Thanksgiving with the Zoramites
By Scott A. Hanks

While reading my scriptures recently I was given a tour of a land called Antionum, which was east of Zarahemla circa 74 B.C. (see Alma 31).  Antionum was inhabited by a people who called themselves “Zoramites” and I was lucky enough to be shown one of their testimony meetings.  I don’t suppose they celebrated Thanksgiving as we know it today, but considering the content of their testimonies I can’t help but wonder if they had some ancient equivalent they may have been observing.  With Alma acting as tour guide, I was able to witness one Zoramite’s testimony.  Ascending to the pulpit (which was a bit higher than the ones we’re all used to) he gave thanks to God for many things including that:

“...thou hast elected us that we shall be saved, whilst all around us are elected to be cast by thy wrath down to hell; for which holiness, O God, we thank thee;” (Alma 31:17)

After hearing all present echo this great gratitude for the many blessings God had given them, Alma is strangely saddened.  I reflected on the statement made by Joseph F. Smith when he said, “One of the greatest sins of which the inhabitants of the earth are guilty today, is the sin of ingratitude” (Journal of Discourses).  

Alma prayed with those he had brought with him and expresses why he is so grieved:

“Behold, O God, they cry unto thee, and yet their hearts are swallowed up in their pride.  Behold, O God, they cry unto thee with their mouths, while they are puffed up, even to greatness, with the vain things of the world.

“Behold, O my God, their costly apparel, and their ringlets, and their bracelets, and their ornaments of gold, and all their precious things which they are ornamented with; and behold, their hearts are set upon them, and yet they cry unto thee and say--We thank thee, O God, for we are a chosen people unto thee, while others shall perish.” (Alma 31:27-28)

Where one might see gratitude being expressed from this richly blessed people, Alma saw nothing more than prideful boasting (see Alma  31:25).  In this season of Thanksgiving as we express gratitude for our blessings, let’s make certain it is sincere gratitude, not the boasting kind.

How Do We  Show Sincere Gratitude to our Heavenly Father?

Henry B. Eyring teaches us, “Remembrance is the seed of gratitude which is the seed of generosity. Gratitude for the remission of sins is the seed of charity, the pure love of Christ.” (Ensign, Nov. 1989)  If we take time to remember the source of all our temporal substance and eternal hope, and reflect on His character, sincere gratitude should follow instinctively.

Brigham Young instructs us further in this respect: “If we could perceive and fully understand that all the ability and knowledge we have, every good we possess, every bright idea, every pure affection, and every good vision in mind from our infancy to the present time, are all the free gift of the Lord, and that we of ourselves have nothing original, we should be much better prepared and far more ready to act faithfully and wisely under all circumstances.  Every good thing is in His hands, is subject to His power, belongs to Him, and is only handed over to us, for the time being, to see what use we will make of it.” (Journal of Discourses)

We've just celebrated Thanksgiving, and are moving on to the holiday season.  It is not a time to celebrate our affluence, but a time to recognize to whom we owe our blessings and ponder how He would have us use them.

“And it pleaseth God that he hath given all these things unto man; for unto this end were they made to be used, with judgment, not to excess, neither by extortion.

“And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things, and obey not his commandments.” (D&C 59:20-21)

Sin of Ingratitude

If we neglect to humble ourselves and be truly grateful to the Lord in word and deed, then the great sin of ingratitude is rightfully on our heads, regardless of how much we may claim to give thanks.  Late in the Book of Mormon, Moroni takes time to address our day directly:

“Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not.  But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing.

“And I know that ye do walk in the pride of your hearts; and there are none save a few only who do not lift themselves up in the pride of their hearts, unto the wearing of very fine apparel, unto envying, and strifes, and malice, and persecutions, and all manner of iniquities; and your churches, yea, even every one, have become polluted because of the pride of your hearts.

“For behold, ye do love money, and your substance, and your fine apparel, and the adorning of your churches, more than ye love the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted.

“O ye pollutions, ye hypocrites, ye teachers, who sell yourselves for that which will canker, why have ye polluted the holy church of God?  Why are ye ashamed to take upon you the name of Christ?  Why do ye not think that greater is the happiness than that misery which never dies--because of the praise of the world?

“Why do ye adorn yourselves with that which hath no life, and yet suffer the hungry, and the needy, and the naked, and the sick and the afflicted to pass by you, and notice them not?

“Yea, why do ye build up your secret abominations to get gain, and cause that widows shall mourn before the Lord, and also the blood of their fathers and their husbands to cry unto the Lord from the ground, for vengeance upon your heads?

“Behold, the sword of vengeance hangeth over you; and the time soon cometh that he avengeth the blood of the saints upon you, for he will not suffer their cries any longer.” (Mormon 8:35-41)

There is much that could be said concerning Moroni’s words, but I will leave the interpretation to the reader.

It is my prayer that we may be truly grateful this holiday season and remember the purpose for which the Lord has given us such rich blessings and that we will not simply assume that, “we are a chosen people ... while others shall perish.”