This time of year is, personally, one of my favorites. I grew up in an area that, honestly, didn't have much of a Fall. We joked that the weather went from August to Winter. Now that my family and I are living here in the Midwest, I've really come to appreciate Fall. About my favorite part of Fall is, and has always been, Thanksgiving.
I know that for most people Thanksgiving is about Turkey, football, and a few days off of school, but I think that's along the lines of saying Christmas is about gingerbread houses made out of graham crackers and cheap Santa Claus hats. Just as we try every year to remember the true meaning of Christmas, I try to make a special effort to remember the true meaning of Thanksgiving.
Just like "Christmas" is the day for the "Mass" about "Christ", "Thanksgiving" is the day for "Giving" "Thanks". We all learn about the Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock and the celebration with the Native Americans in 1621, and that gets close to the point, but it doesn't quite hit is. The point is that we have so much to be grateful for. We have so many blessings that we would do well to remember from day to day. It is wonderful thing to celebrate how much we have to be grateful for, and to remember Him from Whom we receive it.
In 1789, George Washington proclaimed a national "day of public thanksgiving and prayer" to commemorate the end of the Revolutionary War, and the new Federal Constitution. In his proclamation, he reminds us the reason for such a celebration -- that we may "[acknowledge] with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God".
By the President of the United States of America, a Proclamation.
Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor-- and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.
Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be-- That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks--for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation--for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war--for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed--for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted--for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.
and also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions-- to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually--to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed--to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord--To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and us--and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.
Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.
Go: Washington
The Lord has also reminded us to "live in thanksgiving daily" (Alma 34:38) and that "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" (Doctrine and Covenants 78:19).
Someone once taught me that if you want to feel hear the Lord speaking to you, kneel and pray in thanks, thanking Him for every blessing you can think of. When you have thanked Him for every blessing you can think of, His Spirit will whisper to you, reminding you of other blessings that you can be grateful for. (Suffice it to say, you need to allocate a good deal of time for such a prayer.) This year, let's spend a little less time counting how many calories we can consume, and a little more time counting how many blessings we can remember.
In the comments, I'd like to start a list, with whoever would like to contribute, of all the blessings we have to be grateful for. Perhaps by remembering how much we have, we can take our minds off of how much we want. I don't think it should come as any surprise that by remembering the true meaning of Thanksgiving we are better prepared to remember the true meaning of Christmas.
