How an Attitude of Gratitude Can Help Strengthen our Marriages

Remember the talks that my husband and I gave on Sunday?
Here is his notes for his talk..Enjoy!

• "Attitude" of Gratitude
• It's more than just saying "Thank you"
• Gratitude must be sincere
• We show sincerity through our actions, as well as words, and that sincerity must be present at all times and not just after someone has done something for you.

• Gratitude to the Lord
• Why are we told to "remember" so often in the scriptures?
• Remembering a lot of times represents gratitude

• What are we "remembering?"
• To keep the commandments
• To build our lives on Christ
• To remember what the Lord has done for us

• King Benjamin emphasized the importance of gratitude in conjunction with service
• Mosiah 2:18-21

• Why/What else do we remember?
• It is part of our Baptismal Covenant to always remember the Sacrifice of the Atonement made by Christ
• Christ describes this in 3 Nephi 18:11

• When we forget, that's when problems start
• Laman and Lemuel
• 1 Nephi 7:11
• 1 Nephi 17:45
• "Ye are swift to do iniquity but slow to remember the Lord your God"

• Children of Israel
• Another example of a lack in "sincere" gratitude
• Read Headings to Exodus 14-17
• Moses goes into Sinai, they quickly forget and worship a golden calf
• One of the main reasons for the lower law of Moses was so that the people would remember God!
• Deuteronomy 6:7-9

• Good examples of those who remembered to be grateful
• Story of Leper who returned
• Luke 17:12-19
• All 10 were obedient
• Was truly grateful and blessed for it.

• There are many good examples of gratitude in the scriptures
• Christ, Himself, is another good example
• Disciples are baptized and receive the Holy Ghost; he commands them to pray, and then he prays
• 3 Nephi 19:20
• the Disciples continued to pray unceasingly; Jesus prays again
• 3 Nephi 19:28
• Christ was the perfect example of gratitude

• Gratitude to our spouses
• Story of a family from mission
• Lack of gratitude
• She was baptized and he was not (her 2 kids were, too)
• He began to avoid her because of her decision to be baptized
• Resented her for the change she made in her life
• He was not grateful for anything that she did
• They divorced

• Story of last Christmas with the decorations and Brittany
• Gratitude is a form of service
• It feels good to be appreciated
• Strength in a marriage comes from happiness, love, and peace. These blessings come as a result of the presence of the Spirit in the home. When we show sincere gratitude to the Lord and to our spouses, we invite the Spirit into our homes.

• With Thanksgiving coming up, I wanted to share some of the things I am grateful to my wife for:
• Sher left school, friends, and family to be with me
• She works hard to provide for us while I'm in school
• She helps keep our home a clean place where the Spirit can dwell
• She makes me feel good about myself when I am down
• Saturday's test

• She puts up with my imperfections
• She led a clean and worthy life so that we could be married in the temple
• She has a testimony of Christ and of the Gospel

• I am also grateful to my Heavenly Father:
• Eternal Families
• Holy Ghost
• The Gospel (It's saving ordinances and covenants)
• Prophets and Scriptures
• Personal Revelation
• The Sacrifice of His Son

It is my testimony that we will grow closer to the Lord and to our spouses as we exercise an attitude of sincere gratitude.