# President Russell M. Nelson on the Healing Power of Gratitude​

**Channel:** The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
**Source:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i51gcWCs-Ho
**Transcript page:** https://www.withtranscript.ai/video/i51gcWCs-Ho

## Chapters

- 0:00 — Gratitude as a Healing Prescription
- 2:48 — Scriptural Reasons to Give Thanks
- 4:29 — Personal Loss and Lasting Gratitude
- 7:22 — Two Practices for Daily Gratitude
- 9:33 — Prayer for Healing and Unity

## Transcript

**[0:00]:** as a doctor i know the value of good therapy so dear friends may i prescribe two activities to help us experience the healing power of gratitude

**[0:14]:** during my 96 years of life i've seen a great depression a world war the rise of terrorism hunger and poverty throughout the world i have also witnessed the advent of space travel the internet medical advancements galore and countless other discoveries that delight me prior to my ministry i was a cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon and spent many hours in operating rooms as a surgical resident i was one of the research team that developed the first heart lung machine to be used in a human open heart operation subsequently i had the privilege of helping to save lives of hundreds of patients and sadly i watched other patients die despite my best efforts as a man of science and is a man of faith the current worldwide pandemic has been of great concern to me as a man of science i appreciate the critical need to prevent the spread of infection i also honor the devoted service of

**[1:28]:** health care professionals and grieve for the many whose lives have been upended by covet 19. as a man of faith however i view the current pandemic as only one of many ills that plague our world including hate civil unrest racism violence dishonesty and lack of civility skilled scientists and researchers are laboring diligently to develop and distribute a vaccine against the coronavirus but there is no medication or operation that can fix the many spiritual woes and maladies that we face there is however a remedy one that may seem surprising because it flies in the face of our natural intuitions nevertheless its effects have been validated by scientists as well as men and women of faith i'm referring to the healing power of gratitude the book of psalms is filled with admonitions to

**[2:48]:** express gratitude here are just three of them it is a good thing to give thanks unto the lord oh give thanks unto the lord for he is good come before his presence with thanksgiving jesus christ frequently expressed gratitude before raising lazarus from the dead before miraculously multiplying loaves and fishes and before passing the cup to his disciples at the last supper the savior prayed and gave thanks to god no wonder the apostle paul later declared in everything give thanks over my nine and a half decades of life i have concluded that counting our blessings is far better than recounting our problems no matter our situation showing gratitude for our privileges is a fast-acting and long-lasting spiritual prescription does gratitude spare us from sorrow sadness grief and pain no but it does soothe our feelings it provides us with a greater perspective on the very purpose and joy of life

**[4:29]:** nearly 16 years ago my wife dancel and i were sitting on the sofa holding hands while we watched television suddenly she collapsed despite being well trained to treat the very thing that ended her life i could not save my own life

**[4:53]:** denzel and i were blessed with nine daughters and one son tragically i have lost two of those daughters to cancer no parent is prepared to lose a child and yet despite these and other difficult experiences i am incredibly grateful eternally for so very many things i'm grateful to god for the nearly 60 years dancel and i shared together for a lifetime of love and joy and cherished memories and i thank him for my wife wendy whom i met after dance was passing wendy now fills my life with joy i am grateful to god for the years i had with my two departed daughters father's heart melts when i see attributes of those girls in the precious faces of their children and grandchildren we can all give thanks for the beauties of the earth and the majesty of the heavens that give us an inkling of the vastness of eternity we can give thanks for the gift of life for our amazing bodies and minds that allow us to grow and learn we can give thanks for

**[6:26]:** art literature and music that nurture our souls we can give thanks for the opportunity to repent start over make amends and build character we can give thanks for our families friends and loved ones we can give thanks for the opportunity to help cherish and serve one another which makes life so much more meaningful we can even give thanks for our trials from which we learn the things we would not know otherwise most of all we can give thanks unto god the father of our spirits which makes us all brothers and sisters one great global family

**[7:22]:** as a doctor i know the value of good therapy so dear friends may i prescribe two activities to help us experience the healing power of gratitude first i invite you just for the next seven days to turn social media into your own personal gratitude journal post every day about what you're grateful for who you are grateful for and why you are grateful at the end of seven days see if you feel happier and more at peace use the hashtag give thanks working together we can flood social media with a wave of gratitude that reaches the four corners of the earth perhaps this will fulfill in part the promise god gave to father abraham that through his descendants all families of the earth shall be blessed second let us unite in thanking god through daily prayer jesus christ taught his disciples to pray by first expressing gratitude to god and then petitioning him for the things

**[8:52]:** we need prayer brings forth miracles in that spirit i would now like to offer a prayer for the world and everyone in it as i pray i hope you will feel inspired to do the same pouring out your heart and gratitude for the countless blessings god has given you and petitioning him to heal our hearts our families our societies and the world at large

**[9:33]:** our father in heaven as fellow passengers on thy planet earth we humbly pray unto thee we thank thee for life and all that sustains life we thank thee for the beauties of the earth for order in the universe the planets stars and all things of eternal significance we thank thee for thy laws that protect and guide us we thank you for thy mercy and loving watch care we thank thee for our families and loved ones who fill our lives with joy we are grateful for all who are striving to combat the covet pandemic please bless them with protection and inspiration will thou help us end this virus that has plagued so many of thy children we thank thee for the leaders of nations and others who strive to lift us we pray for relief from political strife will thou bless us with a healing spirit that unites us despite our differences will thou also help

**[10:43]:** us repent from selfishness unkindness pride and prejudice of any kind so that we can better serve and love one another as brothers and sisters and as thy grateful children we love thee our dear father and pray for thy blessings upon us in the name of thy beloved son jesus christ amen

**[11:12]:** thank you for listening may god bless you one and all

**[11:46]:** you