Gratitude Day 2: Glorious

Barn at the Dan Lawson Place on an autumn morning. 
Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park 
© 2014 Kristina Plaas, All Rights Reserved
I was doing my gospel study this morning and thinking about what the apostles and prophets, ancient and modern, had to say about gratitude. No surprise there was plenty to be found, from the Old Testament, the New Testament, and Book of Mormon all the way to very recent discourses from LDS General Conference. I found myself feeling grateful I have so much scripture to turn to in times of need. 

 My journey took me to the Doctrine and Covenants, a canonized book of scripture in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints comprised of modern-day revelations given to prophets, primarily Joseph Smith. In the 78th Section the Lord is instructing church leaders to carry out a challenging task, one I'm sure a few individuals had their doubts about. Like all of us who wonder if we are up to a daunting challenge, the Lord encourages them:
 17 Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye are little children, and ye have not as yet understood how great blessings the Father hath in his own hands and prepared for you;
 18 And ye cannot bear all things now; nevertheless, be of good cheer, for I will lead you along. The kingdom is yours and the blessings thereof are yours, and the riches of eternity are yours.
I've read, pondered, and loved those two verses for a very long time. I call them the "cheer up and hang on, good things are coming" verses. Until this morning the following verse never really stood out to me:
 19 And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred fold, yea, more.
 My current life challenges have been near overwhelming at times. I can't honestly say I've been thankful for all of it -- the hard stuff. Yet here is the Lord promising me glorious things if I will be thankful for everything. The prophets and apostles have repeatedly said the same thing. I know what some of those glorious things are -- things I really, really want. Things that come from trust, and faith, and hope, and obedience to higher laws. It will be GLORIOUS! I just know it. From the small taste of glorious things I've experienced in this life, I have an inkling of what eternally glorious might be like. I'm excited to experience those things down the road, but for now I will learn to be thankful for all things. I will be grateful.

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