Canada Newsroom staff recently sat down with Elder Robert W. Mendenhall and his wife, Sister Dixie Cahoon Mendenhall. Elder Mendenhall was named an Area Seventy and a member of the Tenth Quorum of the Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the April 2023 general conference. He is responsible for the North America Central Area, Edmonton and Winnipeg co-ordinating councils. The Mendenhalls were invited to share their thoughts on Thanksgiving.
On November 6, 1879, the Canadian Parliament established a national day of thanksgiving. It was often celebrated in November until 1957, when Parliament designated it be celebrated on the second Monday of October. Thanksgiving-type traditions predate the arrival of Europeans to North America, as Indigenous peoples have celebrated the fall harvest with communal feasts for generations.
President Russell M. Nelson said, “Practicing gratitude may not prevent us from experiencing sorrow, anger or pain, but it can help us look forward with hope. We can give thanks for our loved ones, for our bodies and minds, for music and literature, for the beauty of the natural world. By counting our blessings, we can more fully appreciate and enjoy our lives as we work toward greater unity, kindness, honesty and tolerance” (“President Nelson Recommends the Healing Power of Gratitude,” Tabernacle Choir Blog, November 25, 2020).
Interview With Elder and Sister Mendenhall
How does your family celebrate Thanksgiving?
Elder and Sister Mendenhall: We celebrate Thanksgiving much as other families do. We gather as a family (though this is getting more difficult as family members are spread out), share a meal and speak of our gifts and blessings from God. Often at Thanksgiving, we love to take walks in nature to spend time together and give thanks for the wonderful world in which we live.
Can you think of a particularly memorable Thanksgiving?
Elder and Sister Mendenhall: A memorable Thanksgiving for us was when a family member asked us to invite their friend to our Thanksgiving meal; otherwise, their friend would have been alone that day. We enjoyed that experience, and as a result, we often invite our friends who have no family nearby to share our Thanksgiving with us. It is simple but creates loving bonds that endure, for which we are eternally grateful.
Elder Mendenhall: This question makes us think of ways we can make our Thanksgiving more memorable, and making it more memorable may not involve large and elaborate plans.
Why does gratitude matter?
Sister Mendenhall: The scriptures are filled with admonitions to give thanks. In the Book of Mormon, King Benjamin reminds us that when we realize how blessed we are, we can show our gratitude by keeping Jesus Christ’s commandments. But the interesting thing about that is as soon as we show our gratitude by keeping His commandments, “he doth immediately bless [us]” again, and we are still indebted to Him (see Mosiah 2).
Elder Mendenhall: Continually remembering to give thanks fosters within us a heart that feels love for God and our fellow beings.
In what ways can we show greater thanks in our homes, neighbourhoods, cities and country?
Sister Mendenhall: We can all become better at remembering to thank those around us for all the good that they do. Wouldn’t it be a better world to live in if we all remembered to thank each other — the store clerks, elected officials, repair people, teachers and the many other people we encounter each day?
An interesting experiment to participate in is to offer prayers of thanks only. Occasionally, when we pray, we could choose to express our gratitude only and refrain from asking for any desired blessings. It is a humbling privilege to be able to recognize the goodness and blessings that our Father in Heaven grants us, even amidst our trying circumstances. As we focus on gratitude, we often see that we are receiving blessings because of — not in spite of — our trials.
Are there any other messages you would like to share about Thanksgiving?
Elder Mendenhall: Living with gratitude is a spiritual attribute that can grow and develop in strength and intensity. It is not just a trait you possess unassisted by your own actions. And so, we should recognize our own gratitude, act upon its promptings, ask for its increase, rejoice in it and expect it to grow.
When we have gratitude that is focussed on God’s plan for us — the covenant path and Jesus Christ’s role as the Messenger and Mediator of those covenants — our gratitude and appreciation will encompass all His current and promised blessings for us: family, prosperity, priesthood power and joy.