An Attitude of Gratitude

One of the greatest chapters exemplifying the proper attitude of gratitude is, in my opinion, Alma chapter 26. I cannot read this chapter without feeling the desire to rejoice myself, with Ammon and his brethren, and find my self wanting, as it were, to shout praises to God from the housetops.

In pondering on this chapter, who can help but wonder, along with Ammon, at the great success that he and his brethren had in bringing thousands of Lamanites to the truth. Who can read of this miraculous change of heart, among a blood thirsty people full of complete hate an animosity toward the Nephites, and not feel to rejoice and give praise to almighty God for His everlasting mercy and grace. Well may we ask, along with Ammon, what are the reasons for rejoicing. Here they are as given in this wonderful chapter:

• God saw fit, in His infinite mercy, to deliver Ammon and his brethren from their own sinful and polluted state and made them instruments in the hand of God in bringing thousands of the Lamanites to a knowledge of the truth
• Ammon and his brethren were given the same promise that has been renewed in our day that if they would "thrust in their cycle with their might" they would bring in a great harvest; this promise was literally fulfilled
• The converted Lamanites were gathered into the garners of the Lord of the Harvest and kept safe
• In God's strength Ammon and his brethren were able to work many mighty miracles in the land
• Thousands of Lamanites were brought to rejoice in Christ's redeeming love because of the power of God's word
• Those who truly repent, exercise faith, bring forth good works, and pray continually can be instruments in God's hands to bring thousands of souls to repentance just as Ammon and his brethren did
• Ammon and his brethren had the courage to come up out of the Land of Zarahemla, despite the taunting of many of the Nephites who laughed them to scorn and said it would be better to destroy the Lamanites out of the land rather than try to convince them of their wicked ways and convert them to the Lord
• When Ammon and his brethren were depressed and discouraged in the wilderness, God comforted them and gave them the strength and courage to go forward with their mission
• Through all their travails of teaching the Lamanites, going from house to house, going to their temples, teaching them in their streets, being mocked and spit upon, being smitten on their cheeks, being stoned, being in bonds and cast into prison, the Lord sustained and strengthened Ammon and his brethren
• Because Ammon's and his brethren's efforts among the Lamanites, their converts had a great love toward each other and toward them -- so much love that they were willing to lay down their lives rather than do harm or hurt to another
• God has all power, all wisdom, and all understanding and his everlasting love and mercy are extended toward all those who will repent and believe on his name

Oh the goodness and mercy of our God! What a blessing for us today to be able to read this wonderful account of Ammon and his brethren. Does it not give you pause to think that the same blessings that came to them can come to each of us if we will follow the formula described--repenting, exercising faith, bringing forth good works, and praying continually. Is not the field just as white and ready to harvest now as it was then? What of our brothers and sisters in the Middle East, China, India, Indonesia, and dozens of other locations where, at present, Christ's teaching have very little influence, and where thousands, if not millions, of misguided individuals bear a hatred towards Christians, particularly American Christians, not unlike that of the Lamanites. On more than one occasion President Monson has admonished members of the church to pray that the gospel can move forward in those regions. In this past conference, in his opening address, President Monson stated:

I would ask that your faith and prayers continue to be offered in behalf of those areas where our influence is limited and where we are not allowed to share the gospel freely at this time. Miracles can occur as we do so (Welcome To General Conference, Thomas S. Monson, Ensign, Nov. 2010 6).

How marvelous is the opportunity we have and how great the responsibility! May we be blessed to live up to it.

In Troubled Times Like This

As we contemplate the current situation in our country and in the world, it might be easy to get discouraged. We are, for the most part, bombarded with waives of negativism on the main stream media news, in the newspapers, in magazines, and online news sources.

Yet through the gloom and doom of our times, the glorious gospel light pierces the darkness, as the lighthouse on a hill, guiding all those who will follow it to the path of peace and rest. Aside from the comforting words of living prophets and apostles, nothing brings the gospel light to our hearts like the uplifting language of the scriptures.

The following verses are from Psalm 37. It is a long Psalm so I will only quote some of the verses. I also recommend Psalms 34 and 36.

1 Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.
2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.
3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
4 Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
5 Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.
7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
9 For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.
10 For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.
11 But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

16 A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.
17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the Lord upholdeth the righteous.
18 The Lord knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever.

23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.
24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.

27 Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore.

30 The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment.
31 The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.

34 Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land...

37 Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.

39 But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: he is their strength in the time of trouble.
40 And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.

I love these verses. I love the desire they inspire in my mind to trust in the Lord, to delight in the Lord, to commit my way to the Lord and bring forth righteousness that I, and all those I can influence for good, might find rest in Him. They strengthen my feeble knees, buoy up my drooping heart and lift my hanging hands. What a blessing to have the scriptures! What joy to be able to feast at the table of the Lord everyday--a banquet of the most delicious and soul satisfying dishes on a table that is never empty! Oh that we might all hearken to the words of Nephi in 2 Nephi 31:20 and "feast upon the words of Christ" daily!

How do you feel about these verses? Do you have favorite verses from the scriptures that are a strength and a comfort to you? Would you be willing to share them with me? If so, I would love to hear from you. Feel free to comment here or email them to me and, if you are comfortable with me doing so, I will post them.

Comfort From the Lord

I've been feeling a little discouraged today. Not quite sure why. However, the scriptures always seem to buoy me up.

I was reading earlier about the Sons of Mosiah and their mission to the Lamanites. It was a great undertaking and they felt it, even to the point of considering going back to Zarahemla. Yet they did not. We read the following in Alma 26:27

27 Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success.

In their moment of distress, the Lord strengthened them and gave them the courage to go forward in their great cause.

In contemplating the mission of Ammon and his brethren, I cannot help but think of the current state of affairs in the United States. In Alma 17:14-15, we read a description of the Lamanites at that time:

"14 ... they had undertaken to preach the word of God to a wild and a hardened and a ferocious people; a people who delighted in murdering the Nephites, and robbing and plundering them; and their hearts were set upon riches, or upon gold and silver, and precious stones; yet they sought to obtain these things by murdering and plundering, that they might not labor for them with their own hands.

15 Thus they were a very indolent people, many of whom did worship idols, and the curse of God had fallen upon them because of the of their fathers; notwithstanding the promises of the Lord were extended unto them on the conditions of repentance."

Sadly, this description, describes a great many in our current society. Many Americans have become so hardened that are more than willing to kill innocent children all in the name of "choice." Too many people care more about riches and the praise of the world than they do about their fellow man. Far too many are willing to murder and steal to get riches rather than work to get them on their own. Socialism is becoming more entrenched as the people become more and more indolent and look to the government to do for them what they should be doing for themselves. Looking at the situation, without having the perspective of the gospel, one could easily get discouraged.

What a wonderful gift it is to have the Gospel. To know that despite the challenging situation we face, with God's help, there is still hope for turning things around. Like the task facing the sons of Mosiah, the undertaking to return America to the principles of freedom as originally given by our founding fathers is daunting. Yet as members of the church, we have that responsibility on our shoulders.

Elder L. Tom Perry, in a wonderful talk given in 1976 entitled God's Hand in the Founding of America, states the following:

“Our commitment to America has been testified to by many, but I will point out to you special witnesses who have indicated our responsibilities to this land.

“First from Brigham Young, second president of the Church: ‘Will the Constitution be destroyed? No: it will be held inviolate by this people; and, as Joseph Smith said, ‘The time will come when the destiny of this nation will hang upon a single thread. At that critical juncture, this people will step forth and save it from the threatened destruction.’ It will be so.’ (Journal of Discourses, 7:15.)

“Now another witness, John Taylor, third president of the Church: ‘When the people shall have torn to shreds the Constitution of the United States, the elders of Israel will be found holding it up to the nations of the earth, and proclaiming liberty and equal rights to all men, and extending the hand of fellowship to the oppressed of all nations.’ (The Gospel Kingdom, Deseret Book Co., 1943, p. 219.) This is part of the program.

“A final witness is from George Q. Cannon, former member of the First Presidency, who said that ‘the day will come when the Constitution and free government under it will be sustained and preserved by this people.’” (JD, 23:104).

“Now, I declare to you that if we are not in the beginning stages of the fulfillment of this prophecy, we are at least in the stages where we are preparing for its fulfillment.”

The question we have to ask ourselves then, as members of the Church, is whether or not we are willing to stand up and fulfill our responsibilities? Will we be numbered with those of whom these Prophets and Apostles prophesied? Or will we sit idly by and hope someone else will fulfill our responsibilities for us? The task is daunting. Yet the Lord tells us that we should be "anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness," (see D&C 58:27). The task may seem overwhelming at times, yet in those times we can turn to the Lord for comfort, even as Ammon and his brethren.

I feel compelled to work in this cause--to raise my voice in a clarion call and invite all who will maintain the cause of freedom in our country to stand up and take action. I cannot sit idly by and do nothing, lest in doing so I allow someone else to do the work I should be doing myself and thereby become part of the problem, rather than part of the solution.