The Divine Gift of Gratitude

Lesson Recap:  Teaching for our Time:  "The Divine Gift of Gratitude" by Thomas S. Monson, lesson given by Sister Darci Facer.

In Luke chapter 17 is the story of the 10 lepers who were cleansed by the Savior, only one of which returned to say thank you.  It reads,"And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?
There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.  And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole."
As we pray and express gratitude to an unseen God we are showing our faith in Christ.  Gratitude is an expression of faith. 

Another expression of gratitude is found in the story of the Savior traveling in the wilderness for 3 days with more than 4,000 people.  His disciples questioned "whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude?"  Like many of us, the disciples saw only what was lacking.  "And Jesus saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? And the disciples said, Seven, and a few little fishes.  And Jesus commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground.  And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude."  President Monson says, "Notice that the Savior gave thanks for what they had - and a miracle followed.  We have all experienced times when our focus is on what we lack rather than on our blessings."

What are ways we can cultivate an attitude of gratitude?  President Joseph F. Smith said that a prayerful life is the key to possessing gratitude.  In class we discussed gratitude journals, thank you prayers (in which you only express thanks instead of asking for things, and if a trial comes into your mind just say thank you for it.), do little things like opening doors for others, or sending thank you cards, see the larger picture, see all that we have to be thankful for.  Sister Facer read a beautiful account of gratitude from two sisters in a Nazi concentration camp, from the book "The Hiding Place".

We need to take every opportunity to say thank you, especially to our loved ones.  Our husbands and children need to hear it often.  President Monson says, "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."