Gratitude: Always and For Everything

The scriptures are full of teachings that invite us to cultivate and express gratitude.  As I searched through the various references which speak about this, there are two particular themes that I noticed.  Many scriptures tell us how often to express gratitude, and others tells us for what we should show our thanks.  Given the Savior’s invitations asking us to give complete consecration, such as “sell all that thou hast”; “pray always”; “always remember me”; “forgive all men”; and “love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength”; (Luke 18:22, D&C 93:49, 3 Nephi 18:7, D&C 64:10, Mark 12:30) it’s not surprising that the answers to those two questions are that we should express gratitude always and for everything. 

                The scriptures which speak about how often to express gratitude speak of doing so every day, always, continually, and without ceasing.  Paul wrote to the Hebrews: “Let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually; that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name” (Hebrews 13:15).  To the Ephesians he similarly invited to be “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:20).  He showed that he followed his own counsel as he expressed that kind of gratitude in his various letters, such as when he told the Thessalonians “we give thanks to God always for you all” (1 Thessalonians 1:2); the Corinthians “I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:4); and the Ephesians that he did “cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers” (Ephesians 1:16).  Alma taught his people in the forest of Mormon: “Every day they should give thanks to the Lord their God” (Mosiah 18:23).  Jacob told the Nephites, “Pray unto him continually by day, and give thanks unto his holy name by night” (2 Nephi 9:52).  Alma taught his son Helaman that his heart should be filled with gratitude every day: “When thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God” (Alma 37:37).  The brother of Jared was one who gave us an example of constant gratitude.  As they made their difficult 344 day journey across the ocean in what must have been the most uncomfortable barges, he “did sing praises unto the Lord, and he did thanks and praise the Lord all the day long; and when the night came, they did not cease to praise the Lord” (Ether 6:9).  We will never be able to thank the Lord too often.

                Scriptures that speak about what we should be give thanks for leave no room for questions: everything.  Paul taught, “In every thing give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).  Alma’s people were “commanded of God to pray without ceasing, and to give thanks in all things” (Mosiah 26:39).  King Benjamin spoke of rendering “all the thanks and praise which your whole soul has power to possess, to that God who has created you”—the only way to give all the thanks we which we possess surely is to be grateful for everything (Mosiah 2:20).  The Lord has also taught in our dispensation that we must give thanks for everything.  We are told, “Rejoice evermore, and in everything give thanks” (D&C 98:1).  Lest we think this is optional, the Lord commanded, “Thou shalt thank the Lord thy God in all things” (D&C 59:7).  The blessings promised are great to those who can keep this commandment: “He who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred fold, yea, more” (D&C 78:19).  All blessings we obtain are to be received with gratitude: “Ye must give thanks unto God in the Spirit for whatsoever blessing ye are blessed with” (D&C 46:32).  We should receive any blessing from the Lord “with a thankful heart in all things” (D&C 62:7).  All of these scriptures about being thankful at all times and in all things this makes understanding the Lord’s desires simple and applying the principle quite difficult: we are simply to be grateful all the time for everything!  This too, I suppose, is another quest of a lifetime to achieve.