How Can We Begin Strengthening Our Family?

 Families are stronger when individual members encourage positive habits in every life. Strong families strengthen communities, states, and nations. According to Kristina Fuller, “Building strong family relationships is an ongoing journey” that includes “small, everyday actions” and “add up to lasting change.” She gave the following “habits to encourage in your home.” 

·       Express gratitude daily: Make it a habit to say thank you for little things.

·       Celebrate each other’s successes: Cheer on achievements, big or small.

·       Practice kindness: Simple acts like helping with chores or leaving a kind note can brighten the day.

·       Stay physically connected: Hugs, holding hands, or a gentle touch can communicate love and reassurance.

·       Laugh together: Humor is a powerful way to relieve stress and bond.

Fuller concluded with the following statement: “Remember, no family is perfect. What matters most is your willingness to grow and support one another.”

What Lessons for 2026 Can We Learn from 1976?

America celebrated its Bicentennial in 1976. Lessons were learned, and Rebecca de Schweinitz at the Deseret News reminds her readers: “Recognizing the nation’s religious diversity and acknowledging its flaws are not at odds with a unifying commemoration.” 

As the country approaches the 250 anniversary of the Revolution, Americans are increasingly divided over what they are celebrating. Some advance a triumphalist narrative of a providential nation, virtually perfect at its founding and rooted in a singular religious identity, while others, who see value in confronting the country’s struggles, are case as at odds with the patriotic project. Fifty years ago, during the 1976 bicentennial, many American religious communities wrestled with similar tensions. They celebrated, but they also reflected, confessed and organized, treating the bicentennial less as an occasion for patriotic display than as an opportunity for democratic practice, grounded in diverse expressions of faith and lived out in families, congregations and communities. That moment offers no simple blueprint, but it points to ward practices – cooperation across difference, moral self-examination and active participation – that remain essential now.

Religious freedom as a shared stewardship

At the national level, religious leaders made clear that the bicentennial could not be claimed by any single tradition. Initiatives like Project FORWARD ’76 (“Freedom of Religion Will Advance Real Democracy”) brought together Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Latter-day Saint and other groups in a shared endeavor. Their goal was not a unified religious interpretation of America but something more foundational: a democracy strengthened by the moral vision of people.

The structure of such efforts mattered. Rather than competing for cultural influence, religious groups cooperated. They exchanged resources, sponsored research and encouraged congregations to explore how religious liberty and democratic life are intertwined. Religious diversity was treated as a strength to learn from and safeguard, not a problem to solve….

Gratitude and repentance in the work of patriotism

Some of the most meaningful Bicentennial work of Project FORWARD ’76 happened in local congregations. Churches did not simply drape sanctuaries in flags. Many reinterpreted national symbols through a moral and theological lens.

In one Lutheran resource, “Stars, Stripes, and Crosses,” the American flag became a framework for reflection. The stars pointed to aspiration, the ideals of liberty and equality. The stripes represented suffering and contradiction, the ways those ideals had been tested or betrayed. The cross stood as a moral measure, reminding believers that no nation, however, noble its founding, is beyond judgment.

This was neither spectacle nor cynicism. It was an effort to tell the truth. Patriotism meant loving one’s country enough to see it clearly and to work to improve it. That spirit shaped worship itself. Bicentennial services blended gratitude with introspection, patriotic hymns alongside prayers that named national failures like racism, inequality, exclusion and violence.

In doing so, faith communities practiced a form of moral speech linking faith to public responsibility. They affirmed that devotion to God does not require silence abut injustice, and that love of country can include a call to repentance.

Remembering in ways that widen belonging

Congregations also turned to history as a lived, shared experience rather than a distant narrative. Programming featured oral histories, archival work and intergenerational storytelling: Young people interviewed older members about migration, work, worship and community-building; families shared photographs and artifacts; “Do you remember?” evenings gathered neighbors to share memories.

These efforts connected individuals to a larger, generous story and invited them to see themselves within an ongoing national project shaped by religious commitments. They also strengthened relationships across generations and fostered belonging rooted in faith and community.

Importantly, these efforts did not simply reinforce exceptionalist narratives. Many congregations included Native American perspectives, inviting Indigenous speakers, integrating Native histories and confronting the consequences of colonization. The bicentennial became an occasion to ask how a nation founded on liberty could also be a site of dispossession.

This widened perspective did not weaken national identity. It made commemorations more honest, meaningful and demanding of people of faith.

Service as patriotic and covenant responsibility

For many religious communities, the most authentic way to mark the bicentennial was not ceremony but service. Congregations organized hunger walks, planted community gardens, supported food banks and engaged in tutoring programs, prison outreach and advocacy. Such efforts pushed people of faith to wrestle with harder questions about poverty, justice and what the nation’s ideals required in practice.

In this context, voluntarism became more than a civic virtue; it was a religious obligation tied to national purpose. To celebrate the nation’s founding was to take responsibility for its unfinished work….

Creating democracy together

Perhaps most strikingly, bicentennial programming treated democracy as something to be learned and practiced. Congregants of all ages and denominations studied their communities, listened to neighbors, engaged public officials, and contributed to local reform efforts.

Politics was not presented as distant or inherently corrupt, but as a domain where moral agency mattered – a place individuals could act on their values to serve the common good. Underlying this was a broader conviction that democracy depends on participation, on citizens willing to listen, learn, deliberate and act in alignment with their moral convictions.

Religious communities helped cultivate positive civic habits, serving as schools of moral and ethical citizenship where people practiced cooperation, developed empathy and linked principles with action.

A nation as shared work: Faith, humility and the more perfect union.

Looking back, the bicentennial era approach contrasts with contemporary currents that more tightly link religious and national identity in exclusionary ways. Where earlier efforts stressed pluralism and honest reflection, today’s rhetoric can narrow belonging, dismiss critique and favor symbolic affirmation over lived engagement. These differences are not merely political; they reflect deeper questions about how faith relates to democracy.

In 1976, many religious communities saw their role as strengthening democratic life through dialogue, accountability and bridge-building – work requiring humility and openness to complexity. It also required a particular understanding of belonging. The nation was not a possession to defend but a project to shape, a shared endeavor inviting both gratitude and responsibility.

Recovering that approach does not mean returning to the 1970s. That era had its own limitations. But the habits it cultivated remain relevant. It showed that commemoration can be more than celebration. It can be a time for reflection, learning and recommitment.

It showed that patriotism can include critique, and that such critique – grounded in love and responsibility – can strengthen the nation. Moreover, it underscored that religious communities can play a vital role in democratic life by fostering participation, cooperation, moral clarity and care for others.

As the United States approaches another anniversary, the question before us is not simply how to celebrate. It is how to do so in ways that sustain a healthy democracy.

The bicentennial offers one answer. It calls us to turn memory into action, widen the circle of voices and measure our national life not only by our ideals but also by how faithfully we live them.

If we take that lesson seriously, celebration itself can become an act of faith – one that binds us more closely to one another and to the enduring work of building a more perfect union.

Rebecca de Schweinitz claims that Americans need to act with faith. One of the ways that we can act with faith is to turn to the God of this land, even Jesus Christ.

As part of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ observance of the America 250 commemoration, the First Presidency is holding a special unified fast on Sunday, July 5, 2026 – the day after the United States’ 250^th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

The purpose of the fast is to express gratitude for religious liberty as well as to pray for religious freedom to be strengthened throughout the world. Fasting is more than going without food; it is also praying to express gratitude for blessings as well as to ask for help. Everyone is encouraged to join Latter-day Saints in this special fast.

How Will You Spend Thanksgiving Day?

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day in the United States, a day where millions of Americans express gratitude to God for their blessings. Here are some thoughts about gratitude and thanksgiving.

“And if ye seek the riches which it is the will of the Father to give unto you, ye shall be the richest of all people, for ye shall have the riches of eternity; and it must needs be that the riches of the earth are mine to give; but beware of pride, lest ye become as the Nephites of old” (Doctrine and Covenants 38:39).

“Most of us think of pride as self-centeredness, conceit, boastfulness, arrogance, or haughtiness. All of these are elements of the sin, but the heart, or core, is still missing. The central feature of pride is enmity – enmity toward God and enmity toward our fellowmen. Enmity means ‘hatred toward, hostility to, or a state of opposition.’ It is the power by which Satan wishes to reign over us” (Ezra Taft Benson). 

This site has a family home evening lesson about Thanksgiving Day. It includes a video telling the history of Thanksgiving appropriate for older children, teens, and adults as well as a cute video of children telling the story of Thanksgiving. 

If you want to make Thanksgiving more than a day to feast until you enter a food coma, try this site for twenty-five traditions to increase reflection and expression of gratitude. There are active Thanksgiving, arts and crafts Thanksgiving traditions, food and cooking Thanksgiving traditions, nature and outdoor Thanksgiving traditions, reflection and gratitude Thanksgiving traditions, and service Thanksgiving traditions. 

Why Is Expressing Gratitude So Essential for Happiness?

 As Americans prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving tomorrow, it is good to remember the reason why we celebrate this day: Gratitude. The Pilgrims were grateful for surviving their first winter in America. They were grateful for the coming of spring. They were grateful for the assistance of the Native Americans in growing crops in the new land.

Every year, Rush Limbaugh would dedicate his last broadcast before the Thanksgiving break to telling the real story of the Pilgrims’ trip to America and their life in the new world. Here is Rush’s retelling of the story on his last Thanksgiving show. 

According to Derrick Morgan at The Heritage Foundation, Americans celebrated Thanksgiving prior to the Revolutionary War, but it did not become an official national celebration until President George Washington sent out his 1789 proclamation. He encouraged all Americans to set aside November 26 to render “sincere and humble thanks” to God “for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country.”

Morgan wrote that subsequent Presidents did not follow Washington’s example, and Thanksgiving was nearly forgotten until President Abraham Lincoln revived the tradition of celebrating gratitude in 1862. He set apart the fourth Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day from that time forward.

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt tried to change the day for commercial reasons, but Congress stopped him and passed a federal law setting the fourth Thursday in November apart as Thanksgiving Day in 1941.

Thanksgiving is a federal holiday, meaning that children are out of school and many offices and other businesses are closed to enable families to be together. Family unity is worth our gratitude, but Morgan (and other people) report that showing gratitude is good for us in many ways.

… Researchers at the John Templeton Foundation have uncovered that “in general, more grateful people are happier, more satisfied with their lives, less materialistic, and less likely to suffer from burnout.” Other studies show that more grateful heart patients report better sleep, less fatigue and less inflammation.

Grateful people were not only happier and healthier themselves, they also positively influenced others through higher levels of generosity, kindness, and helpfulness. Giving thanks improves relationships and can even make our homes, our workplaces, and perhaps even our country better places to live.

Giving thanks is easier said than done, however, especially in a world where “anger has come to characterize our polarized political environment,” as scholar Patrick Garry has noted. But despite all that there is to be angry about – from crime and inflation to war and wokeness – conservatives especially can’t give up on Thanksgiving.

Gratitude is the heart of conservatism, and in the long run, it may even prove to be the virtue that “helps sand off the edges of anger toward those we disagree with” and unite us [as] a country again, as conservative writer Pete Wehner has suggested.

This Thanksgiving, then, how can you best use your holiday? For starters, you might consider avoiding politics altogether. Politics, which increasingly resembles a contact sport, rarely brings families together and it is hopefully not the most important thing in your life.

But what is? This Thanksgiving, perhaps, consider reflecting on the four basic things that the wisdom of the Scriptures, Aristotle, and modern social science all indicate lead to human happiness: family, friends, work, and religion.

Why not focus conversations on these topics, deeply connecting with friends and family? One tried and true way to do that is to count your blessings, literally. It is nearly impossible to make a list of all the things you are thankful for, but it is a great exercise and you’ll end up feeling much better than you did before. Although you certainly can do this individually, you might also suggest that everyone around the Thanksgiving table voice what they’re grateful for.

Morgan’s article reminded me of a hymn that I have sung since I was a little girl. The title of the hymn is “Count Your Blessings.” The text was written by Johnson Oatman Jr. (1856-1922), and the music was written by Edwin O. Excell (1851-1921). The words are as follows. 

1. When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed,

When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,

Count your many blessings; name them one by one,

And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

 

2. Are you ever burdened with a load of care?

Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?

Count your many blessings; ev’ry doubt will fly,

And you will be singing as the days go by.

 

3. When you look at others with their lands and gold,

Think that Christ has promised you his wealth untold.

Count your many blessings; money cannot buy

Your reward in heaven nor your home on high.

 

4. So amid the conflict, whether great or small,

Do not be discouraged; God is over all.

Count your many blessings; angels will attend,

Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.

 

Chorus

Count your blessings;

Name them one by one.

Count your blessings;

See what God hath done.

Count your blessings;

Name them one by one.

Count your many blessings;

See what God hath done.

 Please join me this Thanksgiving in counting your blessings. I promise you that you will feel better by expressing gratitude than you did before doing so. Happy Thanksgiving! “Count your blessings – name them one by one.” You will be surprised at your many blessings.

 

 

How Do You Show Your Gratitude to God for Your Blessings?

My Come, Follow Me studies this week took me to Luke 12-17 and John 11 in a lesson titled “Rejoice with Me; for I Have Found My Sheep Which Was Lost.” The lesson was preceded by this counsel: “As you read Luke 12-17 and John 11, prayerfully seek what Heavenly Father wants you to know and do. Your study of these chapters can open your heart to messages meant just for you.” The lesson was then introduced with this paragraph. 

In most situations, 99 out of 100 would be considered excellent – but not when such numbers stand for beloved children of God (see Doctrine and Covenants 18:10). In that case, even one soul merits a thorough, desperate search “until [we] find it” (Luke 15:4), as the Savior taught in the parable of the lost sheep. Then the rejoicing can begin, for “joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance” (Luke 15:7). If that seems unfair, it’s helpful to remember that, in truth, there are none who “need no repentance.” We all need rescuing. And we all can participate in the rescue, rejoicing together over every soul who is saved (see Doctrine and Covenants 18:15-16).

This scripture block contains several parables, but I will discuss a real-life story of the Ten Lepers. Let’s first look at the scripture.

11 And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.

12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:

13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.

14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.

15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,

16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.

17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?

18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.

19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

(Luke 17:11-19)

If you had been one of the ten lepers that were cleansed, would you return to thank the Savior? You might IF you are in the practice of showing gratitude for the blessings in your life. If you thank you spouse for preparing dinner or washing the car or cleaning the house, you might thank the Savior. However, if you are one of the many people who feel entitled to more than they have, you probably would not think about expressing gratitude.

All ten of the lepers were cleansed from leprosy, but they were told to go to the priest to be pronounced clean and worthy to re-enter society. One of the lepers noticed that his body was healed. He knew the Source of the blessing, and he returned to thank the Giver of the blessing.

Social scientists discovered from their studies that expressing gratitude makes us feel better. Several years ago, I adopted a new way of life: each night as I make my journal entry, I list five blessings for which I am grateful. They may be the same five blessings as I listed the previous day, or they may be five new blessings.

Two years ago, as the world suffered with the COVID-19 pandemic, President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sent a special message to the world. His message is still good, and I recommend it highly. You can find a video of his message here. 

Did you notice that the thankful leper received an additional blessing? You might want to ponder the words that the Savior said to him: “Thy faith hath made thee whole” (verse 19). Faith and gratitude are related because they both help us to become whole. I invite you to strengthen your faith and become whole by expressing gratitude for your blessings.

 

What Makes You Happy?

The liberty principle for this Freedom Friday is the free-market system that we enjoy here in the United States. Carlos Garcia posted an article at The Blaze sharing several blessings that we enjoy because of the free market. 

However, you define the happiness you seek in life, I can almost guarantee you that the free market has made it easier for you to obtain and enjoy happiness.

Obviously, nearly everything that you can buy has become better and cheaper over the last decades. Fantastic inventions that people couldn’t even imagine a hundred years ago so commonplace that we take them for granted…..

The miracle of fracking has made energy far less expensive. This incredible process has allowed humanity to extract far more gasoline from the earth than we used to believe even existed. In fact, all of those predictions that we would run out of oil in this century were obliterated by this one incredible operation.

The miracle of modern fertilizers allowed humanity to grow more produce per square inch than anyone could possibly have imagined before their invention. In fact, humanity was crashing against its farm-space limitations before that miraculous invention changed everything.

The incredible invention of anti-bacterial soap absolutely revolutionized medical efficacy. Soap has made our lives safer, good health cheaper, and medical care astoundingly better. Why aren’t we thanking God every day for soap? Because we take this miraculously commonplace advancement for granted….

Even considering things are more expensive than they were last year or the past two years, the free market has made them available to us when in past years, only wealthy people could afford them.

Garcia reminded his readers that there are some things that the free market cannot provide, blessings that bring us the most happiness. These blessings include “our families, our communities, our faiths, and all of those intangible things that you can’t buy.”

Thanksgiving is a great day to express gratitude for blessings, and gratitude brings additional happiness. Maybe gratitude should be part of every day.

Are You Counting Your Blessings for Thanksgiving?

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, a day set aside in the United States to express gratitude. According to an editorial in the Deseret News, the fourth Thursday in November was designated as “a day of thanksgiving” by President Georg Washington, but American colonists had designated days for giving thanks and for spiritual reflection. Washington’s first thanksgiving proclamation stated, “It is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor….” 

Other U.S. presidents have also made Thanksgiving proclamations. During some of the darkest days of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln listed many of the nation’s blessings and then added, “They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God who while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American people.”

In 2020 as people dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide, President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued an invitation to all people to express gratitude on social media and engage in daily prayer for the week prior to Thanksgiving.

Over my nine-and-a-half decades of life, I have concluded that counting our blessings is far better than recounting our problems. No matter our situation, showing gratitude for our privileges is a fast-acting and long-lasting spiritual prescription.

            I accepted President Nelson’s invitation and made a gratitude post each day. This activity helped me to look for the blessings in my life and acknowledge that they come from a Source outside myself. Many years ago, a friend mentioned that she always listed three things in her daily journal for which she was grateful that day. I began that practice. I started by listing three things and realized that I had many more blessings.

            Now I list five things each day. On days that I am extra grateful for blessings, I list five groups of blessings. This practice of expressing daily gratitude has helped me to stay positive in difficult times. Happy Thanksgiving to one and all!

How Often Do You Count Your Blessings?

            Many Americans are in the process of preparing to celebrate Thanksgiving. You may be traveling and dealing with problems in the airports and on airplane, or you may be driving and dealing with the excessive cost of gasoline. I am staying home and starting to prepare for a feast. However, you spend Thanksgiving Day, you may be interested in knowing why we have this four-day Thanksgiving weekend.

            Abraham Lincoln presented a Thanksgiving Proclamation in 1864, and it is still meaningful today. It was written a particularly dark time in the United States. An editorial in the Deseret News described the situation as following. 

The nation was at the deadliest point of a long Civil War, one that had touched almost every American household. Gettysburg, Antietam and many other battles already had claimed the lives and the health of thousands upon thousands of people. Black bunting, the sign of mourning, was a common household adornment as people agonized over loved ones lost. No one could be certain when the violence would end, or when it would touch them personally.

It was against this backdrop that Lincoln pondered the nation’s blessings from God. “He has largely augmented our free population by emancipation and by immigration,” he said, “while he has opened to us new sources of wealth and has crowned the labor of our workmen in every department of industry with abundant rewards.”

God, he said, “has been pleased to animate and inspire our minds and hearts with fortitude, courage, and resolution sufficient for the great trial of civil war into which we have been brought by our adherence as a nation to the cause of freedom and humanity, and to afford to us reasonable hopes of an ultimate and happy deliverance from all our dangers and afflictions.”

            The United States was in the midst of a civil war, and most families had lost loved ones. No one knew how or when the war would end, or what its results would be. Yet, President Abraham Lincoln was counting his blessings and the blessings of the nation.

            I am currently in the midst of drafting an academic paper on the topic of gratitude and how it affects wellbeing. The social scientists all declare that the expression of gratitude – mentally, verbally, or written – causes the person doing so to think and feel better. I studied a study today indicating that the expression of gratitude changes the thought process and can lead to a positive outlook. Besides counting blessings mentally, orally, or by the written word, anyone can use prayer and meditation to express gratitude. The editorial discussed some studies and gave this quote from the Harvard Medical School.

In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.

            Like Lincoln, last President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints invited people worldwide to flood social media with messages about their blessings. He also prayed for the world and made this comment.

Counting our blessings is far better than recounting our problems…. No matter our situation, showing gratitude for our privileges is a unique, fast-acting, and long-lasting spiritual prescription.

            I was one of the estimated fifty-two million people who responded to the invitation. I also make it a practice to list five blessings each day as I write my journal entry. Some days, I have a challenging time thinking of blessings, and other days I struggled to determine which blessings to list. Either way, I know that my daily expressions of gratitude help me to keep a positive view in our darkening world. I encourage you to take steps to develop an attitude of gratitude and improve your own wellbeing.

How Should We Honor Our Fallen Heroes?

            The topic of discussion for this Constitution Monday has to do with Memorial Day. As you most likely know, Memorial Day is a day set apart by the federal government to honor all men and women who died fighting for America. It is not a holiday on which we celebrate, but it is one where we commemorate those who died in the uniform of their country, having made the ultimate sacrifice. More than 1.3 million men and women have died in America’s wars.

            Memorial Day is the day that we remember all those who sacrificed for the good of America. It is only fitting that we show gratitude for their sacrifices. President Ronald Reagan made the following statement: “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.”

            One way that we can show gratitude for our fallen heroes is protect and preserve our Constitution and our American way of life. Socialists have been planning, plotting, and preparing to destroy capitalism and to install socialism. When we fight against socialism, we show gratitude for those who made the ultimate sacrifice for America.

One way that we can fight socialism is to keep critical race theory out of our school systems. This theory looks at everything through the lens of race and is met to divide Americans along racial lines. Marxist teachings say that there must be oppressors and oppressed. Critical race theory teaches that whites are the oppressors, and people of color are the oppressed. They teach that Americans should have equity – equal outcome – instead of equality – equal opportunities. They teach children and teens to hate each other and to hate America.

We can show gratitude for the fallen heroes by teaching the goodness of America. Yes, there are things in our history – such as slavery – that should be taught. We should teach all the things that were evil about slavery. Heavenly Father never intended that any of His children should be slaves to others. We are all His children, and we should all have equal opportunities. We should honor our fallen heroes by strengthening, protecting, and preserving America – not trying to destroy it.

Did You Accept the Prophet’s Invitation to #GiveThanks?

             Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day 2020. Most Americans know that the first Thanksgiving took place in 1621 with the Pilgrims and the American Natives feasting together, but the first official Thanksgiving was October 3, 1863. During the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln announced that the nation would celebrate an official Thanksgiving Day on November 26, 1863, the fourth Thursday in November. In 1941, Congress adopted Thanksgiving Day as a legal annual national holiday. Between the two official actions, Thanksgiving was observed but not officially as a national holiday.

            As I typed the above information, I found it interesting that the two official acts took place when the nation was in great distress. By 1863, the Civil War had been raging for more than three years. Yet, President Lincoln felt the need for the nation to commemorate an official day of thanksgiving. Europe and Asia were both engulfed in war in 1941, but the United States did not enter the war until after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Yet, Congress decided that the nation should have an annual national holiday to give thanks.

            The United States is not embroiled in another stressful time. COVID-19 came to our shores from China early in 2020. By mid-March, Americans were quarantined to their homes to slow the infections long enough for the medical profession to prepare. Now we are in the ninth month of efforts to avoid infection with the disease that has been related to more than 250,000 deaths in the United States.

            We were doing well until the weather turned cold, and people moved inside. Now the disease is raging through the country once again, and governors are asking/instructing people to isolate as much as possible once again. It seems that the numbers of cases, hospitalizations, and deaths just keep going up here in Alaska. Because my husband and I are among the vulnerable population, we have not ventured far from our home since mid-March except for medical and dental appointments. We have not been inside a grocery store since February and have relied on the goodness of our children and friends to do our shopping for us.

            Then, as if 2020 could not get any worse, the presidential election became the victim of fraud. There is clear evidence that fraud took place, but no determination has been made yet about cancelling the election results or overturning them. The nation remains more divided than it has been since the days of the Civil War. Half the nation supported a presidential candidate who would uphold the Constitution, and the other half supported a presidential candidate from a party that wants to change the Constitution. There does not seem to be any middle ground.

            It is under these conditions that Russell M. Nelson, the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Lord’s appointed prophet for the world, suggested a way to bring healing to the nation and the world. Before he was called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, President Nelson was a world famous cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon and saved many lives with his skills. Now, he is the Prophet and can bless people spiritually. He spoke to members of the Church of Jesus Christ and people worldwide last Friday, November 20, 2020.

As a man of science, and as a man of faith, the current worldwide pandemic has been of great concern to me. As a man of science, I appreciate the critical need to prevent the spread of infection. I also honor the devoted service of healthcare pro-fessionals and grieve for the many whose lives have been upended by COVID-19.

As a man of faith, however, I view the current pandemic as only one of many ills that plague our world, including hate, civil unrest, racism, violence, dishonesty, and lack of civility.

Skilled scientists and researchers are laboring diligently to develop and distribute a vaccine against the coronavirus. But there is no medication or operation that can fix the many spiritual woes and maladies that we face.

There is, however, a remedy – one that may seem surprising – because it flies in the face of our natural intuitions. Nevertheless, its effects have been validated by scientists as well as men and women of faith.

I am referring to the healing power of gratitude….

As a doctor, I know the value of good therapy. So, dear friends, may I prescribe two activities to help us experience the healing power of gratitude.

First, I invite you – just for the next seven days – to turn social media into your own personal gratitude journal. Post every day about what you are grateful for, who you are grateful for and why you are grateful.

At the end of seven days, see if you feel happier and more at peace. Use the hashtag #GiveThanks. Working together, we can flood social media with a wave of gratitude that reaches the four corners of the earth. Perhaps this will fulfill, in part, the promise God gave to Father Abraham, that through his descendants, “all families of the earth [shall] be blessed.” (Genesis 12:3)

Second, let us unite in thanking God through daily prayer. Jesus Christ taught His disciples to pray by first expressing gratitude to God, and then petitioning Him for the things we need. Prayer brings forth miracles.

            The Prophet then said that he would like to offer a prayer for the world and all the people in it. He invited us to pour out our hearts “in gratitude for the countless blessings God has given [us], and petitioning Him to heal our hearts, our families, our societies and the world at large.” He then offered the following prayer.

Our Father in Heaven, as fellow passengers on Thy planet Earth, we humbly pray unto Thee.  We thank Thee for life and all that sustains life. We thank Thee for the beauties of the earth, for order in the universe, the planets, stars, and all things of eternal significance. We thank Thee for Thy laws that protect and guide us. We thank Thee for Thy mercy and loving watch care. We thank Thee for our families and loved ones, who fill our lives with joy.

We are grateful for all who are striving to combat the COVID pandemic. Please bless them with protection and inspiration. Wilt Thou help us end this virus that has plagued so many of Thy children.

We thank Thee for the leaders of nations and others who strive to lift us. We pray for relief from political strife. Wilt Thou bless us with a healing spirit that unites us despite our differences. 

Wilt Thou also help us repent from selfishness, unkindness, pride and prejudice of any kind, so that we can better serve and love one another as brothers and sisters, and as Thy grateful children. We love Thee, our dear Father, and pray for Thy blessings upon us, in the name of Thy Beloved son, Jesus Christ, amen.

            The Prophet prayed for the world and all the people in it, and he asked us to pray for healing in our hearts, families, societies, and the world. I immediately posted my first note of gratitude and wrote about my gratitude for a living prophet and his counsel. I noticed that my Facebook feed was soon full of posts from many of my friends and family members about people, places, and things for which they are grateful. In one day, the feed changed from one of rancor about the election to one of gratitude for blessings, and it changed my world.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and the seventh day for showing gratitude. However, it does not mean that we should stop expressing gratitude for our many blessings. I recognize that some people seem to receive many more blessings than other people do. Nevertheless, I know that God does not leave any of us entirely on our own. He loves us and desires to bless us. One way to access His blessings is to show gratitude for the blessings that we already have. I encourage you to try it! #GiveThanks!

 

A Miracle of Safety

            Today I wish to write words of gratitude to my Father in Heaven. Thursday I went to purchase Christmas gifts and brought home a few basic groceries. As I pulled into the Costco parking lot, I looked at the gas gauge in the car and noticed that it was barely below half full. I thought, “I better fill the tank in case we get caught somewhere and need to run the car to stay warm.” I thought that I was simply exercising a little bit of wisdom, but I knew the next day that I had been warned.

            I was awoken Friday morning, November 30, 2018, at 8:29 a.m. by the violent rocking of an earthquake and thought that I was safest just staying in bed. I could not see anything because the power was out and the sun had not yet come up. I could not hear anything over the noise of the earthquake. As I lay in bed wondering how long the shaking would continue, I realized that the lamps on the headboard of my bed could come crashing down on my head at any moment, and I reached up to stabilize them before they could fall.

            Once earthquake finally stopped, I courageously arose from my bed and began to exam my home. I could see the flashlight because it was shining in its holder plugged into the outlet in the kitchen because the light comes on whenever the power goes out. In the now semi-darkness I kicked something on the floor and realized that it was an unbroken vase that had once been on the top of the kitchen cabinet. I could see some of the cabinet doors wide open and several items that fell from them onto the floor.

            I walked into the living room and saw that the top of the piano was bare. I searched for the figurines of Christ that once sat on top of the piano and found both of them unbroken. I found pictures of grandchildren with unbroken frames. I whispered a sigh of relief that I was slow putting up Christmas decorations this year because I feared that many of the pieces of my thirty-plus nativity sets would have broken if they had been out.

            I continued into the dining area and almost tripped over the head of a Dall sheep mount that had once graced the wall above the door. It did not seem to have any damage. I checked the bathrooms and found water around the toilets. I did not know if the water had sloshed out of the toilets or had leaked from the tank from all the quaking. I cleaned up the water and determined that there was no more leakage. I checked the bedrooms and found numerous items that had fallen from closet shelves, dressers, and bedside tables. Yet, none of them seemed to be broken.

            I went downstairs to the family room and found books spread out on the floor and others perched on the edges of the shelves. I did not see anything broken in this room or the downstairs bedroom next to it. I glanced in the garage and could not see any great damages. I found items had fallen in every room of the house with none of them breaking. This is an absolute miracle!

            I received a text from my daughter telling me that she was okay and asking about me and my husband. I later learned that she had taken shelter under her desk at work and barely escaped being hit in the head by a light fixture cover that had fallen and hung over her chair. Her building was later declared unstable, and she was sent home from work. Her husband had been sitting on the toilet at home when the quake started and moved out of the bathroom just before a shelf fell and hit the toilet, breaking the lid on the toilet tank.

            I contacted my son and learned that he was okay. He was at his job as a dispatcher for the police department and was extremely busy. He asked me to check on his wife who is currently having chemo treatment for brain cancer. I sent a text and received no answer. I tried to call her cell phone from my house phone and received no answer. I manually opened the garage door to drive the two miles to her home and panicked when I received no answer at the door. I walked back to my car wondering what I should do. Do I tell my son and make him worry? Do I break into the house? As I was pondering possible actions, I noticed a car pulling up behind me and my daughter-in-law getting out. A friend had taken her to the school to pick up her nine-year-old daughter. She told me that she and her daughter were downstairs when the quake hit because she was awakened by a strong premonition to get out of bed and pray.

            Even though chaos was crashing all around us, my family and I survived a 7.0 earthquake without any serious damage to our bodies or to our property, and we were prepared to go for a long time before we would need to visit a grocery store or gas station. Other homes, schools, churches, hospitals, stores, office buildings, roads, on/off ramps, and bridges all sustained damaged, but our homes did not. I do not know why my family was so blessed, but we were. Maybe it was the prompting to pray that my daughter-in-law received. Maybe it was simply a loving Father in Heaven who knew that my husband and I were dealing with about all that we can handle this week. For whatever reason for the blessing, I wish to express my gratitude for the wonderful watchful care we received.