In the book of Deuteronomy there is an excellent reminder for each us to remember where our blessing come from. As the children of Israel prepared to move into the promised land they were warned not to forget God. It is easy to forget where our blessings are obtained when we are living in houses we didn’t build, feasting on food we didn’t obtain, drinking from wells that we didn’t dig, and picking trees we didn’t plant.
10 And it shall be, when the Lord thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not,
11 And houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full;
12 Then beware lest thou forget the Lord, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.
There isn’t any one of us who does not eat from vines which he did not plant, or drinks from wells which we did not dig. There isn’t any one of us who does not enjoy a thousand different benefits which he had no part in producing.
We are living in prosperous times. Failing to remember the Lord reminds me of this quote:
It has been said that “an ungrateful man is like a hog under a tree eating acorns, but never looking up to see where they come from.” (Timothy Dexter, The New Dictionary of Thoughts, Garden City, N.Y.: Standard Book Co., 1961, p. 308.)
Both ancient and modern scriptures are replete with examples and reminders to remember to be grateful and thank the Lord. .
39 And they did admonish their brethren; and they were also admonished, every one by the word of God, according to his sins, or to the sins which he had committed, being commanded of God to pray without ceasing, and to give thanks in all things. (Mosiah 26:390
“Thou shalt thank the Lord thy God in all things.” (D&C 59:5–7)
It is evident from these scripture that to thank the Lord in all things is not merely a courtesy, it is a commandment as binding upon us as any other commandment.
Marion G. Romney said:
Now, brethren and sisters, I bear my testimony to you that the Lord wants us to be grateful and thankful unto him. And if we do these things which he has advised us to do, we will be the happiest people who dwell upon the earth, for this is the way to the presence and society of our Father in heaven. (Marion G. Romney, “Gratitude and Thanksgiving”, October 1982 LDS General Conference)