Short Stories and Essays
A THANKSGIVING DAY THOUGHT
[This short essay was written by John E. Enslen on Thanksgiving Day in 2021.]
May I share with you a Thanksgiving Day thought? It consists of three short points.
Point Number One: “[Men] are that they might have joy.” (2 Nephi 2:25, The Book of Mormon) In other words, in the eyes of God, we exist that we might continuously experience joy and happiness. Our Heavenly Father has chosen to condition his own glory upon successfully helping us, his children, to know and learn how to be genuinely happy. (See Moses 1:39, The Book of Mormon) Our happiness is his overriding plan and the central focus of his personal work. You and I are his most important concern.
Point Number Two: There is an inseparable connection between having gratitude and being happy. (There is also an inseparable connection between sorrowfully dwelling on the things we do not have and unhappiness.) Gratitude transforms whatever we possess into more than sufficient for our needs. As the early restoration Saints were about to depart with meager possessions on their pioneer trek across the vast prairies and mountains, they were instructed by the Lord: “Thou shalt be diligent in preserving what thou hast, that thou mayest be a wise steward; for it is the free gift of the Lord thy God….” (Doctrine and Covenants 136:27)
Point Number Three: Learning how to be happy in this life will have a profound effect on our Final Judgment Day. He that is happy before the final judgment will yet be happy still after the final judgment, and he that is unhappy before the final judgment will yet be unhappy still after the final judgment. (See Mormon 9:14, The Book of Mormon) We “[e]nter into his gates with thanksgiving.” (Psalm 100:4, The Holy Bible)
A thankful heart for that which we have is the parent of other virtues and leads to much happiness. So, when we eat a piece of fruit, think of the persons who labored to plant, cultivate, and harvest it, and the Supreme Being who nourished it daily. In that way, we can celebrate every day as a Day of Thanksgiving.
I conclude with an additional instruction from God to those embarking on that historic pioneer trek: “If thou art merry, praise the Lord with singing, with music, with dancing, and with a prayer of praise and thanksgiving.” (Doctrine and Covenants 136:28)
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!