Attributes of Christ: Gratitude

This semester in my religion course, we are studying the last half of the Book of Mormon, Alma 30-Moroni 10. This is by far my most favorite part of the Book of Mormon. There is so much to be gleaned from the first half of the Book of Mormon and I certainly feel that I learned so much from studying it last semester, but this last half contains my favorite event: Christ's visit to the Nephites [I]. Among those chapters we learn so much about who Christ is and what some of His attributes are:  

• Humble
• Obedient 
• Healer
• Kind 
• Teacher 
• Courageous
• Servant
• Submissive
• Selfless
• Full of Love

Christ lives and He embodies all of these qualities and more, perfectly. He invites us to come unto Him and be perfected. [II] As I accept that invitation, I have the opportunity this semester to choose three attributes to work on developing. The first attribute I am working on is "Gratitude: the quality or feeling of being grateful or thankful." [III] I think the key word there is being; to be, or become. I am striving to be a grateful person. I have a long, long way to go. 

If I am being honest with myself, I complain much more than I care to admit. I catch myself complaining on a daily basis and complaining is one of my least favorite qualities. I abhor it in others, yet upon introspection, find it abundantly in myself. With this project, I hope to rid myself of the bad habit and turn my murmuring into gratitude. 

My plan of action for doing this is to return to a former habit I once had of listing "Five Gratefuls" each day. I know that this works because I have put it into action at different times throughout my life. In the past, whenever I was feeling down, frustrated, sad, or sorry for myself I would list “FiveGratefuls” which always has seemed to turn my attitude right around and help me focus more on the good, on the beautiful in my life. It’s amazing how that simple act of listing five things/people/experiences that you are grateful for can help you turn outward and lift your spirits. I want to develop this habit to be a daily thing so that I can feel that uplifting spirit every day.

Five Gratefuls

Today I am grateful for:   

1. A good night’s sleep last night which helped me feel refreshed this morning. 
2. Gentle promptings of the Spirit. ♥  
3. The chance to start a fresh new year with new goals and dreams for myself.  
4.  Abundant Sunshine. ☼☼☼ 
   
5. The rare treat of seven uninterrupted hours of peace and quiet all to myself.

 I love this video that portrays so beautifully the Savior's finest attributes and inspires me to try a little harder to be a little better.





I. Jesus Christ did show himself unto the people of Nephi. Comprising chapters 3 Nephi 11-26
II. Moroni 10:32 
III. Dictionary.com definition of Gratitude

All Things Denote There is a God

This week we have been studying Alma 30-35 and of course, the highlight of this passage is the interaction between Alma and Korihor, the anti-Christ. I have loved reading, studying, and pondering Alma's responses to Korihor's stubborn beliefs that there is no Savior. There are two points in particular that have impressed me this week:

1. When Alma testifies of God and of Jesus Christ in verse 39, he teaches us how to respond to objectors in a way that invites the Spirit. "For behold, I say unto you, I know there is a God, and also that Christ shall come." Alma exemplifies sincere faith in the Savior and patterns for us the way in which we should testify. Our personal testimonies are a powerful way for us to share our beliefs without engaging in arguments or contention, and testimony invites the Spirit into the discussion. 
2. After Korihor asks Alma for a sign to convince him that there is a God, Alma speaks pure wisdom: "The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God, yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator." Alma responds to Korihor's request with strong evidence, whereas Korihor cannot prove that there is no God. 

From the Book of Mormon Institute manual I found the following quote from Elder Gerald N. Lund: "When questioned, Korihor categorically denies that he believes there is a God. Alma then asks, 'What evidence have ye that there is no God , or that Christ cometh not? I say unto you that ye have none save it be your word only.' (Alma 30:40) "It is an inspired insight on Alma's part. Korihor is not consistent in his own thinking. If we truly can know only those things for which we have empirical evidence, then we cannot teach there is no God unless we have evidence for that belief. And Korihor has no evidence." Lund goes on to explain how Korihor would need to be a God himself in order to prove that God does not exist. He says "Therefore, in declaring there is no God, he is acting on 'faith', the very thing for which he so sharply derides the religious leaders!"

I love this video that teaches us the powerful lesson of faith and what happens when we ignore the warnings of our leaders.

A Place for my Thoughts

I honestly never thought I would ever get back to blogging, but now that I am in school and taking Book of Mormon classes, I have had a desire again to share some of my thoughts. This blog will be much much different than my last blog, and instead of recommending beautiful music, I will be suggesting uplifting words; Scriptures, quotes, talks, videos. Throughout these past few months of learning through Pathway, I have gained a greater desire to study and apply the teachings of the Book of Mormon. This is a space where I can journal my feelings, ideas, insights, and thoughts. I'd love to hear your thoughts as well.