Hello Brothers and Sisters. I hope that you enjoyed our April General Conference as much as I did. When discussing the conference with my wife, we both chose the same talk as the one we felt most benefited us. That talk is the one by Elder Dale G. Renlund titled, “Consider the Goodness and Greatness of God.”
Elder Renlund says that it is “striking“ how often the prophets have pleaded that we reflect on the goodness of God. After listening to the talk again and studying it, I feel like I have a better understanding of why scriptures such as Moroni 10:3 encourage us to remember the goodness of God before praying to find out if the Book of Mormon is true. As Elder Renlund states, “Our Heavenly Father wants us to recall His and His Beloved Son’s goodness, not for Their own gratification but for the influence such remembrance has on us. By considering Their kindness, our perspective and understanding are enlarged. By reflecting on Their compassion, we become more humble, prayerful, and steadfast.”
In reflecting on the goodness and greatness of God in my life, I’m reminded of an experience with my mother. In my mother’s later years after my father passed away, with her living in Utah and me in Ohio, I had the fortunate opportunity of staying with her for a week or more on a few occasions. It was just the two of us each morning and evening, which gave us a lot of time to talk together. We talked a lot about spiritual things. Although she struggled with poor health and frailness, she was very blessed in the ten years she lived after my father passed away. She told me of some experiences when she felt the goodness of God. At one time, her health left her unable to pull the blanket over herself as she got into bed on a chilly evening. She lived alone, so she could not ask anyone for help. She said a prayer as the blanket laid down by her feet, but then exhausted, she drifted off to sleep. When she awoke in the morning, the blanket was neatly tucked up around her, and she experienced an abiding feeling of love in her home. I’m so grateful to a kind and loving Father and Son that would show so much kindness to my mother.
Contemplating the goodness and greatness of God is a great form of gratitude. It makes wonderful sense that God would ask us to do this often. What God has always known is now being understood by neuroscientists. For example, in a recently published book about meditation, it stated, “There is some fascinating neuroscience research coming out about gratitude. Scientists are finding that even on the days when you don’t feel like you have anything to be thankful for, just asking the question ‘What am I grateful for?’ is enough to change the chemistry of your brain.”
Elder Renlund mentions eight “remarkable fruits” that we are blessed with as we consistently ponder on the goodness of God. Three, in particular, stand out to me. First, we will have courage when confronted with seemingly impossible tasks and circumstances (1 Samuel 17:37, 1 Nephi 4:2). Next, we will be filled with the love of God, and third, we will always rejoice (Mosiah 4:11-12). These great blessings motivate me to make the effort to consistently remember and think on the goodness and greatness of God.
I invite us all to ponder on God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ’s goodness and greatness every day. Express gratitude to Heavenly Father for all your blessings in your daily prayers. I know God will bless us more abundantly as we make this a pattern in our lives.
Akron Ohio Stake News 