Thank You!

TEMPLE PLAN MONTHLY THEME - APRIL 2010

THEME: “. . . if ye should render all the thanks . . . which your whole
soul has power to possess . . . yet ye would be unprofitable
servants. (Mosiah 2:20-21)

APPLICATION: THANK YOU

Believe it or not, we are now at Month number EIGHT of our NINE month preparation to dedicate a full day of our lives, to worship the Lord in the Temple. Have you had fun. Have you altered anything in your life that helps to prepare your heart to be taught by the Spirit?

Each year as we pass through the holidays of Thanksgiving and Christmas, our hearts are more inclined to adopt what President Monson has taught us, namely an Attitude of Gratitude. Then with the coming of the new year, our lives become embroiled in the challenges of life and our grateful attitudes sometimes are diminished. We even now live in a time in which our younger generation are referred to as the ME GENERATION, in which their approach seems to be “What’s in it for Me?”

Elder Robert D. Hales taught us in the May 1992 Ensign:

Gratitude is a state of appreciation, an act of thanksgiving
which causes us to be humble, because we recognize acts
of kindness, service or caring from someone else, which
lifts us and strengthens us.

President Joseph F. Smith taught us that one of the greatest sins of which the inhabitants of the world are guilty today, is the sin of INGRATITUDE. Studies show that children today, hear many more negative than positive expressions from their parents, resulting in low self-esteem, and poor performance.

President Monson counseled us that: We can lift ourselves and others as well [if we will] cultivate an Attitude of Gratitude.

As we live in this spiritually downward spiraling world, it seems that many of the thoughtful common courtesies are fast disappearing. The word THANK YOU is often omitted from our daily relationships.

During this Month of Preparation may we truly cultivate and activate the expression of gratitude (namely THANK YOU) among us.
May we daily find little acts of kindness, service or caring, done for us by our spouse, our family, our friends and neighbors, and sincerely say: THANK YOU

This process will not only lift and strengthen others and ourselves, it will improve and purify our hearts.