Thanksgiving - Sunday

Today in church, my friend was giving a talk. She mentioned that a friend of hers had been writing a blog entry every day this month, in honor of Thanksgiving, discussing things they were thankful for. I thought it was a great idea, but obviously, I'm a little late in getting started. So for this week, up until Thanksgiving, I'm going to try and write one entry a day about things I'm grateful for.

Obviously, the thing I'm the most grateful for is the gospel. I've lived a blissfully happy life, thanks to the Church. That's not to say my life has been super easy, I've had ups and downs like any normal person. But because of the gospel, the downs haven't been as bad as they might have been, and the ups have been more up than most people get to experience.

Let me give an example: My husband is in the military. If it weren't for the gospel, I couldn't deal with that. I don't do well alone, and people serving in the military often spend months at a time away from their families. On top of the loneliness, there's the constant worry that something will happen to him - mostly, that he'll be killed. I don't like to think about it, but I know that if something happens, I will see him again. Even if he dies, I know for a fact that I'll be with him forever in the next life - and that our marriage will stilll be valid. He'll be my husband, and I'll be his wife, for eternity. That knowledge softens the sting of death.

My family is the greatest gift in my life. I imagine that most people feel the same way. I'm one of the lucky few, however, who has the true gospel in my life. I've been sealed to my husband, my children, my siblings, and my parents for time and eternity. I'll be with them forever! Who wouldn't want that? It makes the agony of death a lot more bearable. The sorrow that comes with the death of a loved one is a sorrow stemming from the pain of separation, rather than from the despair of permanent loss and the fear of death itself (and what lies beyond). In my church, funerals are sad, but they're also a celebration of life and an expression of faith.

Through the smaller trials of life, as well, I find that the gospel makes them easier. All I have to do when I'm upset, worried or scared is drop to my knees and pray, and I find peace. I increase that peace and faith by reading my scriptures for guidance and understanding, and trials are lessened further. Again, this doesn't take the pain completely away, but it becomes bearable. I feel Christ helping to shoulder my burden and lighten my load. I feel His arms around me, giving me strength. And I feel His and my Heavenly Father's love speaking peace to my heart. Through my trials, my faith is tested and strengthened. I understand that it's necessary for me to go through hard times in order for me to become the person God wants me to be. It's up to me whether those trials tear me apart or make me stronger.

On the flipside, by living my life according to the standards taught in the Church, I'm happier in general. I don't smoke, drink, take drugs, or put anything else in my body that might harm it. This means that I don't have to worry about hangovers, or having my life controlled by unhealthy cravings. I don't have to worry about the diseases and harm that would come to my body through those practices. I also try to avoid putting things in my mind that would harm me, like violent or pornographic images. Those kinds of things tend to stick around, and taint one's point of view. They're hard to forget. So I avoid them - it makes my mind a happier place. :)

My husband and I both live chaste lives. That means that we avoided premarital sex before we got married, and now that we are married, we're completely and 100% faithful to each other. We don't have to worry about STD's, because neither of us has ever slept with anyone but one another. That makes it all the more special, as well. Virtue is a rapidly decreasing commodity in this world. It's a rare gift, indeed, and the greatest gift that one human being can give another. Too many people throw their virginity away these days, at the least suggestion. Because my husband and I have reserved ourselves only for one another, that makes our marriage stronger, deeper, and more meaningful than I imagine marriages are for other people. Going with that, since we've committed ourselves to one another for eternity, divorce is a lot less likely than it is with the rest of the world. I have complete faith in my husband and his love for me, and vice versa. That makes us happier than we would be without the gospel in our lives.

I'm not saying that other people are definitely less happy than us. I wouldn't know about that. It's entirely possible that there are lots of non-members who are every bit as secure and joyful in their marriages as I am. If that's so, though, wouldn't they be even happier if they could be sealed to their spouses and children for eternity? That's really the greatest of all the gifts of the gospel. My family will be my family FOREVER! When our lives end, and we meet again in heaven, we'll recognize each other. We'll remember each other. And our love for one another will not have decreased a bit. Best of all, we'll still be able to claim one another as spouses, children, siblings, and parents. If I'm going to live forever, I certainly want the people I love more than anything in this world with me. Through the gospel, I can have that.

Now, none of this is to say that people in my church don't screw up. We make mistakes. People make bad decisions, hurt the people they love, lose their way. I've seen temple marriages dissolve. I've seen family members hurt one another. I've seen people I love, even, lose their faith and start down dark paths in their lives. We aren't perfect people. We're trying to get there (to where we're perfect), but we won't be able to. Not in this life. Someday, maybe, during our eternity in heaven, we'll get to the point where we don't screw things up anymore. But that's not going to happen in this life. Everybody makes mistakes. Through the gospel, though, we can repent. Because of Christ's sacrifice in the garden of Gethsemane, we can fix our mistakes and be forgiven. When we repent, it's as if our bad choices never happened! We wipe the slate clean. Christ suffered the punishment for everybody's sins when He suffered in the garden. He did that so we could receive mercy. Why would we want to waste that gift? He already paid the price for our sins, so we don't have to. He did it so we could go home to our Father in Heaven after we die. Without His sacrifice, we'd never, ever be good enough.

What a blessing, that we can repent of our sins! We can be forgiven. God knew we were going to screw up left and right, and He fixed things so that we could return to Him in spite of all that. That's not a gift that I'm willing to waste. And I can live a happier life through repentance, because I won't be burdened down by the guilt of all my mistakes. That's definitely a better way to live.

So this Thanksgiving, the blessing topping my "Things I'm Grateful For" list is the gospel, first and foremost. Without the gospel, none of the other blessings in my life would mean quite as much as they do. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the most important thing in my life. I don't know how I was so lucky to be raised in a family where the gospel was already established, but I'm eternally grateful that I was. My life is full of joy, and love, and peace because of the gospel. I'd wager that I'm one of the happiest people on the planet. I just wish everyone could feel the same joy in their everyday lives that I experience.

If you're reading this blog, and you're not familiar with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I would absolutely encourage you to go to lds.org or mormon.org and learn more. We have wonderful young men and women all over the world who can teach you everything you need to know, right in the comfort of your own home. They can answer your questions, and help you bring the gospel into your own life. I guarantee you that you will not regret it. It will make your life happier than you can possibly imagine. It won't always be easier, but it will absolutely be worth it.

Thank you, Heavenly Father. Thank you for my life, for my family, for the gospel. I owe you, and the Savior, everything - though I know I'll never be able to repay you. My life is yours. I know that whatever your plan is for me, it will make me happier than I could ever imagine. I'm eternally grateful. I just hope that over the course of my life, I can bring more of your children to a knowledge of the gospel, so they can know the same kind of joy in their lives that I do.

Thank you. For everything.