Choose to Be Grateful, No Matter What — Ether 6–11

Come, Follow Me: Book of Mormon 2024 (November 18-24)

In three verses Ether teaches us how to do hard divinely better: 

“And it came to pass that the wind did never cease to blow towards the promised land while they were upon the waters; and thus they were driven forth before the wind.

And they did sing praises unto the lord; yea, the brother of Jared did sing praises unto the Lord and he did thank and praise the Lord all the day long; and when the night came, they did not cease to praise the Lord.

And thus they were driven forth; and no monster of the sea could break them, neither whale that could mar them; and they did have light continually, whether it was above the water or under the water” (Ether 6:8-11).

You can’t be broken when you…

• let God prevail,

• choose to be grateful, no matter what,

• keep the light of Christ in you, continually. 

These are verses I will come back to often, especially when feeling battered around by the winds and waves of worry and woe. 

This week of Thanksgiving, practice being grateful, not just for things, but for whatever imperfect circumstance you are in. Practice a higher level of thankfulness, a brother of Jared gratefulness. 

In his talk, “Grateful in any Circumstance”, Elder Uchtdorf describes this type of gratitude:

“This type of gratitude transcends whatever is happening around us. It surpasses disappointment, discouragement, and despair. It blooms just as beautifully in the icy landscape of winter as it does in the pleasant warmth of summer. 

When we are grateful to God in our circumstances, we can experience gentle peace in the midst of tribulation. In grief, we can still lift up our hearts in praise. In pain, we can glory in Christ’s Atonement. In the cold of bitter sorrow, we can experience the closeness and warmth of heaven’s embrace.” 

Do Hard Divinely Better Lesson #46: Grow a gratitude mindset–be grateful no matter what.