Gratitude

[Guest tomk]

No the chapter for you. It goes through several different stages of Gratitude. Elder Kinard as you may know had his own spot in the morning - The Living Word - hosted by the church.

Looking forward to it!

[Hemidakota]

I may have to send it out via e-mail tonight. It is about 12 pages in length.

[Guest tomk]

I may have to send it out via e-mail tonight. It is about 12 pages in length.

I will endeavor to be "grateful" for "whatsoever things" I receive from you. :)

[Hemidakota]

Tom, check your home e-mail box.

[mightynancy]

My personal experience with gratitude taught me that the Lord doesn't command us to give thanks because he needs our praise. WE are happier when we are thankful. I was ungrateful and unhappy - I became grateful and became happier!

[bert10]

This tread is really great. Only on LDS sites can we find such wonderful treads. Though I usally come here very seldom because I normally post to Philistines. The LDS Treads are a really a breath of fresh air. It feels wonderful comparing to where I was posting.

I would like to add one more thing here....When we are thankful for all things which means also all the uncomfortable life experiences, red light, people jumping into line....losing car keys, diseases...etc.

It allows the power of God to operate in our life....and the big plus is ...that we are fulfilling the commandment of God to pray always. Because true Gratitude is a prayer.

So if we are grateful for good things as well as uncomfortable things in our life...then the whole day ends up to be a prayer unto God.

Luke 18:1 - AND he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;

ALSO: It helps keep our eye on God at all time....instead of worldly things that brings us both pleasure and pain. Which ends up distracting us from God.

I hope this helps...and it also answer why churches fail and fall over time.

Peace be unto you

bert10

I'll be giving a talk on the Power of Gratitude in a few months.

I welcome any thoughts people want to share.

I'll also be using this post to track my own thoughts.

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-"Whatsoever things" Alma 7:23.

Alma 7: 23

23 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.

Express gratitude for HOW and WHAT God chooses to bless us with, even and particularly if it is not **quite** what we asked for. We ask God for a fish. We think "catfish". God gives us salmon. Instead of complaining or murmuring, can we instead stop and ask ourselves, "Huh, now why did God give me a salmon instead of a catfish?" The answer may surprise us as we ponder it. Try to understand why God answers the way He does, including when He remains silent!! Silence from heaven can sometimes teach more than words can.

-Opens our minds to God's blessings. We realize, "Wow, I have been abundantly blessed, more than I thought!"

-To those who "receive" more is given. To those who thank God, God reveals more ways that He has blessed them. By knowing the ways God blesses us, we are taught about Him and His nature. We can learn of His mysteries in this fashion, for how God chooses to bless us is revealing of His nature and wisdom and how He thinks.

-Gratitude takes our focus off of our problems and places our focus on Christ

-Seems to help us maintain humility. Can a person full of pride offer thanks without having that pride reduced?

-Ways to express gratitude? Prayer, Fasting Scripture Study, Service, Sacrament, Tithing, Fast Offering.

-Scriptural examples of gratitude and what they teach us.

[Hemidakota]

Gratitude leads to humbleness....:)

[bert10]

Hemidakota...."Gratitude leads to humbleness".....Thanks - That is also a very good piece of information.

Peace be unto you

bert10