The Divine Gift of Gratitude

What is it about gratitude that makes a difference for better in our lives? I guess it’s because we’re focusing on what we have rather than what we don’t have. It’s expressing gratitude to God and others for everything that is given us. President Monson, the prophet of God for our time, said this past General Conference that “to live with gratitude ever in our hearts is to touch heaven.” He also said that we usually take for granted and show the least gratitude for those people around us that we love most. So, today I am going to express gratitude for the many blessings in my life. I think of the scripture from Moroni where he exhorts people that they “would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts” (Moroni 10:3). I think each person, even those who go through the hardest of trials in life can still find blessings for which they can be grateful. Here are some of my many blessings:

•Choice - The right, responsibility, and results of choice – there was a lot of talk last Conference about Agency. I’m grateful that no matter what I’ve done in my life, that I can still make choices to better myself and that I can be helped by God to do so.
•Possibilities - I guess associated with choice is that there are endless possibilities in life. We truly can do anything we want in life, if we really put the work forth. That's pretty amazing.
•Family –I’m grateful most especially for Amelia’s patience in me, as I try as Elder Christofferson said, to more convincingly love her throughout time. I’m grateful for how she is not only my wife and is ever there for me, but also for how she mothers Fred. I’m also grateful for my siblings and parents. These who have known me longest, both my strengths and weaknesses, each love me though we might not all be the best at showing it at times as well. As Fred has come into our lives, I’ve been especially grateful for how it has changed both my siblings and especially my parents for the better. They love Fred so much, which makes me feel their love too.
•Friends – I love the many friends I’ve made, both in and out of the Church. I cherish so much friends who would do anything to buoy me up. I consider friends to be one of the great blessings of life. I pray that as time goes on, I will become a better friend to any that I come in contact.
•Priesthood Leaders – I’m grateful for leaders both local and from the headquarters of our Church, who have the faith and strength to lead in righteousness, who do not fold under the pressure of popular criticism, who teach what God would have them teach no matter the consequence, who love all and show it by their example. I'm also grateful for the past prophets who have preceded these men(all the way back to Father Adam).
• God and Jesus Christ - I’m grateful for Our Heavenly Father’s constant concern for us His children. I’m grateful that He created a plan whereby all could do whatever they want, that we have that freedom. I’m grateful too though that He always reaches out to us, if we would only reach out to Him. He has especially reached out to us through His Son Jesus Christ. I know that I can never show enough gratitude for Jesus Christ and for how “the chastisement of our peace was upon him” (Isaiah 53). I want to ever and ever strive to show more gratitude for His atonement and love, as He always so patiently strives to show us a better way in life. I’m grateful for the Holy Spirit who testifies of the living reality of God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ and they truly live today. I’m grateful for their love that I feel as I strive to do Their will.

Jumping on the Bandwagon

Well, here I am. My wife is a blog addict and so I've decided to see what all the fuss is about. I am not going to be an addict, but I do want to post thoughts every so often. I thought I would put my thoughts about General Conference once in a while. What is General Conference? Let me explain.

As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we believe that Joseph Smith was a prophet called by God. To tell his story, he lived in the early 1800's in Upstate New York. There was many different religions to choose from and he wanted to figure out which one was God's. Not all roads lead to heaven, you know (Matthew 7:21-23). He knew the Bible preached that except a man be born of water and of the spirit, he could not enter the kingdom of God (John 3:5). Knowing the Bible contained God's word, he read to find out where to go to find salvation, but every church had their own interpretation as to what to do and where to go to find truth. He found the answer to his quandary in the Bible where it says that if you lack wisdom, ask God (James 1:5). What an obvious answer, eh? Why trust all the men and preachers out there when God, Who knows all, could just tell Joseph what His will was "because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it" (Matthew 7:14). Joseph took the hard route. Rather than trust in man, he asked God which church he should join. We call this experience of him praying to know which church to join the First Vision. He prayed in some woods near his home in Palmyra, New York, and miraculously, he was visited by God the Father and Jesus Christ in person. They told him that none of the churches at the time had the fullness of His truth and that through him they were going to restore the truths and authority that had been lost. And so, it happened. Joseph Smith was called to be a prophet of God. He received priesthood authority from those who had it: Peter, James, and John, as well as John the Baptist to begin with. Those same keys of authority they held (Matthew 16:15-19) were given to Joseph Smith and that same authority has been passed to God's living prophet today: Thomas S. Monson. And this work will continue to grow until the kingdom of God is prepared to receive her King.

Gratefully, we don't have to wallow in the many different philosophies that abound in the world either. What is truth today? It's the same it's always been. We, like Joseph Smith, don't have to trust our fellow men, either. We can ask God for ourselves through prayer too. No, we can't talk to Joseph Smith today, but he did leave some great things for our perusal to decide for ourselves if he was a true prophet of God. The greatest evidence that Joseph Smith was a prophet is the Book of Mormon. In short, the Book of Mormon is God's dealings with the Americas at the same time of the writing of the Bible. God had prophets in the Americas, too. Joseph Smith was led to find this book, which was written on gold plates, and he translated them into English by the power of God. The First Vision is another evidence he was a prophet of God. The authority he received from ancient prophets is another. That authority continues today with our living prophets and apostles. Like I said, President Monson (we call the prophet the President of our church) is our living prophet today. One of the things Joseph Smith established while alive was a thing called General Conference. It's where the Church gathered together to hear the word of the Lord from His chosen leaders. This tradition continues today, and besides anything ordinance-related it is probably my favorite church event in being a member of the Church. To hear from our living prophets and seers is a blessing beyond compare. There's a talk by a previous prophet, President Ezra Taft Benson, where he says that a living prophet is more important than a dead one. President Monson's counsel, as well as the other living apostles, is the timely counsel God would have us all, each and every one of Earth's inhabitants, hear and receive God's love and mercy. These tender mercies of the Lord, through the words of His living prophets, is what I dedicate this blog to. My intention is to just put down my ponderings over the messages these prophets of God have given us, especially the living prophet. We aren't like the Muslims, in that we keep Mohammed's name sacred, we do show great deference to President Monson because he is God's Chosen Mouthpiece on earth. What he says really is what God would say (D&C 1:37-38).

I can tell you that I know these things of myself. I have taken the time to study the Book of Mormon as well as test the teachings of this Restored Church for myself. Just as the Savior said we could test His doctrine to see it's validity, we can also test Joseph's doctrine to see if it's from God (John 7:17). As a result of this testing, especially through praying and asking to know if it is true, I have come to know most especially that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. He lives and truly did die for all our sins. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is His church on earth. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, hand-in-hand with the Bible, working together to dispel untruths everywhere. Joseph Smith truly was a prophet of God. He wasn't perfect, but he was never heinously evil in any way. But, in his own words, he was never "guilty of any great or malignant sins" (JS-H 1:28). I know that all that we have in this Church is there to bring us to Christ and to be like Christ. That really is the purpose of all that we do in the Church (2 Nephi 25:26; 3 Nephi 12:48).

What does the knowledge of these things bring? Happiness. Joseph Smith said that "happiness is the object and design of our existence; and will be the end thereof, if we pursue the path that leads to it." Thus, as we apply the teachings and counsel of these living prophets of God, we will find happiness, true happiness. Isn't that what all men desire in the world, and yet, don't always seem to find? Here will be allotted words that will hopefully inspire and bring the happiness found from heeding the words of living prophets.

Edmund Adolf Tu'inukuafe