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Teaching Message August 2013
Recognize,
Remember, and Give Thanks
President Henry
B. Eyring, 1st Counselor in 1st Presidency of The Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
God asks that we give thanks to Him for whatever blessings we
receive from Him. It is easy for us to become mechanical in our prayers of gratitude, often repeating the same
words but without the intent to give our thanks as a gift of the heart to God.
We are to “give thanks … in the Spirit” (D&C
46:32) so we can feel real gratitude for what God has given us.
How can we remember even a part of all God has done for us? The
Apostle John recorded what the Savior taught us about a gift of remembrance
that comes through the gift of the Holy Ghost: “But the
Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he
shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance,
whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14:26).
The Holy Ghost brings back memories of what God has taught us.
And one of the ways God teaches us is with His blessings; and so, if we choose
to exercise faith, the Holy Ghost will bring God’s kindnesses to our
remembrance.
You could test that in prayer today. You could follow the
command “Thou shalt thank the Lord thy God in all things” (D&C
59:7).
President Ezra Taft Benson (1899–1994) suggested that prayer
creates time to do that. He said: “The Prophet Joseph said at one time that one
of the greatest sins of which the Latter-day Saints would be guilty is the sin
of ingratitude. I presume most of us have not thought of that as a great sin.
There is a great tendency for us in our prayers and in our pleadings with the
Lord to ask for additional blessings. But sometimes I feel we need to devote
more of our prayers to expressions of gratitude and thanksgiving for blessings
already received. We enjoy so much.”1
You could have such an experience with the gift of the Holy
Ghost today. You could begin a private prayer with thanks. You could start to
count your blessings and then pause for a moment. If you exercise faith, with
the gift of the Holy Ghost, you will find that memories of other blessings will
flood into your mind. If you begin to express gratitude for each of them, your
prayer may take a little longer than usual. Remembrance will come, and so will
gratitude.
You could try the same thing as you write an entry in your
journal. The Holy Ghost has helped people with that since the beginning of
time. You remember that the book of Moses
says, “And a book of remembrance was kept, in the which was recorded, in the
language of Adam, for it was given unto as many as called upon God to write by
the spirit of inspiration” (Moses 6:5).
President Spencer W. Kimball (1895–1985) described that
process of inspired writing: “Those who keep a book of remembrance are more
likely to keep the Lord in remembrance in their daily lives. Journals are a way
of counting our blessings and of leaving an inventory of these blessings for
our posterity.”2
As you start to write, you could ask yourself, “How did God
bless me and those I love today?” If you do that often enough and with faith,
you will find yourself remembering blessings. And sometimes you will have gifts
brought to your mind that you failed to notice during the day but that you will
then know were a touch of God’s hand in your life.
I pray that we may make a continuing effort in faith to
recognize, remember, and give thanks for what our Heavenly Father and our
Savior have done and are doing to open the way home to Them.
Teaching from this Message
In his message, President Eyring invites us to remember Heavenly
Father’s kindnesses in our prayers. Discuss with those you teach how praying
with gratitude can help us
recognize God’s hand in our lives. Consider kneeling to pray with those you
teach and suggest to whoever says the prayer that he or she express only
thanks.
You could also study the importance of gratitude by reading
these verses in addition to the verses that President Eyring mentioned: Psalm 100; Mosiah
2:19–22; Alma
26:8; 34:38;
Doctrine
and Covenants 59:21; 78:19;
136:28.
Youth
Take Inventory
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President Eyring quotes President Spencer W. Kimball
(1895–1985) as saying that “journals are a way of counting our blessings and of
leaving an inventory of these blessings for our posterity.” In general
conference in October 2012, President Thomas S.
Monson gave his testimony of journal writing. He shared some experiences
from his life, adding, “My daily journal, kept over all these years, has helped
provide some specifics which I most likely would not otherwise be able to
recount.” He counseled, “Take an inventory of your life and look specifically
for the blessings, large and small, you have received” (“Consider the
Blessings,” Liahona and Ensign,
Nov. 2012, 86). Work at following the counsel of these prophets and set goals
to write in your journal.
Children
Many Ways to Say Thank You
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“All over
the world at the end of day,
Heav’nly
Father’s children kneel down and pray,
Each
saying thank you in his own special way.”
(“Children All Over the World,” Children’s Songbook, 16.)
Match the different ways of saying thank you with the countries
of the world where those languages are spoken. Some of these languages are
spoken in more than one country!
“A Simple Thank You!”
cji
8/1/13
How often a child’s
simple prayer
expressing thoughts
of thankfulness
gratefully speaking
to his Father
knowing Him in ways
we’ve forgot
thus understanding of
the plainness
clarion clear in
exchanging love
never complicated or
too lengthy
just enough to
gratefully sharing
within this love a
simple thank you!
Copyright © 2013 –
cji
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