Can I Give Thanks?

We just finished the Thanksgiving season...well, a month ago that is. I have continued to study President Nelson's message entitled  "The Healing Power of Gratitude."  It is a remarkable message, and really centers my soul and settles my spirit.

Today I pondered on the phrase "We can give thanks for the gift of life" and asked myself 'What about death? Is that a gift?' And the Spirit brought to mind a couple scriptures. I've read the Book of Mormon many times, but these phrases jumped out at me after experiencing the death of a child.

The prophet Jacob is expounding on the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and right after he discourses on death, hell, and the grave, he says, "And it shall come to pass that when all men shall have passed from this first death unto life..."

Pass from this "first death" unto life! 

He is not the only prophet to speak on the subject, as Amulek also had something to say:

Now, behold, I have spoken unto you concerning the death of the mortal body, and also concerning the resurrection of the mortal body. I say unto you that this mortal body is raised to an immortal body, that is from death, even from the first death unto life, that they can die no more; their spirits uniting with their bodies, never to be divided; Alma 11:45

I won't split hairs or get too technical with how many deaths there are....death from leaving God's presence to come to earth, death of the mortal body, death of the spirit world life and being resurrected...the point is, death leads to new parts of life.

I can give thanks for MANY things about death. I give thanks that Abigail's suffering ended. I give thanks for the lessons we learned. I give thanks for the refining process of terminal illness. I give thanks for knowledge...I give a LOT of thanks for this...knowledge of knowing death is not the end. Knowledge that I know where she is. Knowledge of what she's doing. Knowledge of eternal covenants.

In all things, Christ once again is the ultimate example. I give thanks daily for His Atonement, which includes His death. It was necessary for more to happen.

Abigail's death was also necessary for more to happen, both in her life and in mine. I give thanks for her "first death unto life." Yes, I can #givethanks in all things. The apostle Paul wasn't joking when he said “In every thing give thanks." He didn't qualify his statement. He meant it, Christ lived it, and I am trying.

Always, faith.