What a great message from our Prophet Thomas S. Monson, for November, the month we remember to give thanks!’ (October Conference 2010)

Gratitude is a divine principle.

A grateful heart 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.

Do we remember to give thanks for the blessings we receive? Sincerely giving thanks not only helps us recognize our blessings, but it also unlocks the doors of heaven and helps us feel Gods love.

President Gordon B. Hinckley said, “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

Said the Greek philosopher Epictetus, “He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.”

How can we cultivate within our hearts an attitude of gratitude? President Joseph F. Smith said
“The grateful man sees so much in the world to be thankful for, and with him
the good outweighs the evil.
Love overpowers jealousy, and
light drives darkness out of his life.”
He continued: “Pride destroys our gratitude and sets up selfishness in its place. How much happier we are in the presence of a grateful and loving soul, and how careful we should be to cultivate, through the medium of a prayerful life, a thankful attitude toward God and man!”

Relief Society Woman's Broadcast

It was a wonderful evening watching the Woman's Broadcast Saturday evening. There were so many things said that touched my heart and opened my eyes to sacred truths. I always love hearing Sister Julie Beck and her inspiring messages and what a wonderful blessing to hear from our beloved Prophet Thomas S. Monson. You can review their talks here.

Sister Beck said this meeting is a gift, and as I have thought about this I realize how true that statement is. We are not asked to do anything that does not bless our lives eternally. The meetings that we attend strength us to do better, teach us ways to become better, why then is it so hard to cast of the things of the world (TV-Fun to do things-Reading a Novel, to name a few) and do the things of the Lord like attending our Relief Society Meetings, spending time getting to know and serving our neighbors and actually going to Sunday School Class rather than visiting in the hall. We need to take the time to look at our lives as a gift, this world we live in as a gift, our families, our jobs, all that we have are gifts from a loving Heavenly Father and the greatest gift of all our Lord and Savior and His great atonement. Thank you Sister Beck for opening up my eyes once again to the blessings that I have and enjoy each day of my life and giving me a greater desire to serve and love with a heart like his.