsel is to "walk with gratitude" before God in all we do! His advice echoes Amulek's beautiful counsel to "live in thanksgiving daily, for the many mercies and blessings which [God] doth bestow upon you." (Alma 34:38)

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

Elder Neal A. Maxwell on feeling and expressing gratitude to God

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.

"'Where are the nine?' inquired Jesus concerning the healed lepers who did not return with thanksgiving. (Luke 17:17) How often are we like the nine? To receive God's blessings without acknowledging their Source is to be unrealistic as well as ungrateful.

"We offend God not only by our ingratitude, brothers and sisters, but also by not confessing His competent hand in bringing to pass His transcending purposes on the earth. (See D&C 59:21.) Too many actually doubt God's plans will finally prevail. Not only in the years ahead, but even now, mortal self-sufficiency will be confounded. Profound fear will eventually pervade this perplexed planet. (See D&C 63:33; D&C 88:91.) Would that mankind could live in faith, not fear—and with gratitude, not forgetfulness.

"Besides, we are all beggars anyway (see Mosiah 4:19), beggars rescued by the Creator of the universe who lived humbly as a person 'of no reputation.' (Philip. 2:7.) In contrast, we are sometimes so anxious about our personal images, when it is His image we should have in our countenances. (See Alma 5:14.)"

- Neal A. Maxwell, "Answer Me," Ensign, November 1988, p. 32
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One of the great dangers of mortality is to forget to acknowledge the source of so much in our lives that comes as gifts from God. Like the nine lepers of Jesus' parable, we are so joyful in a blessing that we move on blithely, sometimes with a perfunctory prayer or expression of thanks. And sometimes we don't even do that—never acknowledging the source. We may even think we've "earned" the blessings that come.

I appreciated Elder Maxwell's reminder that remembering to thank God for direct blessings to us is just the beginning. We also should recognize the great blessing of His plan for the happiness of all His children. Faith and gratitude are as linked as are fear and forgetfulness.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2021)
November 21, 2015

President Thomas S. Monson on feeling and expressing divine 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.

"Do material possessions make us happy and grateful? Perhaps momentarily. However, those things which provide deep and lasting happiness and gratitude are the things which money cannot buy: our families, the gospel, good friends, our health, our abilities, the love we receive from those around us. Unfortunately, these are some of the things we allow ourselves to take for granted.

"The English author Aldous Huxley wrote, 'Most human beings have an almost infinite capacity for taking things for granted.'

"We often take for granted the very people who most deserve our gratitude. Let us not wait until it is too late for us to express that gratitude....

"A grateful heart, then, comes through expressing gratitude to our Heavenly Father for His blessings and to those around us for all that they bring into our lives. This requires conscious effort—at least until we have truly learned and cultivated an attitude of gratitude. Often we feel grateful and intend to express our thanks but forget to do so or just don't get around to it. Someone has said that 'feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.' [William Arthur Ward]...

"It is my prayer that in addition to all else for which we are grateful, we may ever reflect our gratitude for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. His glorious gospel provides answers to life's greatest questions....

"Let us follow Him. Let us emulate His example. Let us obey His words. By so doing, we give to Him the divine gift of gratitude.

"My sincere, heartfelt prayer is that we may in our individual lives reflect that marvelous virtue of gratitude. May it permeate our very souls, now and evermore."

- Thomas S. Monson, "The Divine Gift of Gratitude," Ensign, Nov 2010, pp. 87-90
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It's relatively easy to remember to thank God for "material possessions" — the conveniences of life or the objects that bring temporary pleasure. But President Monson identifies more profound and significant gifts that should make us deeply grateful, and which we should never take for granted; and for which we should never forget to express thanks.

I also appreciated the insight that a "grateful heart" grows within us as we make greater efforts to express gratitude. Blessings come to those who "have truly learned and cultivated an attitude of gratitude." And of course, the greatest gratitude of all is for the Savior, whose gospel and atoning gift blesses every life eternally.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2021)
November 22, 2015

President James E. Faust on having a grateful heart

President James E. Faust (1920-2007) was called as a Seventy in 1976, then as a member of the Quorum of Twelve in 1978. He served as a counselor to President Hinckley from 1995 until his death in 2007 at age 87.

"It seems as though there is a tug-of-war between opposing character traits that leaves no voids in our souls. As gratitude is absent or disappears, rebellion often enters and fills the vacuum. I do not speak of rebellion against civil oppression. I refer to rebellion against moral cleanliness, beauty, decency, honesty, reverence, and respect for parental authority.

"A grateful heart is a beginning of greatness. It is an expression of humility. It is a foundation for the development of such virtues as prayer, faith, courage, contentment, happiness, love, and well-being....

"As with all commandments, gratitude is a description of a successful mode of living. The thankful heart opens our eyes to a multitude of blessings that continually surround us. President J. Reuben Clark said, 'Hold fast to the blessings which God has provided for you. Yours is not the task to gain them, they are here; yours is the part of cherishing them.' (Church News, 14 June 1969, p. 2.) ... I hope that we may cultivate grateful hearts so that we may cherish the multitude of blessings that God has so graciously bestowed."

- James E. Faust, "Gratitude As a Saving Principle," Ensign, May 1990, p. 85
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I liked President Faust's description of the "tug-of-war" that exists in our souls. When we allow gratitude to slip away, the contrasting characteristic on the other end of the rope takes its place: which President Faust identifies as "rebellion against moral cleanliness, beauty, decency, honesty, reverence, and respect for parental authority." But when we allow gratitude to dominate, the results are wonderful:

So we cling to gratitude as "a successful mode of living." As we learn to live with more sincere expressions of thanks, we become more aware of the many blessings that are ours, which we should truly cherish.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2021)
November 21, 2016

President Henry B. Eyring on the blessings of "returning thanks to God"

President Henry B. Eyring (1933- ) served in the Presiding Bishopric from 1985-1992, as a Seventy from 1992-1995, then was called to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles. He has served in the First Presidency since 2007.

"The scriptures, what I see around me, and my own experience tell me that this scripture has a key in it. Listen carefully to this scripture. It is one Alma teaches us:

"'And now I would that ye should be humble, and be submissive and gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience and long-suffering; being temperate in all things; being diligent in keeping the commandments of God at all times; asking for whatsoever things ye stand in need, both spiritual and temporal; always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive...' (see Alma 7:23-25).

"Being submissive, gentle, easy to be entreated, and patient are all attributes. But the actions Alma commends to us are to ask for what we need and to return thanks. Please don't think of that as a routine command to say your prayers. Oh, it is much more than that. If you pray, if you talk to God, and if you plead for the help you need, and if you thank him not only for help but for the patience and gentleness that come from not receiving all you desire right away or perhaps ever, then I promise you that you will draw closer to him. And then you will become diligent and longsuffering."

- Henry B. Eyring, "Waiting Upon the Lord," BYU Fireside, Sept 30, 1990
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President Eyring has an ability I love: to analyze and explain scriptures, focusing attention on critical words or phrases in ways that brings out understanding and power. I love how he testifies that he has discovered special meaning in this case through at least three sources: other scriptures, his observations of the world, and his personal experience. How often am I that careful to ponder and apply what I am learning?

In analyzing Alma's wonderful counsel, President Eyring distinguishes between attributes and actions that are encouraged in the passage. The attributes include being submissive, gentle, easy to be entreated, and patient—all characteristics that merit pondering and self-evaluation. But it's the action part of the verse that President Eyring draws attention to: "to ask for what we need and to return thanks." He explains this is much more than "saying your prayers"; it's sincere conversation, pleading for help; along with the acknowledgement of, and appreciation for, blessings and tutoring experiences of life. Then further blessings flow, including the sought-after attributes mentioned earlier in the verse. What a marvelous promise!

We should be careful to focus on the actions that our scriptures and leaders point out to us. But the proper attitude will bring power to those actions.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2021)
November 20, 2015

President Dallin H. Oaks on thanking God always, even in adversity

President Dallin H. Oaks (born August 12, 1932) served as president of BYU from 1971-1980.  He was then appointed as a justice of the Utah Supreme Court, and resigned when he was called to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in 1984. He became President of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles and also 1st Counselor in the First Presidency in January 2018.

"In one of the times of spiritual and temporal adversity recorded in the Book of Mormon, when the people of God were 'suffering all manner of afflictions,' the Lord commanded them to 'give thanks in all things' (Mosiah 26:38-39). I wish to apply that teaching to our time....

"We have so much for which to give thanks. First and foremost, we are thankful for our Savior Jesus Christ. Under the plan of the Father, He created the world. Through His prophets, He revealed the plan of salvation with its accompanying commandments and ordinances. He came into mortality to teach and show us the way. He suffered and paid the price for our sins if we would repent. He gave up His life, and He conquered death and rose from the grave that we all will live again. He is the Light and Life of the World. As King Benjamin taught, if we 'should render all the thanks and praise which [our] whole soul has power to possess, to that God who has created [us], and has kept and preserved [us], and... should serve him with all [our] whole souls yet [we] would be unprofitable servants' (Mosiah 2:20-21)....

"When we give thanks in all things, we see hardships and adversities in the context of the purpose of life. We are sent here to be tested. There must be opposition in all things. We are meant to learn and grow through that opposition, through meeting our challenges, and through teaching others to do the same....

"When we understand this principle, that God offers us opportunities for blessings and blesses us through our own adversities and the adversities of others, we can understand why He has commanded us again and again to 'thank the Lord thy God in all things' (D&C 59:7)."

- Dallin H. Oaks, "Give Thanks in All Things," Ensign, May 2003, pp. 95-98
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"We have so much for which to give thanks." That message applies to every person, at ever time, in every situation. The primary and most important of all, is for the Savior and His acts of service and love on our behalf, that can never be earned or repaid.

If we truly understand that one thing, we can never stop being grateful, regardless of any circumstances of life. Any "hardships and adversities" that befall us, seen in the context of that eternal gift, fall into place in the eternal plan.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2021)
November 18, 2015