The LDS Daily WOOL Home Page
(11/28/96)
"Every good and perfect gift comes from the Father
of Light, who is no respecter of persons and in whom there is no variableness,
nor shadow of turning. To please him we must not only worship him with
thanksgiving and praise, but render willing obedience to his commandments.
By so doing he is bound to bestow his blessings; for it is upon this principle
(obedience to law) that all blessings are predicated."
— Joseph F. Smith,
"Improvement Era," Vol. 21, December, 1917
(11/29/96)
"Following Thanksgiving time a few years ago, I received
a letter from a widow whom I had known in the stake where I served in the
presidency. She had just returned from a dinner sponsored by her bishopric.
Her words reflect the peace she felt and the gratitude which filled her
heart:
Dear President Monson,
I am living in Bountiful now. I miss the people of
our old stake, but let me tell you of a wonderful experience I have had.
In early November, all the widows and older people received an invitation
to come to a lovely dinner. We were told not to worry about transportation,
since this would be provided by the older youth in the ward.
At the appointed hour, a very nice young man rang
the bell and took me and another sister to the stake center. He stopped
the car, and two other young men walked with us to the building. Inside,
they escorted us to the tables, where seated on each side of us was either
a young woman or a young man. We were served a lovely Thanksgiving dinner
and afterward provided a choice program. Then the young men took us home.
It was such a nice evening. Most of us shed a tear or two for the love
and respect we were shown.
President Monson, when you see young people treat
others like these young people did, I feel the Church is in good hands.
There came to mind the words from the Epistle of James,
'Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit
the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted
from the world.'" — Thomas S. Monson, April Conf. 1996
(11/30/96)
"No wonder we should 'live in thanksgiving daily' (Alma
34:38) because ' . . . all things denote there is a God; yea, even the
earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion,
yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness
that there is a Supreme Creator' (Alma 30:44)." —
Neal A. Maxwell, October
Conf. 1987
(12/1/96)
"I thank the Lord that He planted in my heart while
I was yet a boy a love for the Prophet Joseph Smith, a love for the Book
of Mormon, a love for those great men and women who endured so much in
establishing a foundation on which to build this cause and kingdom. I love
the priesthood which is among us, this authority given to men to speak
in the name of God. I am grateful for its power and authority which reach
even beyond the veil of death. I love the Saints wherever they walk in
faith and faithfulness. I am thankful for the strength of your testimonies
and for the goodness of your lives. I love the missionaries who are out
on the front line of the world bearing testimony of the restoration of
the gospel. I pray for them that they may be protected and that they may
be led to those who will receive their message." —
Gordon B. Hinckley,
October Conf. 1995
(11/19/98)
"We have first to learn submission to the will of
God ourselves, through various trials, persecutions, and the development
of our weaknesses and imperfections, and thereby learn to appreciate the
goodness and blessings that flow from him. We must see that we ourselves
first learn obedience, and then teach others. But how can we teach
others a lesson which we have not learned ourselves?"
— John Taylor, "Journal of Discourses," 6:167
(11/20/98)
"I wish to say to you husbands and wives, be considerate
of each other in your homes, be appreciative, and speak all the good you
can of each other. Husbands, tell your wives how much you esteem their
labors in the home: wives tell your husbands how interested you are in
their struggles. A little praise in this life is a very good thing."
— Reed Smoot, "Conference Report," October 1907, p. 59
(11/21/98)
"As stewards of God we must be truly appreciative
of the things we receive. One has said that, 'Ingratitude is a crime more
despicable than revenge which is only returning evil for evil, while ingratitude
returns evil for good.' You remember that of the ten lepers healed by Christ,
only one returned to give thanks. A beautiful legend tells the story of
two angels that were sent forth throughout the land, each given a basket,
one to gather up requests and the other thanksgivings. The angel of requests
came back with her basket running over full. The angel of thanksgivings
came back with her basket practically empty. So it is in life. It seems
that all have requests to make, but few of us think to return and give
thanks." — Heber Q. Hale, "Conference Report," October 1919, p. 172
(11/22/98)
"We should pray about our work, against the power
of our enemies and the devil, for our welfare and the welfare of those
around us. (Al. 34:20, 22-25, 27.) We should counsel with the Lord pertaining
to all our decisions and activities. (Al. 37:36-37.) We should be grateful
enough to give thanks for all we have. (D&C 59:21.) We should confess
His hand in all things. Ingratitude is one of our great sins.'"
— Ezra Taft Benson, "Prayer," General Conference, April 1977
(11/23/98)
"Be thankful always for the Lord's goodness to you,
and acknowledge with gratitude the privileges he has accorded you for your
progress and improvement. Remember that modern commandment: 'Be thou humble;
and the Lord thy God shall lead thee by the hand, and give thee answer
to thy prayers.'" — Archibald F. Bennett, "Saviors on Mount Zion," p. 22
(11/24/98)
"Thankfulness may indeed be measured by the number
of words we use. Gratitude, however, must be measured by the nature of
our actions." — Dee F. Anderson, "Thanks-Living" "BYU Speeches of the Year," November 26, 1985
(11/25/98)
"God help us to be grateful for our blessings, never
to be guilty of the sin of ingratitude, and to instill this same gratitude
into the lives of our children. Someone has said that an ungrateful man
is like a hog under a tree eating apples and never looking up to see where
they come from." — Ezra Taft Benson, "Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson," p. 364
(11/26/98)
"The spirit of gratitude will grow in our hearts as
we express it, and it will be germinated and grow in the hearts of those
about us. Let us teach it in our homes to our children, that they may grow
up with thankful hearts, that the spirit of discontent and unrest which
is in the world may not affect their lives."
— John Wells, General Conference, April 1935
(4/15/02)
"And finally,... be thankful to the Lord for your blessings. Think more
about what you do have than what you don't have. Dwell upon the goodnesses of
the Lord to you. Remember His words to the Prophet Joseph: '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.)" — Ezra Taft Benson,
"To the Single Adult Sisters of the Church," "Ensign," Nov. 1988,
p. 97
(4/16/02)
"The truths 'And in everything give thanks' (D&C 98:1) and 'Thou shalt
thank the Lord thy God in all things' (D&C 59:7) and 'He who receiveth all
things with thankfulness shall be made glorious' (D&C 78:19) are not only
recommended tools of appreciation, but are powerful attitude guidelines
prescribing rewarding patterns. Think of the personal challenge to thank God in
all things. If we thank God in all things, we will not permit ourselves to get
behind. We must work each day to beat yesterday's record, not someone else's.
With His help we can accomplish all things and be winners indeed in the
processes of eternity." — Marvin J. Ashton, "Who's Losing?" "Ensign," Nov. 1974,
p. 41
(4/17/02)
"A grateful heart is a beginning of greatness. It is an expression of
humility. It helps us develop such virtues as prayer, faith, courage,
contentment, happiness, love, and well-being."
— James E. Faust, "Grateful Heart," "Friend," May 1994, inside front cover
(4/18/02)
"We can never fully repay our Savior for his sacrifice made to help us
achieve salvation and exaltation. It would behoove each of us to search our
hearts and lives and consider how good and gracious our Lord has been. George
Herbert said, 'Thou that has given so much to us, give us one thing more... a
grateful heart.'" — Delbert L. Stapley, "The Savior's Ministry," "Ensign," May 1974,
p. 103
(4/19/02)
"From Hippocrates there is a sentence which says, 'What we use flourishes.
What we don't use wastes away.' One way of expressing gratitude would be to use
well what we have--material things, talents, time, opportunities, sympathy,
compassion. In many ways there is a steady process of perishability. Time goes
no matter what we do with it--whether we use it well or waste it away. The
products of the good earth are in some ways the same: Much is produced that is
never used well. There is much that piles up unneeded in some places and doesn't
get to where it is most needed in others. There is much satisfaction in knowing
that some things are ours, but there is a difference between having and using,
and hoarding. Letting things pile up and deteriorate, unused, where they occupy
space and collect dust, serving no good purpose and doing little good to anyone,
is a sterile waste. On another side of this subject: If a person receives a gift
from someone who gives sincerely, and acts as if he doesn't need or want it, or
just lets it lie idle and doesn't use it, it is a disappointment to the giver
and appears to be an evidence of ingratitude. Both use and appreciation are
elements of gratitude, and sincere gratitude includes using well what God has
given, for our own benefit and blessing, and for others also--remembering that
material things are perishable, that talents will shrivel and waste away unless
we use them well, and that the time to do what needs to be done is when it needs
to be done--for time is the essence of all our opportunities. It is precious,
perishable, irreplaceable, and it won't wait. This is the day this day's work
should be done. 'What we use flourishes. What we don't use wastes away.'"
— Richard L. Evans,
"The Spoken Word," "Ensign," Feb. 1971, p. 22
(10/23/02)
"Express gratitude for each blessing, for 'in nothing doth man offend God, or
against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all
things, and obey not his commandments.'" —
Richard G. Scott, "He Lives," "Ensign," Nov. 1999, p. 89
(10/24/02)
"One of the most esteemed spiritual attributes we can acquire in life is sincere
gratitude. It enriches our lives as we, through this attribute, enrich the lives
of others. If we have a thankful heart we will have the blessings that come from
constant appreciation for the things done for us and the Lord's goodness. How
can we really pay the debt of gratitude we owe to our parents, brothers and
sisters, teachers, and those who have served us in so many ways? How can we show
appreciation for good homes, husbands and wives who are true and faithful, and
children who have the desire to live righteously and serve the Lord? How do we
express thankfulness for our baptisms, for the privilege of partaking of the
sacrament and renewing our covenants, for the priesthood we bear, for the light
of the restored gospel, and for the program of the Church devised to help us
make progress toward exaltation and eternal life? We pay our debt of gratitude
by living in such a way as to bring credit to our parents and the name we bear,
by doing good to others, by being of service, by being willing to share the
light and knowledge we have received so that others will also have joy and
happiness, and by living the principles of the gospel in their fulness."
— Howard W. Hunter, "News of the Church,"
"Ensign," Oct. 1974, p. 87
(10/25/02)
"Through expression of prayerful gratitude and thanksgiving, we show our
dependence upon a higher source of wisdom and knowledge-God the Father and his
Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We are taught to 'live in thanksgiving
daily.' (Alma 34:38.)" — Robert D. Hales,
"Gratitude for the Goodness of God," "Ensign," May 1992, p. 64
(10/26/02)
"Enrich your life with the beauty around you. There is such an abundance of it:
the resplendent breaking dawn welcoming a fresh new day, the abundant arms of a
blue spruce adorned with golden medallions from adjacent aspen, shimmering
ripples in a mountain lake transformed by the brilliant sun, a hushed stillness
of a forest glen bathed in moonlight, the exuberance of a child at play and the
love in his mother's eyes. 'Rejoice evermore, and in everything give thanks.'
'And 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.'" — Richard G. Scott, "He Lives,"
"Ensign," Nov. 1999, p. 89
(10/27/02)
"Above all, have a grateful heart, which will always prompt and motivate you to
reach out to others, for 'Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of
these my brethren,' Jesus said, 'ye have done it unto me' (Matt. 25:40)."
— Derek A. Cuthbert, "Needs," "New Era,"
Sept. 1987, p. 50