Gratitude: The Multiplying Principle

May 6, 2020

For just a moment, think of how exciting it would be to have an endless supply of something—especially something you love and enjoy. How thrilling! Anyone would jump at the opportunity. . . Think of the accompanying sense of freedom, relief, and stability.

What if you could have an endless, continuously multiplying supply of the blessings from God that you need and want the most? What would you be willing to do for this?

The lord has promised us that as we truly receive what He gives us He will give more.

“and unto you that continue to receive, shall more be given …for he that receiveth, to him shall be given; but he that continueth not to receive, from him shall be taken even that which he hath.” (JST Mark 4:20)
“For whosoever receiveth, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance; but whosoever continueth not to receive, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.” (JST Matt. 13:10-11)
“For unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from them that shall say, we have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have.” (2Nephi 28:30)

We also find in these verses the pattern that if we fail to receive what the Lord is giving us we begin to lose what we have. Therefore, it is vital we identify how to truly “receive” something from the Lord so that we can be given more and have more abundance. The example of the leper in Luke 17 typifies one of the greatest ways to truly “receive” what the Lord is offering.

“ 12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:
13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.
14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.
15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,
16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.
17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?
18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.
19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.”

Notice all then cried out to Jesus for mercy, and all ten were cleansed. However, one of them turned back, glorified God, and fell down on his face at Christ’s feet giving him thanks. This leper, the one who showed gratitude not only received the Lord’s blessing of being cleansed, he was also made whole, meaning he was healed on a much deeper level than simply being physically cleansed. Perhaps he was also healed of the mental, emotional, and spiritual symptoms, and causes, of the leprosy; ensuring it would never return. The other nine—who the Lord shows clear displeasure with—were not so lucky. And if the pattern from the scriptures cited above is accurate, they likely eventually lost what they had been given.

We can lean many valuable lessons from this story, but one is that as we receive the Lord’s blessings by showing gratitude, we receive more than we would have otherwise. Gratitude thus becomes a multiplying principe—a way to receive more than we were originally given. It also enables the Lord to bless us on a deeper, more far-reaching level than at our initial exercise of faith. What blessings might we be missing out on by not expressing praise and gratitude to God? How many deeper truths? How much deeper healing? What level of deeper joy and peace?

In a book called Alive in Christ we read:

“You not only use Divine Light but you also multiply it. How can this power become stronger in you so you experience more evidence of power in your life? How is it that you multiply it? How is spiritual energy not depleted but instead multiplied? It is done with gratitude. It is done with a return of honor and praise to the Heavens above. This returns this divine energy back to its origin. You give back with your gratitude and prayers of praising, adoring, and expressing the love you have for your Heavenly Mother and Father from your heart.
As gratitude circulates between you and Mother and Father, it multiplies. The spirit of Gratitude also increases in you. This increases all the goodness and capacities you have. When you express gratitude for the extra physical strength that came because of the Divine Light, your physical body’s strength becomes even more than it was before. When you express gratitude for the peace and calm you have prayed for, you will experience an increase. When you return in gratitude, the new and brighter Light not only stays with you but also increases. All blessings of any kind will increase with expressed gratitude to the Divine Ones. Gratitude is the key for all increase and abundance of everything good. As you express gratitude, all of the virtues, all of the strength in your physical body, and all of the illumination of your mind will be sustained and even multiplied by the spirit of gratitude and praise to your Eternal God.” (P. 87-88)

When we express sincere, heartfelt gratitude to our Heavenly Parents we are literally signifying to them that we want, and are open to receive more. As I have practiced this principle in my life, I have experienced profound blessings from the Lord. As I have given gratitude for meaningful friendships, more are brought into my life. As I have given gratitude for spiritual truth and light, more has been given. As I have given gratitude for profound, revelatory, healing experiences in meditation with the Lord, He has given me more. The same is true for scriptural insight and understanding, dreams, visions, love, strength, financial prosperity, etc.

Gratitude opens the floodgates of blessings and allows them to be multiplied for our highest good.

Suggestions for application:

Ponder over the scriptural invitation to live in thanksgiving daily (Alma 34:38). Visualize what this might look like.
Spend more time offering praise and gratitude in prayer.
Offer prayers of only gratitude.
Begin writing in a gratitude journal every day.
Share conversations about gratitude with friends or family members each day during time such as dinner or family prayer, or randomly throughout the day.
Pray for increased awareness of the Lord’s blessings—the ones to give thanks for, and the multiplied and expanded ones coming back to you from Him.