Thanksgiving

2 Nephi 8:3

After sailing across the sea, Nephi and his family landed on the shores of America and began a new life. The Lord commanded Nephi to keep two records on metal plates: on the first he recorded secular information about his people and the details of their wars and kings, etc.; Nephi used the second for "the more part of the ministry" which included the spiritual things and prophecies of Christ (1 Nephi 9:2-4).

On this second record, Nephi quoted many words of Isaiah and likened them to his people (see 1 Nephi 11:1). Among these words I point out one verse that has particular meaning to this day of Thanksgiving.

For the Lord shall comfort Zion, he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord. Joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving and the voice of melody. 2 Nephi 8:3

The day will come when Jesus Christ will return and bring a time of peace to this world. We will be thankful and raise our voices in His praise. Though the time is not yet here, we can still be thankful and rejoice because He has not abandoned us. The Lord will comfort each and every one of us and make the best of our lives. I know joy and gladness can be found in my every day – if I will turn to the Lord and live with a heart of thanksgiving.

Joy During Trials

1 Nephi 8:7-12

In facing hardships, we can sometimes become bitter, hardened, exhausted. This is why it is crucial to rely on the love of God and the Atonement of His Son to remain whole.
Soon after leaving Jerusalem, Lehi had a dream where he was in a “dark and dreary waste” (1 Ne 8:7). He traveled in the darkness for many hours before he found a solution: he began to pray unto the Lord that he would have mercy on him, “according to the multitude of his tender mercies.” After praying, he emerged from the darkness and saw a tree with fruit designed to make one happy. The tree represents Jesus Christ and the love of God in providing a way for eternal life to His children. The fruit is the saving principles of the gospel and is truly the way we can find peace and happiness, even during the worst of times.
When I am feeling dreary, I must remember to pray for mercy and God will show me my blessings and help me find that which will make me happy. The Atonement of Jesus Christ is not just for the aftermath, the cleanup, the repair of damaged souls. It is also for the here and now – for the constant support and lasting endurance of God’s children through our daily trials.

Later in the first book of Nephi (20:21) he quoted Isaiah 48:21, reminding us that God led the children of Israel through the deserts and provided water for them. God will lead me through the deserts of my life also. That is what the gospel is about – the here and now! So often I look forward to the “day of gladness when Jesus will come again” but His love is available to me NOW. He will carry me through the rottenest of days.

Truly, through Jesus we can have peace and joy – even during trials.

Comprehend Joy

1 Nephi 17:2, 6

After Nephi retrieved the brass plates, his family traveled to the seashore and God directed him in building a ship to travel across the sea. The difficulty of the trek provided opportunity for inner growth.

Imagine the challenges associated with 8 years of: Middle Eastern heat, wilderness, raw meat, living in tents, walking miles a day - some of them carrying and bearing children...

Nephi, in his positive hindsight, reflected how "great were the blessing of the Lord" in guiding them through and helping them "bear their journeyings without murmurings" (verse 2). He related that despite their afflictions, they were "exceedingly rejoiced" when they came to the seashore (verse 6).
Think how much they appreciated those shining waters! Would they have rejoiced if they were transported there directly somehow? Maybe they would have simply compared living in tents on the shores to their comfortable homes in Jerusalem and found reason to complain. But they rejoiced because they had been through hard times and they had survived. They had relied on God and had grown.

Without adversity, we would not grow. Without the trials we face we would not be able to comprehend the highest peaks of joy that can be experienced in this life.
I am not the kind of person that is "thankful" for trials. But I am very grateful for a God that loves His children so extremely that He allows them to experience adversity on Earth in order to truly know joy.