Dear Brothers and Sisters, This week as we studied the Come, Follow Me lesson, my heart is full of gratitude to our Pioneer ancestors for sacrificing so much for the sake of the restored gospel. They were called to come to earth at time to perform the work of bringing back the Church of Jesus Christ once again upon the earth. I am grateful for their examples of perseverance and dedication to this cause. They understood that their reward was not of this world. In speaking of gratitude, I had the opportunity this week to listen to Pres. Nelson’s talk on the “Healing Power of Gratitude.” I am always strengthened by our prophet's words, and this talk in particular, is always a good reminder of the goodness of God and the importance of being grateful. Gratitude comes easily when we receive something we value, want, or need, but as Pres. Nelson suggested, we must be grateful in all circumstances. That is no easy task! To be grateful in all things requires a much deeper level of understanding of the “big picture” or the Plan of Salvation. When we understand that not all blessings will come in this life, and that more often than not we will need to apply our eternal perspective to a situation, being grateful can become a more achievable task. While in Liberty Jail, Joseph Smith was reminded of the purpose of his trials “That all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.” (D&C 122:7) This past week, during a meeting with the Bishops and their wives from our stake, I shared a talk by Sister Peggy Worthen entitled “Gratitude Among Chaos,” and in her message Sister Worthen quotes the following story to teach us the remedy of hope: “An example of this is illustrated in the book The Hiding Place. It is the true story of Corrie ten Boom, a Dutch woman who, with her family, hid Jews during World War II. Eventually their efforts were discovered. As a result, Corrie and her sister, Betsie, were sent to a concentration camp. Miraculously, they were allowed to keep their Bible in secret. They lived in miserable conditions. The barracks in which they lived were overcrowded and had no individual beds. There were makeshift beds in three levels in a building designed for 400 people but holding 1,400. The bedding was soiled and rancid. At one point, Corrie was discouraged and nauseated and decided to lie down. But she quickly sprang back up, pinching her legs because she was being bitten by fleas. She desperately asked: “Betsie, how can we live in such a place!” . . . “Corrie!” [her sister Betsie] said excitedly. “He’s given us the answer! Before we asked, as He always does! In the Bible this morning. Where was it? Read that part again!” I glanced down the long dim aisle to make sure no guard was in sight, then drew the Bible from its pouch. “It was in First Thessalonians,” I said. . . . In the feeble light I turned the pages. “Here it is: ‘Comfort the frightened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all. . . .’” It seemed written expressly to [our concentration camp]. “Go on,” said Betsie. “That wasn’t all.” “Oh yes: ‘. . . to one another and to all. Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus—’” “That’s it, Corrie! That’s His answer. ‘Give thanks in all circumstances!’ That’s what we can do. We can start right now to thank God for every single thing about this new barracks!” I stared at her, then around me at the dark, foul-aired room. “Such as?” I said. “Such as being assigned here together.” I bit my lip. “Oh yes, Lord Jesus!” “Such as what you’re holding in your hands.” I looked down at the Bible. “Yes! Thank You, dear Lord, that there was no inspection when we entered here! Thank You for all the women, here in this room, who will meet You in these pages.” “Yes,” said Betsie. “Thank You for the very crowding here. Since we’re packed so close, that many more will hear!” She looked at me expectantly. “Corrie!” she prodded. “Oh, all right. Thank You for the jammed, crammed, stuffed, packed, suffocating crowds.” “Thank You,” Betsie went on serenely, “for the fleas and for—” The fleas! This was too much. “Betsie, there’s no way even God can make me grateful for a flea.” “‘Give thanks in all circumstances,’” she quoted. “It doesn’t say, ‘in pleasant circumstances.’ Fleas are part of this place where God has put us.” And so we stood between piers of bunks and gave thanks for fleas. But this time I was sure Betsie was wrong. They began holding Bible study in the barracks. As they did, the spirit in the barracks changed. At first the Bible study was held in a corner. But they began to notice that the guards did not interrupt them in their barracks, so they grew bolder. They began holding two services a night. They could not understand why they were never interrupted in their barracks when everywhere else they were closely supervised. This continued for several weeks. Corrie then related: One evening I got back to the barracks late from a wood-gathering foray outside the walls. . . . Betsie was waiting for me, as always, so that we could wait through the food line together. Her eyes were twinkling. “You’re looking extraordinarily pleased with yourself,” I told her. “You know we’ve never understood why we had so much freedom in the big room,” she said. “Well—I’ve found out.” That afternoon, she said, there’d been confusion in her knitting group about sock sizes and they’d asked the supervisor to come and settle it. “But she wouldn’t. [The supervisor] wouldn’t step through the door and neither would the guards. And you know why?” Betsie could not keep the triumph from her voice: “Because of the fleas! That’s what she said, ‘That place is crawling with fleas!’” My mind rushed back to our first hour in this place. I remembered Betsie’s bowed head, remembered her thanks to God for creatures I could see no use for.” What a wonderful reminder that our Father in Heaven is always watching over us. Dear brothers and sisters, I am not suggesting that being grateful during our trials will instantaneously change our problems. Rather, that by being grateful it will help us understand the trial in a different light. Gratitude allows for the light of Christ and clarity to enter our minds. Pres. Nelson said: “Does gratitude spare us from sorrow, sadness, grief, and pain? No. But it does soothe our feelings. It provides us with a greater perspective on the very purpose of joy and life.” We love you my dear brothers and sisters. You are doing great in your journey, and we hope and pray that your lives are filled with joy. President Emerson Carnavale
Washington Utah Stake President
Comments