As we celebrated Thanksgiving, I took the time to think about that which I’m grateful for. There are so aspects of life for which I am grateful: my family, my health, the health of family, our home, our relationships, and of course the gospel.

But Thanksgiving began as a feast, to celebrate the harvest of a new and promised land, and the budding friendships between the Natives and the Pilgrims. It grew into a national holiday as a time to be thankful for the work put for by our progenitors to settle this Great Nation.

In light of this, and the political movements that have taken place this year, I have mostly reflected on my gratitude for this nation in which I live. I am grateful for the opportunity to speak, for my opinion to be counted, and held at the very same weight as all other citizens of this great land. I am grateful for the bounty which continues today in our country. I am grateful for the friendships I have and can have with people who are different than me. 

I am grateful for the faith of my fathers that has led this nation to grow and prosper.