We Thank Thee O God

Many years ago Elder Steven E. Snow gave a talk in general conference on gratitude. As I read this today I was touched by his brief account of the “hole-in-the-rock” pioneers who settled San Juan County in southeastern Utah in 1879. He recounted, “The journey was to have taken six weeks but instead took nearly six months. Their struggles and heroics are well documented, particularly their seemingly impossible task of crossing the Colorado River at a place called Hole-in-the-Rock. Those who have visited this place marvel that wagons and teams could have been lowered through this narrow crack in the red rock canyon walls to reach the Colorado River far below. Once the Colorado was crossed, however, many other severe tests awaited them on the trail to San Juan County. Tired and worn out, early in April 1880 they faced their final obstacle, Comb Ridge. The Comb is a ridge of solid sandstone forming a steep wall nearly 1,000 feet high.” He continued, “One hundred and twenty years later, our family climbed Comb Ridge on a bright spring day. The ridge is steep and treacherous. It was difficult to imagine that wagons, teams, men, women, and children could make such an ascent. But beneath our feet were the scars from the wagon wheels, left as evidence of their struggles so long ago. How did they feel after enduring so much? Were they bitter after the many months of toil and privation? Did they criticize their leaders for sending them on such an arduous journey, asking them to give up so much? Our questions were answered as we reached the top of Comb Ridge. There inscribed in the red sandstone so long ago were the words, ‘We thank Thee, O God.’” These pioneers who  struggled through seemingly endless hardship to arrive at a near desolate destination, etched in stone forever their thanks to God for His goodness in opening the way for them.

            Elder Snow also said this in his talk about how gratitude can help us find happiness: “It is human nature, I suppose, to seek elsewhere for our happiness. Pursuit of career goals, wealth, and material rewards can cloud our perspective and often leads to a lack of appreciation for the bounteous blessings of our present circumstances. It is precarious to dwell on why we have not been given more. It is, however, beneficial and humbling to dwell on why we have been given so much. An old proverb states, ‘The greater wealth is contentment with a little.’ In his letter to the Philippians, Paul wrote, ‘Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content’ (Philip. 4:11).” I love that declaration from Paul—that is a motto to live by. Whatever situation we are in, we should learn to be content in it. Or as the common phrase goes, “Happiness isn’t having what you want; it is wanting what you have.” As Alma put it, we “ought to be content with the things which the Lord hath allotted unto [us]” (Alma 29:3). Nephi was of course a powerful example of this; when he was tied up on the ship for four days in a storm, he described his attitude this way: “Nevertheless, I did look unto my God, and I did praise him all the day long; and I did not murmur against the Lord because of mine afflictions” (1 Nephi 18:16). He still found it in him to give thanks to the Lord even amidst his extremities. On another scriptural traversal of the ocean the brother of Jared and his group had a similar attitude despite what must have surely been a very difficult voyage: “And they did sing praises unto the Lord; yea, the brother of Jared did sing praises unto the Lord, and he did thank and praise the Lord all the day long; and when the night came, they did not cease to praise the Lord’ (Ether 6:9). They did thank the Lord all day and into the night on their cramped barges as they spent week after week on the endless ocean. I think ultimately that is what we want to be able to do—thank and praise the Lord no matter what our circumstances. Then in whatever hardship we face and whatever figurative rocky mountain we have to climb, we can say with those Hole-in-the-Rock pioneers: “We thank Thee, O God.”